I previously used the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak,” can I switch to the Dopamine v2 jailbreak?

The Dopamine v2 full-fledged rootless jailbreak has only been available for a week at the time of this writing, and we’ve received tons of questions about whether prospective jailbreakers should use it. Many of those prospective jailbreakers have previously used (or are currently using) the RootHide bootstrap or Serotonin “semi-jailbreak.”

Switching from the Serotonin "semi-jailbreak" or RootHide Bootstrap to the Dopamine v2 full-fledged jailbreak.

Whether or not you have used the RootHide bootstrap or Serotonin “semi-jailbreak,” there are a few things you should know before using the Dopamine v2 jailbreak tool. We will attempt to cover all that information in today’s piece so that our readers make the most informed decision they can.

Considering Dopamine v2?

The Dopamine v2 jailbreak is the second iteration of the popular Dopamine rootless jailbreak tool. The v2 moniker is important because the original Dopamine jailbreak only supported arm64e (A12-A15) devices running iOS & iPadOS 15.0-15.4.1; but as of v2, Dopamine now supports a larger sum of device and firmware combinations, the entirety of which looks something like this:

  • iOS & iPadOS 15.0-16.6.1 on A9-A11 devices
  • iOS & iPadOS 15.0-16.5.1 and 16.6 betas 1-4 on A12-A14 & M1 devices
  • iOS & iPadOS 15.0-16.5 and 16.6 betas 1-4 on A15-A16 & M2 devices

If you have never jailbroken your device before, and you have never hacked it in any way, either by installing TrollStore, the RootHide Procursus-based bootstrap, or the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak,” and your device is supported by Dopamine v2, then you should absolutely go ahead and jailbreak with it to reap the benefits.

But if you have installed any of the aforementioned hacks on your device previously, this is where things get a little hairier. You will want to follow the correct procedures before proceeding with Dopamine v2 to ensure the smoothest jailbreak experience possible.

If you have used Serotonin or the RootHide bootstrap

If you were among those who didn’t want to wait for a jailbreak to come out and you installed the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak” to help hold you over during that long wait, then you will need to completely remove the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak” and the RootHide Procursus-based bootstrap before jailbreaking with Dopamine v2.

There is a function inside of the Serotonin app that lets you remove the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak,” and it’s strongly advised that you use it. This will be the first step in cleansing the old tool from your device.

After you remove the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak,” you will also want to remove the RootHide Procursus-based bootstrap from your device.

Just like the Serotonin app, you should find an option within the RootHide bootstrap app to remove it from your device. Again, we strongly recommend using this function, as it scrubs the RootHide bootstrap and its remnants from your device.

You need to remove the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak” and the RootHide Procursus-based bootstrap from your device prior to jailbreaking with Dopamine v2 because the jailbreak will not work properly with either one of these things installed beforehand.

If you only used the RootHide bootstrap

If you were among those who installed the RootHide Procursus-based bootstrap, but didn’t install the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak” because you wanted to wait for a full-fledged jailbreak, then you still need to completely remove the RootHide bootstrap from your device before jailbreaking with Dopamine v2.

Even if you didn’t install the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak,” the RootHide bootstrap uses its own techniques that can interfere with the Dopamine v2 jailbreak. As such, you shouldn’t attempt to install the jailbreak until you remove the bootstrap first.

As discussed in the section above, there is an option in the RootHide bootstrap app that allows you to remove it from your device. We strongly recommend using this feature, as it will properly remove the bootstrap and all remnants of it from your device.

If you only used TrollStore

If you have TrollStore on your device, but haven’t used the RootHide Procursus-based bootstrap or the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak,” then you don’t need to remove anything. In fact, you will use TrollStore as part of the Dopamine v2 jailbreak installation process, so by already having it, you’re ahead of the curve.

TrollStore itself will not interfere with your Dopamine v2 jailbreak, and in fact, it can be a powerful complement to your jailbreak by allowing you to perma-sign .ipa and .tipa files that you ordinarily couldn’t install on an iPhone or iPad without sideloading.

If you haven’t installed any hacks yet

If your device is still bone stock and you haven’t installed TrollStore, the RootHide Procursus-based bootstrap, or the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak,” then you’re golden. You’re ready to install the Dopamine v2 jailbreak as long as you have a supported firmware version on a supported device. We discussed the compatible device and firmware combinations above, and recommend that you review them if you skipped over them.

Wrapping up

It’s important to install your jailbreak properly from the start, as it will help you avoid headaches and the potential of losing your jailbreak later down the line due to instability, boot loops, or restoring your device.

As a brief overview, if you have used the RootHide Procursus-based bootstrap or the Serotonin “semi-jailbreak” prior to using Dopamine v2, then you will need to remove them before using Dopamine v2. If you have TrollStore, but nothing else, or you haven’t even installed TrollStore yet, then you can immediately begin installing the Dopamine v2 jailbreak.

Are you planning to, or have you already installed the Dopamine v2 jailbreak? Be sure to let us know in the comments section down below.