How much of a commitment is jailbreaking an iPhone 4?
April 5, 2011 11:49 AM   Subscribe

I'm currently using a Verizon unlimited data plan and I'd like to occasionally provide my work laptop with a little data so I can work away from home.

Basically, I've read tons about jailbreaking. The consensus I've gathered is that you can do it without permanent damage if you follow the instructions carefully and have a backup on hand.

On the other hand, it also seems like jailbreaking requires you to commit to a future of very hands-on updating. I'm worried that this will go against the reason I chose the iPhone over the Android in the first place. I'm capable of the work to get these types of manipulations done, but sometimes I just want to have my stuff just work.

My goal for all this is to be able to create a mobile hotspot on my iPhone so I can sometimes work on my laptop from the park or other pleasant, but non-wifi, location. I might take on some of the other perks of jailbreaking later, but the hotspot is my main concern.

I know that Verizon will "let" me add a hotspot to my plan for $20 a month (in addition to the $30 I already pay for unlimited data), but $50 a month (on top of my calling plan) just blows.

Mostly I'm looking for a little hand holding. Comments like "I've had a jailbroken phone forever and it's totally fine, even though I'm not an uber tech person" would be very encouraging. I know there's a ton of stuff on here about jailbreaking, but the older questions about this don't seem to cover the Verizon aspect, or the long-term experience of jailbreaking. Thanks!
posted by cndelia to Technology (10 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I have an android phone and used two different apps to be able to transfer my cell internet connection to my pc via usb. I did this for two months.

Not sure if there are similar apps for iphone.
posted by KogeLiz at 11:55 AM on April 5, 2011


Oh. I skipped the part where you require wireless connection.
Excuse my reply.
posted by KogeLiz at 11:56 AM on April 5, 2011


Jailbreaking is easy to do, and easy to remove. Just "Restore" in iTunes and you will have no trace of jailbreak. IMHO, no extra "hands-on updating" necessary.
posted by noahv at 12:01 PM on April 5, 2011


I'm capable of the work to get these types of manipulations done, but sometimes I just want to have my stuff just work.

The deal is that you don't immediately get the latest updates from Apple, and you have to keep an eye on what you install.

You get whatever update is available for your model of phone, for which a crack is available. You need to decline updates from iTunes, which will replace the cracked OS installation with a non-cracked one from Apple. Cracked firmwares follow official releases fairly quickly.

The wider option of apps carries a much greater risk of trojan horses, keyloggers, etc. from a non-curated app store. So watch what you install. But if you want to run a hotspot without the extra $20/month, that's the trade-off.

Other than that, that's pretty much it. Having a jailbroken phone is pretty boring in most other respects, unless you like the tech-ier aspects (SSHing in, looking around, etc.).
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:01 PM on April 5, 2011


un-jailbreaking your phone is as easy as plugging it in to your computer and telling itunes to "restore." So if you decide the upgrading is too much of a hassle, you can always undo it and go back to locked in status. However, as of today, there is no jailbreak available for iVerizon iphones running the most current software (4.3.1). So you might need to hold off for a bit.

The first time you do this, it can be a bit confusing, but there are a thousand good guides out there, and after they run you through it the first time, it starts to make sense what's going on and you won't find it difficult to do again later.
posted by skewed at 12:05 PM on April 5, 2011


It takes about 10 minutes, maybe, each time you want to jailbreak (basically, whenever there's an iOS update and the jailbreak is released for it). Make sure, though, to get a jailbreak that is UN-tethered. This means you can reboot your phone with the jailbreak intact -- otherwise you have to "tether" (= plug in to USB) the phone into your computer to keep the jailbreak every time you reboot the phone. Tethered jailbreaks are usually the first type that are released after an iOS update... so keep your eye out for the un-tethered version... that's the one you want.

You will also want to buy MyWi after jailbreaking. It's worth every penny.

Other jailbreak apps I can't live without:

SBSettings
biteSMS
LockInfo
PKGBackup
Backgrounder
iFile
posted by bengarland at 12:12 PM on April 5, 2011


Oh and jailbreaking is a 1- or 2-click process (my grandma could do it). The 10 minutes is just waiting for it to complete. It's really, really easy.
posted by bengarland at 12:13 PM on April 5, 2011


Best answer: I used a jailbroken first gen iPhone because it offended my sensibilities to have a contract for an unsubsidized phone. When the 3G hit I moved to it and had been out of the jailbreak scene till a month or so ago.

What pushed me over the edge - and what I would recommend to anyone who finds sales calls annoying - was iBlacklist. Worth every penny and every bit of hassle jailbreaking brings. I originally jailbroke for the same reason you're considering it but have found being able to never again hear my phone ring for an Unknown number to be more compelling.

My feeling is that there's not really an ongoing hassle factor as much as a marginally increased instability factor. Ignoring the iTunes nags to update is pretty painless; you only have to tell it to buzz off once per version so long as you remember to click the "don't ask me again" option. The larger issue seems to be needing to reboot more often.

That more often means once a month rather than once a year, so take it in context. I also opted to run software that mucks with the phone system and the lock screen so it may be that I'd see less negative impact if I ran closer to stock. But then why bother?

I think the real question you need to ask yourself is whether you can live with running an older version without the newest bells and whistles. Will that drive you nuts? Do you feel uneasy refusing to update? Personally that's easy for me since it dovetails with my opinion as an IT guy - I associate unnecessary updates with pain. That seems to put me in the minority a lot - the Wordpress guys once told me they didn't make the changelogs more prominent because "most people just want to updated to the newest stuff right away" - so if that's gonna bug you then yeah, jailbreaking may turn into more hand-holding operations.

If you can happily ignore the update klaxxons you'll find it pretty painless.
posted by phearlez at 12:39 PM on April 5, 2011


Response by poster: Thanks, everyone for the helpful answers. I think I might go for it, as soon as a version is available for my phone.
posted by cndelia at 6:30 AM on April 6, 2011


Just found this app which I am installing in anticipation of a future upgrade: AptBackup. Dealing with things that won't be restored from backup after an upgrade seemed to me to be one of the biggest PITAs about the jailbreak process. Looks like there's a (partial) solution.
posted by phearlez at 4:05 PM on April 11, 2011


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