Gadget stores that sell iPhone and other Apple products had, at one point or another, been asked by a buyer about jailbreaking. In fact, there was a phase where a sentence with the word “jailbreak” on it is incomplete if there’s no mention of “Apple” or “iPhone.” What is jailbreaking? And how does it pertain to the flagship devices of the tech giant?

The Cat-and-Mouse Game

iPhones and iPads are both locked-down gadgets. This means you may only download and install apps approved by Apple. This also signifies that you can’t alter or tweak the root system of the unit. Simply put, jailbreaking is the approach used to escape the figurative jail.

Apple disapproves of jailbreaking. The company goes out of its way to make jailbreaking tricky and complicated. It’s a cat-and-mouse game between the tech giant and the jailbreaking community. The former blocks any or all attempts of jailbreakers to tweak their devices, while the latter works diligently to jailbreak any or all iOS updates.

The Gist

Jailbreaking differs from rooting or unlocking a device. But, the key points are the same. Just like many other modern gadgets, iOS units like iPhones and iPads come with a locked-down system. You have limited access to the complete file system of the device, which differs from the low- level access you have on a Windows, Mac, or Linux PC. It’s only Apple that has the “Root User” access on your phone or tablet.

To jailbreak is to gain complete access to an iOS unit. Jailbreakers normally look for a security weakness and utilize it to get away from the locked down ecosystem. If successful, the jail breaker can have complete control over his iOS device.

As per the US DMCA directive, jailbreaking an iPhone is legal. However, jailbreaking an iPad is purportedly a criminal offense. Regulations vary in other countries.

The Need to Jailbreak

The locked-down nature of an iPhone or iPad means you can only carry out what Apple permits you to do with your device. For instance, it’s impossible to change your default web browser. It’s also not possible to install apps externally. This massive restriction is the main reason people  jailbreak their iOS devices.

Even the simplest tweaks such as changing themes or adding widgets require jailbreaking. Jailbreakers tweak their devices because they prefer to accomplish more with their gadgets than Apple permits them to.

The Fight Continues

Since jailbreaking is not backed up by Apple, all jailbreaking successes are achieved by pinpointing any security vulnerability in the device’s operating system and taking advantage of that weakness. This provides the tech giant two parallel reasons to prevent jailbreaking. First, they want to prevent the act itself. Second, they want to mend security imperfections that may jeopardize iOS gadgets.

Each time the jailbreaking community creates a new program that exploits a security flaw, the company notices. Then, they will repair the flaw and include the fix in the next version of iOS. This strategy obstructs the jailbreak from doing its job over a longer period of time.