Want to run iPhone apps that aren’t available in Apple’s App Store? Then you might want to think about jailbreaking your iPhone or iPod touch. But up until today there was not easy method for jailbreaking a device running iOS 4, including the new iPhone 4 or older devices that had been upgraded.

But now the folks at the iPhone Dev Team have made jailbreaking as simple as visiting a web site and sliding a button.

Basically, all you have to do is open Safari on your mobile device, visit jailbreakme.com, and slide to unlock your phone. Once it’s finished, the unofficial Cydia app store will be added to your home screen.

As the FAQ says, jailbreaking lets you run apps and install themes that aren’t approved by Apple, and federal courts have recently ruled that it’s legal for users to jailbreak their devices in the US (although it’s not entirely clear if it’s legal for hackers to provide the tools to do so).

While this is one of the first mainstream tools for jailbreaking iPhone 4 devices, the browser-based tool also works with devices running earlier versions of the iPhone operating system including the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch running iOS 3.1.2 and up. Some users are reporting that jailbreaking their phones is causing problems with Apple’s FaceTime and MMS apps — although a solution to those problems appears to be in the works.

Update: The Facetime and MMS issues have been resolved. So if you use Jailbreakme.com now, you shouldn’t have a problem. If you used it previously you can install an app called iPhoneDelivery that will fix both problems.

Update 2: Wondering why you might want to jailbreak your iDevice? Check out my tutorial for enabling apps to run in the background on older iPhone and iPod touch models.

via Redmond Pie

Brad Linder

Brad Linder is editor of Liliputing and Mobiputing. He's been tinkering with mobile tech for decades and writing about it since...

13 replies on “How to jailbreak an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad using the web browser”

  1. Pingback: How to jailbreak an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad using the web browser – Mobiputing : iPad Feedback
  2. Pingback: Jailbreakme – Legally Jailbreak your iPhone , iPod Touch and iPad Now! – The Daily Tech News : iPad Feedback

  4. This is a huge security flaw in safari to allow remote code execution at a superuser level access. Safari is in serious need of a patch yesterday. Within 48 hours, blackhaters could have viruses and rootkits being loaded onto your phone using the same safari explot that this web based jailbreak uses. The author of this program should have reported the exploit to Apple and not a demonstration to people with malacious intent on how to explot the flaw.

  5. ya this thing made my ipod freeze. i restarted it and and it froze on the apple logo. now itunes won't even recognize it. thanks.

  6. It's a utility ipod transfer,with many nice functions to make your ipod more perfect.
    Key functions
    Easy to use: Tansee iPod transfer is simple to install and easy to operate.
    Multiple device compatibility: Works with all iPod models: iPod nano, iPod mini, iPod shuffle, iPod classic, iPod touch.
    Auto-scanning, Indexing: Auto-scans your iPod device, and auto-indexes all files by album, artist, genre.
    Backup to any folder: You can easily and quickly back up your songs and videos from your iPod, iPod touch to any folder on your PC.

    http://www.softwarebbs.com/wiki/Tansee_iPod_Tra…

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