How to Safely Jailbreak an iPod Touch
Jailbreaking an Apple device can be done for many reasons. For many phones or devices that run on cellular data and not just wifi, it is required in order to run a sim card from a different cellular company than the one that it is contracted to. For those looking to do an end-run around the iTunes store, a jailbreak is also possible. The kind of jailbreak you choose to do will depend on the kind of computer that you connect your iPod touch to in order to access iTunes. If you do everything via the web, it is best to find a computer to do the jailbreak, as iTunes will not allow you to download jailbreak software through their regular system. It is important to note that jailbreaking is considered to be frowned upon by Apple and the cellular companies, as the reason that the restrictive software is there is to ensure that those who have worked on designing a program, movie, game, or song will get the money that they fairly deserve for their product. Cellular companies have limited-time restrictions because you have agreed to purchase their product over a certain time period, and the payments are often included in your service contract. That said, here are the instructions:
If you can’t find a computer: One simple way to do it is to go to Safari and type in “www.jailbreakme.com” There will be a button you can push on this website, and you’re done. There are no special considerations made here, it’s a very simple jailbreak.
If you are connecting to a PC or Mac:
Download a jailbreaking program to your computer. You need to know which program to use. Some programs, like evasi0n, are designed to work with a specific version of iOS, so do your homework to find out which version you have on your iPod. For PC users, you need to know which version of iOS your device is running, and potentially upgrade. From here, look for a program on a jailbreak site. As these programs run into glitches and countermeasures, the best way is to look for one with recent posted reviews on a trusted download site like download.com. Usually it is as simple as downloading to your computer, then plugging your device in.
Custom Jailbreak Programs:
If you have a friend who is tech savvy and okay with such things, you can run a more specific jailbreak program that is written to do a certain kind of jailbreak. This requires a vision and a tecchie friend, however.
