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Jailbreak on iOS 7.1.2

TL;DR ✨

iOS 8 is just around the corner, but not for everyone. Devices up to and including the iPhone 4 have been written off and can be thrown away. Even the iPhone 4S is left wondering whether it will be eligible for the upgrade at all.

In many respects, "older" Apple devices do not belong in the trash. They are much more powerful than the average home computer.

iOS 8 is just around the corner, but not for everyone. Devices up to and including the iPhone 4 have been written off and can be thrown away. Even the iPhone 4S is left wondering whether it will be eligible for the upgrade at all.

In many respects, "older" Apple devices do not belong in the trash. They are much more powerful than the average home computer.

Is Apple deliberately turning its modern hardware into junk by burdening it unnecessarily with new iOS updates?

Resist throwing your mobile phone away. Jailbreak it.

The following jailbreak procedure was performed on an iPhone 4 running iOS 7.1.2.

Before jailbreaking, the author recommends backing up all data. ALL OF IT. Transfer songs to the device as well. After the jailbreak, the device cannot communicate with iTunes. This means that backups, video and music transfers, and many other services are unavailable.

Follow the instructions in the following video:

  1. Download PANGU from the following server.
  2. Set the correct date.
  3. Change the language to UK English.
  4. Under Date, select 04 May and set the time (General - Date & Time, then disable "Set Automatically").
  5. Wait for Pangu to install on the device. The device will reboot after installation.
  6. After the reboot, there will be a new icon: Cydia. Tap it and wait for it to open.

The correct repositories now need to be added in order to download formerly paid applications for free.

Follow the instructions on the following website:

  1. Copy the link and paste it into the relevant section in Cydia.
  2. Install AppCake and AppSync (for iOS 7).
  3. To download an application for free, open AppCake and search for it. Tap it, select download, and choose the server from which to download the IPA file. Once the server has been selected, the application will be downloaded; then simply tap it and select "Install."

Bear in mind that files have been removed from more than 50% of the file hosts, so some searching is required.

TIP: Cydia offers various utilities for modifying an iDevice. These include different effects (a different graphical transition between home screens, changing the carrier logo, adding more finger gestures, and so on). The author recommends installing as few of these modifications as possible. They can easily cause the entire OS to crash.

How can backups be handled when iTunes does not work?

  1. Photos can be backed up using the MEGA application. It is an encrypted cloud storage service that can be configured to back up photos from an iPhone to a PC.
  2. Videos can be added to the device using the VLC application. They can be transferred over the network or streamed remotely from storage.
  3. Music can be streamed using Spotify, Deezer, or Rdio, or arbitrary albums and bands can be downloaded using the iDownloader application.
  4. Data can be transferred between the device and a PC using cloud storage services (Dropbox, Google Drive, MEGA) or applications such as iFiles.