The Difference Between Jailbreaking and Unlocking

Sebastien, Jul 10, 2009

There is a lot of confusion among noobies about jailbreaking and unlocking. One of our readers recently asked for a clear “non geeky” definition of both terms.

If you already know the difference between jailbreaking and unlocking, this article might not be very helpful to you but you may still be able to give us some insights or maybe add your comments and suggestions. If you don’t know what jailbreaking or unlocking means, then read on because you’re just about to get a crash course on iPhone hacking…

What is Jailbreaking?

Definition of Jailbreaking

Jailbreaking is the process by which an iPhone firmware is modified to allow unsigned code to be run to gain access to files that Apple wouldn’t normally let you access. Jailbreaking adds unofficial application installers to your iPhone such as Cydia or Icy (I personally only use Cydia), which let you download many 3rd-party applications previously unavailable through the App Store.

Is Jailbreaking Legal?

Update: Jailbreaking is now officially legal in the US

Yes and no. The legality of jailbreaking is very unclear. Most iPhone owners including myself think that since we own the iPhone, we should be able to do whatever we want with it.

Apple’s lawyers think differently as they consider jailbreaking to be a violation of copyright. I had a phone conversation with Apple’s copyright attorney about a year ago and he admitted to me that they are not capable of going after every jailbreaker out there… To these days, I don’t think anyone has had legal issues with Apple due to jailbreaking.

Why Jailbreak Your iPhone

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 (ie. nudity)
  • video recording (now available on the iPhone 3GS)
  • changing the look and feel by installing custom graphics and themes
  • free tethering
  • get access to cracked App Store apps for free (not endorsed by me, but still worth noting)
  • be able to unlock your iPhone

Why Not Jailbreak Your iPhone

I can only think of one reason why you wouldn’t want to jailbreak. Jailbreaking your iPhone automatically voids the warranty. This is not really a problem as you can always restore your iPhone in iTunes, putting it back to its factory settings. This will make it impossible for Apple to see you jailbroke your iPhone, thus not voiding your warranty.

In the past, some jailbreak methods were not very stable and sometimes turned your iPhone into an iBrick aka an expensive paper weight. Jailbreak methods are now very stable and I have yet to hear about someone bricking his iPhone while jailbreaking. In other words, jailbreaking is safe!

How Do I Jailbreak My iPhone?

I wrote many tutorials on how to jailbreak your iPhone, depending on what iPhone and what firmware you have. Check them out, follow the instructions, and have fun. You don’t need to have a PhD in computer science to jailbreak your iPhone. It’s very simple and straightforward. If you can download 2 files and click “next” when prompted, then you can jailbreak your iPhone.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

It’s very unlikely that something will go wrong… If you have a problem, simply plug your iPhone to your computer, launch iTunes, and click “restore”. As I mentioned above, it will restore your iPhone to factory settings.

Why Are You Still Reading This?

What? You’re still aren’t sure about this whole jailbreak thing? You’re missing out big time. An unjailbroken iPhone is a plain boring iPhone! Jailbreaking is the best thing that has happened to my iPhone and I seriously can’t live without it.

What Is Unlocking?

Definition of Unlocking

Unlocking is the removal of SIM restrictions on the modem, allowing the use of the iPhone on any carrier. There are 2 types of iPhone unlocks:

  • software unlock: the iPhone is unlocked by a software
  • hardware unlock: modification have to be made to the actual hardware to unlock the phone

Software unlocks are safer because they do not modify your device and can easily be reverted back. Soft unlocks are mostly developed for free by the Dev Team, an international group of iPhone hackers. Hardware unlocks are a little tricky and usually cost money. In clear, if you want to unlock your iPhone, you can do it for free by with a safe software unlock.

Is Unlocking Legal?

According to Wikipedia, “unlocking a phone without the permission or unlocking code from the provider is usually in breach of the agreement with the provider, though most countries do not make specific laws prohibiting the removal of SIM locks. In the United States the DMCA formerly was claimed to criminalize unlocking. However, an exemption that took effect 27 November 2006 specifically permits it.”

