Perfect timing for those that got their hands on an iPhone 4 over the weekend, it’s the simplest jailbreak yet
Despite Apple’s best efforts at locking down both the iOS 4 operating system and the iPhone 4 itself, a hacker by the name of Comex has today released a jailbreak that works across all devices running iOS 3.2.1, 4.0 and 4.0.1.
JailbreakMe is the first browser-based jailbreak that runs entirely from the iPhone or iPad. Simply point the browser at jailbreakme.com (or try the alternate site at jailbreakme.modmyi.com if it hangs on the purple screen) and slide your finger across the unlock panel. The entire process takes three minutes and doesn’t require a reboot.
Once the jailbreak is complete, it adds the Cydia icon to the homescreen, and from there you can start tapping into all of the jailbreak apps that Apple doesn’t allow in the App Store, including the MyWi wireless Internet tethering app, programs that trick the device into thinking it’s connected to Wi-Fi (a good app to try for FaceTime over 3G), and advanced GUI customisation via Winterboard.
The first version of JailbreakMe broke FaceTime and MMS on many iPhones (including this writer’s), but the latest version fixes it – just open Cydia and apply any upgrades from the Changes tab.
The jailbreak couldn’t come at a better time. Just last week, the US Copyright Office passed a ruling that jailbreaking a handset for the purpose of installing software didn’t violate federal copyright law. Of course, Australia has its own Copyright Act with its own policies with regards to circumventing protection mechanisms, and iPhone jailbreaking in particular hasn’t been tested in Australian courts.