Reasons to Jailbreak Your iPhone

By Mac Hack PC 13 November 2009 View Comments

Update: 11/16/2009:

If you have decided to Jailbreak and install Open SSH. Please change your default SSH password. Here are the instruction on how to change your default Password –

Install Mobile Terminal from Cydia
Once installed, start Terminal from your iPhone
Now type “su root” and hit return
Enter your password “alpine” and hit return – by default is “alpine”
Now enter “passwd root” and hit return
Now, it will prompt you to enter NEW PASSWORD.
Enter NEW PASSWORD.
Confirm your PASSWORD

Before you get into reason to Jailbreak your iPhone, you may have few question – What is Jailbreak? Why should I Jailbreak my iPhone and What is the Difference between Jailbreak and Unlock?

In my recent article I have clarified lots of confusions on, What is Jailbreaking ? and Whats the difference between Jailbreaking and Unlocking? If you haven’t read it, you can find it here.

Now, the question is Why should one Jailbreak there iPhone? Here is the simple answer for you.

As I mentioned in my previous article, Jailbreaking lets you install applications that are not approved by Apple. Many of these applications can be very helpful but they will unfortunately never make it to the App Store due to Apple’s restrictions. There are many reasons why you would want to jailbreak your iPhone:

install 3rd party applications rejected by Apple for various reasons.
video recording on 2G/3G
Enable MMS on 2G
changing the look and feel by installing custom graphics and themes
free tethering
get access to cracked App Store apps for free.
be able to unlock your iPhone

*****Before we get into the Article please read this Disclamer: We at MacHackPC don’t support or promote piracy in anyway. This article is purely for information purposes only. Please Proceed at your own risk.

You can find few articles on how to Jailbreak your iPhone bellow:

Thanks to Cydia, an unauthorized app store open to jailbroken iPhones, consumers can still access some software that Apple won’t allow. Think free text-messaging and cheap international calls thanks to a Google Voice app that Apple banned. There are few other unauthorized app store for Jailbroken iPhone like ICY and Rock. They are not as stable as Cydia.

Now, lets come back to the purpose of this articles. Lets put down few Reasons To Jailbreak iPhone

Reason 1: 3G Unrestricted

This 3G Unrestricted app is truly a number one reason to Jailbreak your iPhone. Because, you can use any application over 3G which has been restricted by Apple. As you know, all our AT&T iPhone owners pay $30 per month for “unlimited” 3G data access. But our access isn’t truly unlimited. Fro example – You are been restricted to make voice call from Skype (VOIP) over 3G network. And also you are been restricted to use SlingPlayer over 3G. Such application can only work on WiFi.

Thanks to this $2 app (3G Unrestricted) which will enable jailbroken iPhone users to select any app that they wish to use over 3G, including Skype and SlingPlayer. Also, by default the App Store won’t let you download files larger than 10MB on the 3G network, and 3G Unrestricted will remove that regulation, too.

3G UnRestricted

Reason 2: GV Mobile (Unofficial Google Voice)

Google Voice was recently rejected and banned by Apple – App Store. The apps would have augmented the search giant’s new voice service, which enables users to rely on a single phone number to ring all their phones, while also delivering the gift of free text messages, voicemail service and cheap international calls. The move stirred so much controversy that even the Federal Communications Commission is inquiring about the prohibition.

Thankfully in the Cydia store there’s GV Mobile, an unofficial Google Voice app. In light of Apple’s blanket ban of Google Voice apps, GV Mobile is one of the reason to jailbreak your iPhone (if you weren’t one of the lucky few to grab a copy before Apple banned it). Overall the app is really sweet, despite having room to improve in terms of performance (connecting to Google’s server each time you launch the app can be a drag). Your contacts list is nicely integrated into the phone dialer and SMS sender; the overall UI is slick and cool. After a few minutes you’ll be sending free text messages, and maybe even dialing your relatives in Taiwan for once with cheap international VOIP calls. The best part? The app’s free.

GV Mobile

Reason 3: Tethering

Apple promised the new iPhone OS 3.1.2 would deliver tethering, but AT&T customers have yet to see that promise fulfilled. AT&T promised tethering would arrive “late summer.” Well, we’re waiting, and it’s not here yet. Some iPhone 3.1.2 users have figured out a roundabout way to turn on tethering. Here are few links..