Why Unlock Your iPhone

The main reason to unlock your iPhone is if you want to use it with a different service provider (ie T-Mobile). An unlocked iPhone also has a better resell value.

Why Not Unlock Your iPhone

If you’re good with your phone carrier and will not use your iPhone internationally, there is absolutely no reason for you to unlock your iPhone.

How Do I Unlock My iPhone?

Before unlocking your iPhone, you will have to jailbreak it. The unlock can either be done from a computer, or directly from the iPhone. Check out my iPhone unlock tutorials for step by step instructions.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

Although unlocks can sometimes mess up your settings a little bit, they are constantly improved to fix errors and bugs. If something goes wrong, you can always restore your iPhone to factory settings.

In Short…

I case you’re still not really sure you understand the difference between jailbreaking and unlocking, let me put it in very simple words. Jailbreaking an iPhone means that 3rd party applications can be installed on it (ie. apps from other developers than Apple). Unlocking an iPhone means that any SIM card can be used on it.

If you have questions or anything you want to say, feel free to leave a comment below or start a new conversation in the forum.

 
← Older Comments
  • Mitesh

    good information

  • salim

    if i do it jail break,is it possible for me to use another service providers sim card?

    • Jonathan

      read the darn information! its very clearly written. The short answer is no unless you unlock it too.

  • Foster

    I m actly new to this apple world. I gt iPhone4 frm USA wid at&t nd now I m using this in India.. I just wanted to know if I jailbreak my fone , wll I b able to connect it wid iTunes ??? nd update maps nd all??

    • Appleguy

      You will be able to connect it with iTunes (and sync it and stuff). However, if you do a SOFTWARE update, then you’ll probably have to re-jailbreak it.

  • Jessica

    I just want to double check. If I jailbreak and then unlock an iphone, (which you claim is easy enough for a beginner to do) then I can get a SIM card in Tanzania and use my phone there with their pay per use system?

    You are a life savior if this is true!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

    1 other questions- Does it matter if I download apps before or after this whole process?? Will they work in Tanzania just the same as the US?

  • Kate

    Does anyone know if you can unlock a AT&T Iphone 3G to run on Verizon? I recently came into an old Iphone and was told no by the techy at the phone shop.

  • shirtboy

    still dont tell me if is jailbreaking the same as unlocking

    • Cappa

      I aint the same thing.

    • Appleguy

      agree w/ cappa. not the same thing:
      • jailbreaking=the possibility of tweaking your iphone/ipod in many more ways n installing 3rd party apps (cracked apps etc.)
      • unlocking=being able to use iphone on t-mobile and others instead of the usual at&t network
      Geddit?

  • Jen

    My phone was unlocked and jailbroken and is now not working at all. I have the apple logo on the screen constantly

    • Dody

      @ JEN – are you located in INdia, if YES you cud call me and I cud help you get out of this.
      Maybe your Apple Iphone have been tethered unlocked , which means – ” everytime you switch off your Iphone , it has to be turned ON using a specific version apple device software ” depending on the firmware for ur iphone.
      As of now I know that there is no unlock available for ver 4.3.* . Mine too is a tethered unlocked .

      Dody -
      dodyfordiana@gmail.com

  • Jen

    I am in the US. I got it unlocked at a tmobile store at the mall.

    • Dody

      @ Jen : Oh k ..then I guess it wud be best to walk upto them and have it started .
      If your Iph is showing an apple logo on screen an nothing beyond that -its called screen of death and can be brough back to normal through the recovery mode .It’s just a 5 mins process , and all ur data and other stuff wud also be as it is .

    • Kenny

      @Jen- you got the iphone unlocked at a t-mobile store in US? I didn’t know t-mobile also carry iphone. how much does it cost to unlock it? because i want to get that done too so i can travel with my phone.

