While both Android and iOS both have homebrew communities, they are very different from each other. In fact, I was in for a big surprise when I got into Android Rooting.
One cannot argue the fact that jailbreaking an iOS device is a lot more popular and well known than rooting any Android device, but what community is better? It’s an opinion based question, and I’ll try to discuss the major parts below.
Rooting/Jailbreaking Tools:
iOS jailbreaking has come along way. It started out as web-based JailbreakMe style tools, then went to command line tools that ran on your computer. After that came the One Click tools and the rebirth of JailbreakMe. The tools are generally very stable and work the same across all devices. They are graphical and even the average user should find them incredibly simple. Android is a different story, however. There are hundreds of Android handsets, therefore it would be practically impossible to create one tool to root ’em all. Many root tools are still command line. Sure there are some easy, graphical roots, but they are scarce these days. Documentation is out there to root your phone, (check XDA forums) but it is defiantly a more daunting task then the iOS jailbreaking tools.
Winner: iOS
Jailbroken Installers:
iOS has Cydia. I don’t know of anyone who is jailbroken who doesn’t know what Cydia is. Unless you manually install .deb files, Cydia is how you get all of your jailbroken packages. For better or worse, it is a monopoly. Android doesn’t have a jailbroken installer, frankly because it doesn’t need one. I am always asked if Android has a Cydia type app, and I have to say no. Android doesn’t need one simply because Google allows these apps that require root privileges into the regular market. Due to Android’s “Openness” you can get these apps from anywhere.
Winner: Tie (User Preference)
Jailbroken Content Available
Cydia has jailbroken content that can’t even be matched today. It is full of thousands of Theme’s, Tweaks, Apps, ect. There are hundred of packages that are worth installing. Android on the other hand has about 10 apps, (In my Opinion) that need a root. This is a huge difference, but we have to come back to the fact that Android is a lot more open. Google allows Widgets, Themes and some tweaks by default.
Winner: iOS
Is it worth jailbreaking my iOS Device?
The answer to that question is 100% yes. Even the average user can find something in Cydia that can make a huge difference to their device. It’s a very simple process, with so much more content available. So why wouldn’t you? It’s legal, and more stable then ever. This community is growing faster than ever, and I’m excited to see what comes out of it.
Is it worth rooting my Android Device?
It depends who you are. If you are a tinkerer that wants to make every part of your device yours then yes. You can only browse the Root files, use free Wi-Fi tethering and install custom Roms after this process. For a lot of users these things are essential, but if you don’t need some of these things you have no need. This being said, the Rooting Community is growing fast, and there is plenty of friendly people willing to help you through the process.
Please share your thoughts about iOS Jailbreaking vs Android Rooting in the comments section below.
Jailbreaking For The Win aha ;)
Android is harder to root, but there is less need of a root because, out of the box, Android itself supports a hell of a lot more than an iPhone out of the box.
Thus, I don’t understand why is iOS the winner in “Jailbroken Content Available” since you basically need to jailbreak in order to enjoy features Android has out of the box; such as, as you mentioned, widgets, themes, tweaks…
iOS jailbreaking all the way! ;)
I’ve had a Jailbroken iPhone for a few years. It’s a wonderful way of life. It’s not till I just upgraded to the iPhone 4s that I realized how important jailbreakimf is. I hope they figure it out soon! I just want to say thank you to all the people who make jailbreaking A reality
Once you know what jailbreaking is and what one can do with it, you just can’t live without it anymore.
IIt is harder to root an Android I can’t figure out how to root my HTC EVO 4g
the tweaks that we find in Cydia r the only reason i still want to buy iOS devices, in spite of better speced android devices in the market.
100’s of Android devices?? Seems like you’re over exaggerating on that figure.
i like to root my android phones because of overclock which you can make ur phone way faster than its supposed to be i like android better but yes apple has gone a long way but soon it will be androids turn GALAXY NEXUS ROK ON it wil go 3 times faster than it already is and it already is super fast ;) Rok on ipod touch 4g i like both
check xda forums
i AGREE ididnt like ipod or iphone at all now im a dayly user hahaaa
ios is really easy to jailbreak and android already has these things but a bad battery iphone has good battery and can do those things after the simple prosses
Thats quite mad.
IPhone basically wins because it lets you do so much more but really all it does is is put it on par with stock android.
Rooting an android makes a difference, just not as big a difference as jailbreaking an iPhone.
Weird
Android rooting all the way. :)
iOS?
May unlock the things that aren’t available out of the box that’s why it feels “special” and makes you say that you “Can’t live without it”.
Put it this way. The only reason why you want to Jail break your Apple device is because you want to experience what Android users have already experienced without even rooting their phones and without voiding their warranty.
Android Rooting?
This is the true “Unlocking your phone”. Why? Because, lets you mingle with your phone. It allows you to change the processor speeds, the ROM itself etc. Yes, only a few apps needs root access but it’s when you change almost everything that’s fun(especially the ROMs and the processor clock speed).
Put it this way. Rooting can make your phone as look and function perfect as the iPhone/iTouch or it can make it “function less”(because of heavier animations) but have a more Visually Beautiful GUI than any thing iOS can offer . It can also help you drain your battery life or it can make it last twice the original time it was intended to last.(Depends when you overclock or underclock).
