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The iPhone Dev Team has released a legal hack for the Apple iPhone 4. The JailbreakMe tool can be accessed through the iPhone’s Safari web browser, and enables users to download and install a variety of software and programs on their handset that have not been officially approved by Apple.
Last week, the US Copyright Office ruled that it was legal to “hack” a mobile phone in the US in order to run applications or to use a different mobile phone network. However, Apple warned that hacking an iPhone, a process known as “jailbreaking”, would void the device’s warranty.
The JailbreakMe hack works on iPhones, iPads and iPod touches running iOS 4 and iOS 4.0.1, but is not compatible with devices running the iOS 4.1 beta. There have been reports from some uses that the hack causes problems with FaceTime, Apple’s video-calling program, and the multimedia messaging functionality of the phone.
Indeed, the hack is proving so popular that some users have reported problems downloading the jailbreak, because the iPhone Dev Team’s servers have been overwhelmed by the number of visitors.
Apple has played down the significance of the hack’s release, and of the US Copyright Office’s ruling.
“The vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones,” said Apple in a statement. “This can violate the warranty, and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably.”
The iPhone Dev Team has released a legal hack for the Apple iPhone 4. The JailbreakMe tool can be accessed through the iPhone’s Safari web browser, and enables users to download and install a variety of software and programs on their handset that have not been officially approved by Apple.Last week, the US Copyright Office ruled that it was legal to “hack” a mobile phone in the US in order to run applications or to use a different mobile phone network. However, Apple warned that hacking an iPhone, a process known as “jailbreaking”, would void the device’s warranty.
The JailbreakMe hack works on iPhones, iPads and iPod touches running iOS 4 and iOS 4.0.1, but is not compatible with devices running the iOS 4.1 beta. There have been reports from some uses that the hack causes problems with FaceTime, Apple’s video-calling program, and the multimedia messaging functionality of the phone.
Indeed, the hack is proving so popular that some users have reported problems downloading the jailbreak, because the iPhone Dev Team’s servers have been overwhelmed by the number of visitors.
Apple has played down the significance of the hack’s release, and of the US Copyright Office’s ruling.
“The vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones,” said Apple in a statement. “This can violate the warranty, and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably.”
