If you have an iPhone 4S, the newest addition to the long line of Apple technologies, or any of the predecessors, you already know what an app is. These fun little programs fill just about any need you could ever imagine. There are educational apps that allow you to learn languages, read newspapers, and do mind exercises. Others are purely for amusement, and even more were created to help users find things that they need, such as restaurants or locksmiths. There are literally thousands of apps available directly through the manufacturer’s store. What you might not know, though, is that there are thousands more that are available outside of the App Store. Many of these are even free!
Cydia Apps
Cydia Apps is a webstore that offers third party apps for your iPhone 4S or other model. These apps aren’t available through the Apple store, but can work on nearly any version or model of iPhone. Just like the apps in App Store, Cydia Apps offers informational and entertainment apps, as well as those that enable you to further personalize your iPhone’s appearance and operation. One of the most popular apps released this year allows users to completely change the look of any screen used by the iPhone. This makes your phone completely your own. Others include massive banks of ringtones and sound effects, and those that automatically dial or change the volume of your phone. Your iPhone is not readily prepared to use these apps, however. In order to take advantage of the thousands of free and inexpensively priced Cydia Apps you must first jailbreak your phone.
Jailbreak
To “Jailbreak” your phone means to unlock it from its restrictions, allowing it to use software other than that is offered by the Apple manufacturer. This simple process involves purchasing jailbreak software and applying it to your iPhone. In just a few minutes your phone will be unlocked and you will have expanded control over its use and appearance, as well as the ability to utilize many more apps than you would have with a locked phone. Doing this does not prevent you from using any of the apps that Apple offers; you simply get the best of both worlds.
With past software meant to jailbreak your iPhone there were times when the iPhone would undergo routine firmware updates through the manufacturer and, as a result, would re-lock. This meant that the user would have to unlock his phone again if he wanted to continue accessing the expanded app capabilities of the jailbroken iPhone. With the improved software of recent jailbreaking programs, however, this is no longer a problem. Even after firmware updates that are occasionally applied to your iPhone, the Jailbreak will remain active, and you won’t need to go through the process again.