Here’s a summary.
Jailbreaking makes iPhone have the same capabilities Android already have whereas Rooting just makes just takes jailbreaking even further increasing not just the features of the phone but the overall performance and horsepower of the phone itself.
Then Rooting wins.
Can’t live without an android phone? Why I can say this? Because Jailbreaking a device that runs on iOS (iPhone and iTouch) basically enables it to have a freedom the same of Android.
Hey, um, no fight intended. :) I was trying to defend this because maybe I’ll use this as a topic for debate.
Thanks for your insight. :)
BTW, one last thing. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate iPhone. :) I actually like it and its apps. :)
how is android harder to root? it all depends on the device. I have a galaxy nexus and an htc evo both of which ere easy to root. the GN took 5 min
How I rooted my Nexus S
Have androod sdk/fastboot drivers installed
‘Fastboot oem unlock’
‘Fastboot flash recovery recovery.img’
Go to recovery
Mount system
Add superuser.zip in sd root
Flash superuser
Reboot
Conclusion: Nexus devices are easy to root. Devices with S-ON/encrypted bootloaders are slightly harder.
Done.
Im in the uk on T-Mobile, I get free tether and wifi hotspot functionality.
You’re a Terminal expert. Could your mother do this without any assistance?
Everything is easy when you already know how.
Besides, if you think that is so easy, do you think an app that asks you to simply plug your device into the computer and then click the “Jailbreak” button, is better or worse than your ‘considered’ easy method above?
It’s a fair question.
I rooted my LG Optimus really easy.
I side loaded Gingerbreak.apk
Then opened it and tapped root phone.
It restarted and Vua La! Rooted phone!
Ok… But generally you’ll have to flash a custom recovery. The custom rom etc. It’s okay to be passionate about android but don’t sugarcoat it.
Soo many fandroids. In the end these two processes yield essentially the same results. With that being said, what really matters is the hardware and stability. The iPad 3 will be an amazing rooted* device. Emulators, hd screen and quad core graphics. Can’t wait
For your information…Custom recovery is not a must BUT many graphical rooting packages/installer pack custom recovery to their software.Custom recovery isn’t very useful if you don’t want to install Custom Roms and also after you root you don’t need to install custom rom if u don’t want to,u can use your rooted stock rom.Custom Recovery is very easy to install for new users:(After you root it) Play Store>Search ‘Rom Manager’>Install Clockwork Mod.Sorry if there some errors.
I recently switched from a jail broken first gen iPad to a galaxy S3… While I enjoy the added function of android, I miss the simplicity of iOS, especially the ease of installing tweaks and jailbreak.
Currently researching how to root my galaxy…
I don’t think apple users realize that all jailbreaking does is give your phone the freedom that a stock/out of the box android phone all ready has.
For the record you can install any app on Android out of the box by ticking the ‘allow install from unknown sources’ box, which doesn’t even void warranty. Easier than jailbreaking ios
How I jailbroke my phone
Have Absinthe 2.0 downloaded
Click jailbreak
Reboot
Sorry this is a little late – this is why I am ‘tech support’ for my family :)
There are ‘one click root’ methods available. I just prefer to do it like the above because I know a little about Linux and it is comfortable to me.
To a great many of the android community – those terminal commands are petty much bread and butter. No expertise involved.
Good for you. IDevice jail break is pretty much for the non – tech inclined. As for android there are also one-click methods, its all down to preference. Nexus devices have an easier time to achieve root. I do seriously wonder how much longer iOS will be ‘open’ to jail break though because all that lost revenue on the app store…
Well, only 2 out of 6 jailbreaks have a one click jailbreak, the other 4 require entering DFU mode.
iOS will never be open because Apple likes to control things. It’s not only about the lost revenue on the App Store, it’s because they don’t want people to install hundreds of tweaks and then complain to Apple about how slow their devices are.
My next phone = Nexus phone
‘Fandroids’ smh
Rooting is for custom recoveries/roms/superuser access.
Can you run a custom version of iOS? No – jailbreak doesn’t come close.
True, but it’s still ndroid. Some tweaks here andd there, changing signal bars to strength, deodexing, whatever. I’m fine with not having to wipe my system to add those tweaks, with ios you don’t have to and I can tweek my notification area. Have you seen the depth of cydia? It’s insane
So biased
How I rooted my LG:
Install lg drivers in computer
Download “unlockroot”
Open and click “root”.
Now my phone automatically overclocks and underclocks when needed, so I get great performance and battery life :)
I stopped changing after I use iOS gadget. I delay plans to buy iPhone 5 until they can be jailbroken. ;D
There are much more than ten apps and modules for android that can be used with root now… Just look at Xposed.
I used iOS then I got tired of it when I saw jailbreak I realized the phone its self is foolish apple lied to me there is not much to the iPhone itself I finally strugled and never got to jailbreak I had no computer even if I did at that moment android came Steve jobs died Google started making money I was angry android was better I knew nothing about it but it changed my mind now, I use android the only thing I hate is I had to root for a screen recorder a screen recorder you serious? On iOS no jailbreak just emu4ios if one day I get pissed again that’s it I’m using a Nokia Microsoft!
There is a Chinese one-click root software called ‘KingRoot’ which can root most of the android phones.