      • Jen

        T-mobile does not carry them. I had one from when I had AT&T and had them unlock and jailbreak it. I paid $30.00 to have them do it

  • Jen

    I tried that…it won’t restore

  • http://www.liftkosova.org Marti Denham

    I had my iphone G3 jailbroken and unlocked before going to Europe. When I arrived there several service providers attempted to help me but I have ended up with only telephone service and the ability to use WiFi, but no one was able to provide internet service through any other carrier such as Vodafone etc. Language barrier prevented really good verbal communication, but I was told it needed to be taken back to USA and “repaired” before they could establish continual service with a local carrier. Any idea what that means???

  • 2

    Since to unlock the iphone, you have to jailbreak it, what happens to the unlock if the jailbreak is reversed?

  • TC McMaster

    I have an 8 gig iPhone 3g (I think) that was given to me. It had already been jailbroke and unlocked. I used it for a couple days and then it froze up while a call was coming in. After that I couldn’t get it to do anything and ended up with a white screen. I decided to try to restore it to factory settings (reset and restore). iTunes recognizes the phone when it’s plugged in saying its “detected an iPhone in recovery mode and must be restored before it can be used with iTunes”. I click OK, start the restore process and after a while I get an error message saying.

    Nevermind, I shut off my firewall and the restore went thru. Yippee, now I have to jailbreak and unlock it again.

  • Heng Sean

    Hi, I have a iPhone 4 and was on 4.11.8 I just updated to iOS 5 now it was error and doesn’t accept SIM and I always try to down grate it but can not. do you why? and how I can I make it accept SIM or down grate? Can you help ?

  • Pompo

    Hi – I have an AT&T iphone 3 that has been unlocked and am using it in Europe.

    When it was unlocked the person told me to never updated the firmware via iTunes as it would mean it couldn’t be unlocked again as the unlock was a ‘one time only’ procedure.

    Could this be true?

    Thx.

  • Hesam Hosseinian

    so thanks now I know many thing about unlocking and jailbreaking

  • http://www.facebook.com/midhun4u Midhun Mungath

    helloo sir, am living in india.. my question is if i buy a iphone from an apple store online with a contract, will i be able to unlock it so that i will be able to use it as a sim free phone.. Will i have to p[ay monthly for the contract??

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JYXRULQ3TE2KRVQOSC6Z4XBWIU Yasmin

    Waitt so can i delete cydia after ive unlocked it ?

  • Anonymous

    Hi, I am not well know with iphone and electronics. i nearly bought iphone which was not unlocked. I tried to unlock it through jealbreaking and i failed . without knowing the Consequence i restored the iphone. Now i am having problem of activating. can you please tell me what i can do?
    thank you

  • Anonymous

    Hi, I am not well know with iphone and electronics. i nearly bought iphone which was not unlocked. I tried to unlock it through jealbreaking and i failed . without knowing the Consequence i restored the iphone. Now i am having problem of activating. can you please tell me what i can do?
    thank you

  • Anonymous

    Hi, I am not well know with iphone and electronics. i nearly bought iphone which was not unlocked. I tried to unlock it through jealbreaking and i failed . without knowing the Consequence i restored the iphone. Now i am having problem of activating. can you please tell me what i can do?
    thank you

  • Anonymous

    Hi, I am not well know with iphone and electronics. i nearly bought iphone which was not unlocked. I tried to unlock it through jealbreaking and i failed . without knowing the Consequence i restored the iphone. Now i am having problem of activating. can you please tell me what i can do?
    thank you

  • Anonymous

    I have two questions and would apprecite any help.
    1) If you jailbreak an i-phone, can you then use a prepaid card rather than a monthly phone contract?. I use mostly data and not the phone so much. Paying $50 a month is a waste of money for me.
    2) If I buy a two year contract, and I don’t want to renew the contract, does the i-phone become useless or can I use it as an i-touch without any contract?

    Thanks

    T

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