iPad Jailbreak

The new iPad, along with the original iPad and older iPad 2 models can now be jailbroken on iOS 5.1.1 using Absinthe 2.0. Support for the revised iPad 2 with the 32nm A5 chip (iPad2,4) is on the way, as the Chronic Dev Team continues work on the software.

UPDATE: Absinthe 2.0.4 with iPad 2,4 support has been released.

In the meantime, the iOS 5.1.1 jailbreak is great news for owners of compatible iPads, including the iPad 3 with Retina display. Using Absinthe is a simple process that requires just a few minutes, a USB dock connector, and a Windows, Mac OS X or Linux computer. As always, we recommend backing up your iPad with iTunes before jailbreaking.

I was a little nervous that I had jumped the gun by announcing that an iPad 3 jailbreak was coming soon, but I guess I was right. Pod2g has announced via his blog that iPad owners can "expect a release in a couple of weeks."

Pod2g is also finished testing the jailbreak on all the available iOS devices. This means that the next step should be a public release. The iOS hacker tweeted that the untethered jailbreak works on all three iPad models, the iPhone 4 and 4S. The iPod 3G, iPhone 3GS and ATV3 have been left out (UPDATE: See list of supported devices below).

iPad hacker i0n1c has been teasing us with images of jailbroken iPads running iOS 5.1 since March, and he continues to amaze by releasing an image of his iPad 3 running Cydia on iOS 5.1.1 only a few hours after its release.

This doesn't necessarily mean an iPad 3 jailbreak will be made public in the near future, especially since i0n1c seems reluctant to share. However, the rest of the jailbreaking community is busy working on a new exploit. So there is still hope. Apple released iOS 5.1.1 a few days after pod2g announced that his iPhone 4 running iOS 5.1 was finally untethered, and i0n1c's photo proves that iOS 5.1.1 can be broken.

YouTube user Daniel Hooper created a concept video (see below) that demonstrated how editing text on an iPad could be easier. The jailbreak community quickly responded by releasing an iPad tweak based on his ideas.

SwipeSelection is so good that the jailbreaking community thinks Apple will add it to iOS in the future. The tweak makes editing text on the iPad better by allowing you to drag your fingers to move the cursor, and by adding the ability to select text by holding the shift key. You can use one finger for a more precise cursor drag, or two fingers to move faster. All of this is demonstrated in Hooper's concept video posted below.

Ever wish you could open multiple running apps in different windows on your iPad? Now thanks to a tweak available on Cydia called Quasar, those with jailbroken iPads can do just that. Instead of running full-screen, apps run in windows like they do on a full-fledged computer.

This avoids needing to use the multitasking dock to switch between apps, and makes it possible to run multiple apps side by side. Each window can be resized or if you need a particular app to run full screen you can easily make this happen.

Friday was a busy day for the jailbreak community. Dev Team member MuscleNerd tweeted a picture of a jailbroken iPad 3 running Cydia 1.1.5. Hacker i0n1c showcased his untethered jailbreak on YouTube (see below), and Chpwn also tweeted pictures of a jailbroken third generation iPad.

Even though this seems like some kind of jailbreaking record, it could be a few weeks before we see a public release. MuscleNerd said there was "no ETA" for his jailbreak, and i0n1c and Chpwn have been pretty silent as well. The Dev Team also warned iPad 3 owners not to upgrade the iOS version their iPad shipped with if they want to jailbreak their device in the future.

Dev Team member MuscleNerd just tweeted a picture of an iPad 3 running Cydia 1.1.5. While this proves that the new iPad can be jailbroken, it does not mean that there is a new jailbreak right around the corner. It could still take a few months before anything is finalized and it's made public. The screenshot below shows a jailbroken third generation iPad running iOS 5.1. MuscleNerd wrote: "Just a first step, still lots of work to do! No ETA!"

Earlier today we told you that the Dev Team and a few other iOS hackers were working on finding vulnerabilities in iOS 5.1. Pod2g, i0n1c and an unnamed person "close to the Cydia repo scene" have been looking into various unrelated methods to jailbreak Apple's new tablet. The Dev Team also warned new iPad owners not to update its firmware if they want to jailbreak their device in the future.

Now that the iPad 3 is officially available the next big question is: "When will it be jailbroken?" Luckily the Dev Team and a few other developers are already working on a solution. Yesterday iOS hacker i0n1c, posted several pictures of a jailbroken iPad 2 running iOS 5.1. On Friday, the Dev Team said i0n1c is using a completely unrelated method to the one they're working on.

The Dev Team wrote on their blog that "the method used to jailbreak the iPad 2 four months ago (before corona) still works even in 5.1." This is an important step in the right direction since it allows the Dev Team to get their hands on the required kernel dumps on the iPad 3. The Dev Team added that someone "close to the Cydia repo scene" is working on an entirely new jailbreak method, and pod2g is also working on finding vulnerabilities in 5.1. That's four possible chances that there will be a new jailbreak soon.

iPad hacker i0n1c published pictures of a jailbroken iPad 2 running iOS 5.1. i0n1c is known for releasing the iOS 4 untether that was killed when Apple released iOS 5.0. It's unknown if and when i0n1c will release his jailbreak to the public, but he did tweet: "Anyway so maybe the iPad 3 will not be jailbroken tomorrow, but on Monday or whenever I get my iPad 3."

Pod2g, the hacker responsible for both the Corona and Absinthe jailbreak tools, is also working on finding vulnerabilities in 5.1. This is good news for people who accidently updated to 5.1 and lost their jailbreaks.

iPhone Dev-Team has released the latest version of the redsn0w jailbreak tool, which will jailbreak the original iPad untethered in a few easy steps. Redsn0w is available for both Mac OS X and Windows computers, and will jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 firmware.

Before you follow the instructions below, make sure your iPad is running the latest stock Apple firmware, version 5.0.1. This can be checked by navigating to Settings -> General -> About -> Version. Updating the iPad over-the-air (OTA) requires iOS 5.0 to be installed first. Otherwise an update to 5.0.1 can be performed using iTunes on your computer.