Untethered Jailbreak vs Semi-Untethered Jailbreak vs Tethered Jailbreak - iPhoneHeat

Untethered Jailbreak vs Semi-Untethered Jailbreak vs Tethered Jailbreak

What is Untethered, Tethered, and Semi-tethered and Semi-untethered jailbreak? what’s the difference between Untethered jailbreak, Tethered jailbreak, and Semi-Untethered jailbreak? Why is an untethered jailbreak desirable? and What’s Tether Boot? Hit the jump to know the answers to all these questions…

Here’s an overview of Untethered Jailbreak, Tethered Jailbreak, and Semi-Untethered Jailbreak:

What is Untethered Jailbreak

An untethered jailbreak is the most preferred type of jailbreak. Untethered jailbreak lets you jailbreak your device, use Cydia & other jailbreak tweaks and it does not require you to reboot with a connection to your computer or an external device capable of executing commands on the device. Untethered jailbreak provides trouble-free rebooting. You can reboot your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch normally, as many time as you want, without having to tether it to your computer to boot. Exploit used in untethered jailbreaks bypasses the iBoot sequence on its own, hence eliminating the need to connect with a computer to boot the device.

*** Untethered jailbroken iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch works normally, complete jailbreak features, Reboots normally, no consequences.

What is Tethered Jailbreak

Tethered jailbreak is a least desirable jailbreak of the three. With a tethered jailbreak you cannot reboot your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch at all without doing a tethered boot. Tethered means being basically “attached” to your computer in a way; you must boot your device by running code on it (via the dock connector) to make use of an exploit. Since a tethered boot requires access to a computer, so if you’re on the way, away from a computer, and your device reboots due to any reason, you’re stuck with an Apple Logo on the screen.

*** A tethered jailbroken device offers complete jailbreak features, but requires that the device be connected to a computer each time it needs a reboot.

How to Tether Boot with RedSn0w

  1. Run the Redsn0w
  2. Hit Extras, then Just Boot.
  3. Hit next, follow the on-screen instructions to enter into DFU mode.
  4. This should boot your device. Don’t forget to repeat the tether boot process every time you reboot your device.

What is Semi-Untethered Jailbreak

Semi-Untethered jailbreak allows you to reboot your jailbroken iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch but not without some consequences. With limited jailbreak and stock functionality. After the jailbreak, you can reboot your device normally (without the need of a computer) but you jailbreak features will be disabled until you launch an app from within your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch that will re-enable all the jailbreak features, jailbreak apps and tweaks. most of the jailbreak hacks, tweaks and even some stock apps like Safari won’t work. To regain the full functionality to you jailbroken device, you must perform a tethered boot (see the steps below). Semi-Tether jailbreak is much better than Tethered jailbreak, but not quite as good as the untethered jailbreak.

What is Semi-Tethered Jailbreak

A semi-tethered jailbreak allows you to reboot your [device and turn it back on without connecting it to a computer, but there is a catch. Most of the jailbreak hacks, tweaks and even some stock apps like Safari won’t work after the reboot. To regain the full functionality to your jailbroken device, you must perform a tethered boot. Semi-Tether jailbreak is much better than Tethered jailbreak, but not quite as good as the untethered jailbreak.

Semi-tethered jailbreak = Tethered jailbreak + a package installed that allows you to reboot with limited use

The semi-Untethered jailbreak will allow you to reboot on the road, but with limited functionality. It is enough that you are no longer stranded, and you can use your phone, text, and many other features. This is just until you get home and can use Redsn0w again to “just boot tethered”. Once you do that, you’re back to fully functional state.

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43 comments… add one
Apple user October 25, 2011, 7:06 pm

When the untethered jailbreak iPad 2 iOS 5 released?

James October 26, 2011, 12:53 am

So appsync 5.0 still doesn’t work with semi-tethered?

HDL4E October 26, 2011, 3:54 pm

Yes it works for me 100%

RRoD420 October 26, 2011, 1:44 am

Boooo, I saw ‘untethered’ and got excited.

vodanhz October 27, 2011, 4:31 am

i guess Apple has won this Battle …. or War?

iBarf October 27, 2011, 10:56 am

No Apple hasn’t won it, but it will take time. This is like console emulators, they tease us mere mortals with their mighty geek powers and leave us in the dark for weeks.
Same thing happened with greenpois0n, took like 3 or 4 years (or at least I felt it that way) to be released.

Ahmad shah haqdost October 27, 2011, 9:11 pm

LockDown apps iPhone 3GS

mark October 30, 2011, 8:07 pm

Does Ultrasnow work in semi-untethered mode?

jerver asistio November 10, 2011, 2:07 pm

How to unlock my iphone 4s running on 10.5 itunes mac and updated to ios 5 icloud settings and themes……

I WANT IT JAILBROKEN BUT I STILL WANNA KEEP THE THEME AND I CLOUD SETTINGS….. Is it possible

victor November 18, 2011, 8:38 am

does anyone know how to activate an iphone 4 ios 5.0.1???..im from colombia and the device is from canada..

many tx

tamimfaruq November 26, 2011, 11:49 pm

mine is iphone 3GS running iOS5.0 (semi-tethered)

i accidentally installed an unstable or non compatible tweak package from cydia…
so, it crashed and got stuck in a loop for a few times…. and then, because its a semi tethered, it doesn’t boot into safe mode, but boots into semi tethered version of reboot (where some core apps can still be used like sms, calls and others, but no cydia or jailbroken apps can be used) so, i couldnt get myself to use iFile, or open cydia to remove or uninstall the last tweak package that was uncompatible… so, i tried to restore, but instead i encountered the error 3194…. tried everything to resolve this error but nothing works….

i think the only solution that might work is:

-if i get to boot manually from the semi tethered homescreen to safe mode, then, i might have a chance to open cydia and remove the bad tweak…

-2nd, if i get to resolve the error 3194, it might work as well…

-i cant use winSCP because i dont have wifi to connect to my iphone.

-if there’s a way to connect through usb cable from my laptop….

please help… anything will do… as long as i get my iphone to work again… i dont mind restoring as well… i’ll just jailbreak it again after that….. any solution that 100% works please…. anyone…

Prem July 14, 2013, 3:33 am

Hi, i downloaded cydia as well as Semi-tether, but when i uninstalled cydia, the Untether is still there!! What can i do to get rid off it?

Angelsadventures508 August 10, 2013, 5:17 am

How can I check my IPhone 3G to make sure it is jailbroken and if it is untethered?

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