“I recently purchased an iPhone and have heard great things about jailbreaking them. I was considering doing this to my phone but what to know what all the fuss is about first. What are the benefits of jailbreaking?”

-- Eddie W.

Recently, the United States government made the decision to let iPhone and iPad owners jailbreak their devices from a legal standpoint. Even though the legality of the issue stood in the way of few in the past and jailbreaking your phone can still result in a voided warranty, many have seen the benefits of this process and have not looked back since. This process essentially will “unlock” your phone and remove any and all preset restrictions.

The most common reason to jailbreak your device? The sheer amount of apps, games, themes and ringtones available to you after the procedure. By doing this to your iPhone, iPad or other device you are essentially removing all of Apple’s restrictions they have placed on the product. Not only does this mean you can have any app you desire, it means there are even more available to you. Some apps will even allow you to change everything about your phone. This includes custom wallpapers, custom icons, different ringtones, custom fonts and even custom unlock screens. You will even be able to change the entire “theme” of your phone, usually including several of the above “custom” options which can be pre-made by other people and loaded instantly.

If you’re a gamer, jailbreaking your phone allows you to install outside programs like emulators and use your phone like a Gameboy, Super Nintendo or other gaming system. By jailbreaking your iPhone you will be able to take advantage of changing your wireless carrier. This is a common issue many people have had with the iPhone, even though the device is now available on multiple networks. Still, by going through this process you will not be forced to choose Verizon or AT&T for your wireless carrier.

Since a jailbreak will still result in a voided warranty according to Apple, it may be a good idea to do a system restore if you need to have your phone serviced. Even with this as a possible setback, the advantages of jailbreaking your device far outweigh the constricted alternative of the stock setup. You will always be able go back to the original software if you are not happy with the jailbreak. By going through this procedure, you will able to use your phone exactly how you want to without any restrictions.