Apple has just released the newest version of its mobile operating system, the iOS 9.2.1, to users bringing a number of new features and performance improvements. For those who regularly jailbreak their iOS handsets every time a new version rolls out, the question now is when will an iOS 9.2.1 jailbreak version will be available to their devices.
For the unfamiliar, the process of jailbreaking Apple mobile devices involves removing the software restrictions that the company has puts on its proprietary OS. Users who know how to do it gives them root access to the iOS device's file system and manager allowing them to install additional applications, extensions, and other services from third-party sources (those that are not available from the official App Store).
Jailbreaking an iPhone, iPod, or iPad also involves finding and piecing together bugs or problems in the system so users can "break the rules" that Apple has put in place for those devices. While it will provide further customization, it will also potentially make those devices less secure so users will have to perform the process at their own risk.
The recent iOS 9.2.1 update can potentially make iOS 9 a smoother experience for those who own older iPhone models. According to iAppleBytes, installing 9.2.1 still causes some iPhone 4S or 5 to boot slower, but once in action the software can load apps as fast or faster than version 8.4.1 in many circumstances. Boot times were reportedly faster than 8.4.1 when running the software on an iPhone 5s, which was also the first iPhone to sport a 64-bit processor.
iOS 9.2.1 is compatible with all recent Apple devices starting with the iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPad mini, iPad Pro and fifth generation iPod touch. It is approximately a 40MB-download and users should be connected to a Wi-Fi network to download the update as Apple has yet to allow iOS updates to be downloaded using data plans.
While jailbreak versions of the OS 9.0, 9.0.1, and 9.0.2 are already available, users who are waiting for a more recent jailbroken version of the iOS 9.1 and 9.2 may have to wait a little longer. According to iOS security researcher Luca Todesco. "9.2 is much harder to jailbreak than 9.1." Given the difficulty involved, Todesco thinks that version 9.2 and even the upcoming 9.3 jailbreak "won't likely make their way to the public." Nevertheless, that does not necessarily mean that it is impossible.
Todesco could not release the iOS 9.2 jailbreak for download reportedly because of security issues. "It's about the fact that the bugs themselves can be dangerous, and some exploits are 'jailbreak-grade' and others that are not," he explained.
Though the release of the iOS 9.2 jailbreak is still unconfirmed, rumors claim that the jailbreak tool for the latest iOS released by Apple will come in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the soon-to-arrive iOS 9.3 update has been reported to carry over a new feature called "Night Shift."
The feature was spotted by a Reddit user in the Control Center on Apple Canada's iOS 9.3 preview page. Night Shift is apparently designed to cut down the amount of blue light an iOS device releases in the evening, as the company cited studies suggesting that blue light can negatively impact users' sleep by altering the body's circadian rhythm. Furthermore, a beta version of the iOS 9.3 will let developers as well as public beta testers, at some point, to send feedback directly to Apple about potential bugs and issues they will find.