Reason 4: iProtect

iPhone is my son’s favorite toy. He makes phone call, sends SMS and even send email from my iPhone. – Let me tell you, he is 2 years old. Most of the time, its very frustrating because, My contacts receives phones from my phone which was dialed by my son and wasting my voice call minutes, My contact receive SMS from my phone, again, which was sent by my son and emails tooo. I was thinking how can I stop him from touch these application.

Again Thanks to Cydia for this wonderful application iProtect. This $8.99 app is the best security lock for your iPhone, which protect all your apps and files with strong password. Anti-theft System that incase of sim card changes it will lock the iphone and also send an SMS to a pre-configured number information the new making it easier to be found. With this iProtect I can lock all my icons, so that they can not be moved and deleted. I set it up such a way that – To access an application on my iPhone, I need to enter a password. That way my son can play games but, he will not be able make or send any call or messages.

About iProtect

Reason 5: Unlocking

One of the main reason for you to Jailbreak is to unlock your iPhone. Becasue, you can user your iPhone with a different service provider (ie T-Mobile or any other GMS technology any where inthe world). An unlocked iPhone also has a better resell value.Here are few links..

Reason 6: SBSettings

Are you looking for a quicker way to manage iPhone settings such as disabling or enabling features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G etc instead of the usual process of using iPhone Setting’s App? Then this will be one of the most important reason for Jailbreaking you iPhone.

SBSettings is not like the regular iPhone app that can be launched from the home screen by tapping on its icon. To launch it, you have to swipe on iPhone status bar or tap the status bar using two fingers. Once SBSettings is launched, you’ll see various toggle switches that are available in the Settings app such as Wi-Fi, 3G, EDGE, Bluetooth, Brightness etc. Just tap on the switch to disable or enable the feature (Red is “Off”, Green is “On”). Isn’t that a much faster method to change the settings?

SB Settings

Reason 7: WinterBoard

Are you bored with the look and feel of you iPhone. If YES, then this will be one of the main reason for Jailbreak. Once Jailbeaked you can install Winterboard.

Saurik (the creator of Cydia) has blessed us with WinterBoard. WinterBoard is an open source application that promises to apply any SummerBoard theme, as well as allow for some new amazing effects (ie. animated/changing backgrounds, theming batteries, sliders, etc.).

Reason 8: Cracked Applications

There are thousand and thousands of app in AppStore, some are free apps and some you need to pay of it. Using some application like AppSync and Install0us on all jailbreaken iPhones, can install craked apps. That mean you can install the AppStore Paid app for FREE. Here is the link

How to install .ipa files on your iPhone OS 3.1.2

Reason 9: Supreme Preferences

Supreme Preferences is a really useful application that not only brings many of the standard settings together in one place but also adds almost 100 more useful toggles. Supreme Preferences is a highly recommended download. With Supreme Preferences you can customize you iPhone in so many difference way from changing the color of your battery, display percentage of the battery, display numerical values – Signal Bar, WiFi Bar and battery Percentage etc. You can also customize your Carrier Name. You can also change the Dock Space and many many more. All these are only possible in Jailbroken iPhone.

Here is a quick note – Supreme Preferences is activated through WinterBoard, so be sure you have that installed.

Supreme Preferences and WinterBoard

Supreme Preferences

Supreme Preferences Features - More than 100 and counting.

Reason 10: Flash Light

This may not be the main reason to Jailbreak your iPhone but, its definitely an added feature. Flash light app which are download from AppStore doesn’t give enough light because, Apple refused to allow developers to increase the brightness. Here come FlashLight from Cydia which doesn’t have any restrictions. It will give us the maximum light. Try it out, you will know the difference.

These are the TOP 10 reason why one should Jailbreak iPhone. Not only these but, there are plenty more app, tweaks and mod for Jailbroken iPhone. To know more about iPhone you can always follow us @machackpc (Tips, Tweaks, Hints, Hacks and Updates on your PC, Mac, Linux, iPhone and any other technology related.

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Happy Hacking..

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