Ever since iOS 15.0’s release, the jailbreaking scene was quickly moving to a new jailbreak format, the rootless jailbreak.
Apple has introduced a set of changes in iOS 15 to hinder remounting the Root File System. Traditionally, all jailbreaks used to remount this partition as read/write instead of keeping it read-only, but starting with iOS 15.0 this partition is now sealed.
Any attempt to remount the partition will cause the device to panic and reboot, and it may even produce the dreaded bootloop.
With these changes now in place, the jailbreak community has adapted and come up with a clever new way, the rootless jailbreak.
What is a rootless iOS jailbreak?
A rootless jailbreak is a jailbreak utility that doesn’t remount the Root File System as Read/Write during the jailbreak process. As such, the package manager, the tweaks as well as the jailbreak’s supporting binaries (Procursus, etc.) get installed in the already writable Mobile / VAR partition which contains the user data.
For the user, this is not a major change, but for the tweak developers it means all tweaks need to be updated for the rootless format because right now, traditional tweaks expect to run from the System partition instead of the User one.
Many tweak developers in the jailbreak community have already started updating their tweaks for the rootless format, but the repositories weren’t quite ready just yet.
Havoc Repo now supports Jailbreak Tweaks in Rootless Format
Today, Havoc Repo has announced that they’re officially starting to support rootless tweak submissions from jailbreak tweak developers. According to Havoc Repo, developers can now submit both the traditional version of the tweak and the rootless version.
This way, the users will get to download the version of the tweak they need. Finally, tweak support for rootless jailbreaks will begin to progress.
Havoc Repo is one of the big names in iOS Jailbreak Tweak hosting, so the fact that they took to Twitter and sparked a much-needed change is great for the whole community.
Not long after the Havoc Repo made its announcement regarding rootless packages, tweak developer iCraze, who just launched the new Nexus tweak which brings iOS 16’s Lock Screen customization to iOS 14 and 15.x devices, was among the first to announce a rootless edition of their tweak, now available on the Havoc repo.
What iOS Jailbreak tools are rootless?
For the moment, there are a handful of jailbreak utilities that are rootless, which means these newly updated tweaks would suit them perfectly:
- XinaA15 Jailbreak for iOS 15.0 – 15.1.1 on A12+ Devices is a fully rootless jailbreak that supports tweak injection.
- There is a PaleRa1n Rootless branch for iOS 15.0 – 16.4 on iPhone X and older.
- Fugu15 Max might be rootless, but it’s unclear for now.
Other guides from iDevice Central
- Fugu15 Max Jailbreak being developed by opa334 for iOS 15.0 – 15.4.1
- iOS SEP and Baseband Compatibility Chart
- Download Cowabunga IPA – Jailbreak Alternative for iOS 15.0 – iOS 16.1.2 on All Devices
- iOS 15.0 – 16.1.2 Jailbreak News: All MacDirtyCow Tweaks & Customizations Available
- PaleRa1n Developer Jailbreak was Released for iOS 15.0 – 15.3.1 (Tethered)
- How To Run Linux on iPhone / iPad & How They Achieved This
- How to create a bootable Windows 10 USB Flash Drive on Mac
- iOS Jailbreak Downloads – Download Jailbreak Tools for All iOS Versions