To Jailbreak, or not to Jailbreak, that is the question…
To Jailbreak, or not to Jailbreak, that is the question…Does your phone need a little customization? You may want your iPhone to have an extra icon in the dock. Maybe you want your Android to have a specific app that it does not support. Rooting, or Jailbreaking, may be your solution. It means digging into your phone – not literally – and gaining root access to the programming, which can allow for tweaking directly to the code or just some extra customization. WARNING: A JAILBREAK OR ROOT WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY AND COULD RUIN YOUR PHONE BEYOND REPAIR IN THE PROCESS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Rooting your device will take a bit of technical savvy and, as a result, there are plenty of resources on the Internet for every device on exactly how to Jailbreak a device. If rooting your phone voids your warranty and could outright break it, why even try?
OS Updates
Most Android users have a recurring problem that they are always an update or two behind. Whether or not your phone is eligible for an upgrade is based on a number of factors and could leave you without the newest OS. Sure, with enough time you will get the update, but sometimes, another has come out by then. The Jailbreak community is so up-to-date that they sometimes have the next update months before the carrier releases it. In addition, you can find the OS you want and love and keep it forever. OS installs are fast and easy, so you could try out a new one and switch back if you do not like it.
Unneeded and Unwanted Apps
Everyone knows of at least one app on their device that they do not use or want and it just sits there taking up space. Some of you may have even tried to delete them only to find them back on your phone in the next round of updates. Some versions of Android do allow you to hide the apps so that you cannot see them, yet the space they take up is still unusable. If you root your device, you can download an app that lets you delete those pesky apps permanently, just make sure you double check which app you are deleting before you confirm.
Battery Optimization
Does your battery die halfway through the day? Rooting your device allows you to customize your phone’s OS to optimize your phone and even increase your battery life. Your phone already has a power save mode, but the phone itself was not built to save power as a primary function. You can change that with a jailbreak. You can even optimize it for speed and performance if you are doing anything graphically intensive.
More Apps
With a jailbreak, you have access to countless apps that do numerous things, including the above reasons mentioned. Do you hate your phone’s skin or interface? Want a different color scheme or a whole phone-wide theme? Most other users do too, but once your phone is rooted, you can change it. That’s just one example; there are a ton of other apps and features you may not normally have access to.
Infinite Customization
Rooting your device has an innumerable number of changes and custom settings you can change. You can change how you interact with your phone by plugging a keyboard into it and typing that way. Is an app blocked by your provider or in your country? You can trick your phone into allowing access. Jailbreak now and get a free Wi-Fi hotspot! Anything you want to do, there’s an app for that. Rooting allows you to fully own your phone without your carrier blocking you.
If you’re fearful of Jailbreaking, look at it more closely as your warranty nears its end. You should also look into it when you plan on replacing your phone anyway. Consequently, the first time it can be very intimidating and even after you get the hang of it something can go wrong. In the end, it’s up to you and your technology skills.
Again, PROCEED WITH CAUTION as a jailbreak can ruin your phone beyond repair.
(Image Source: iCLIPART)