iOS 9 Jailbreak Released By Pangu Team For iPhone and iPad

LONDON -- Just weeks after Apple released the latest version of its mobile operating system, a group of Chinese developers have released an iOS 9 jailbreak, allowing iPhone and iPad users to gain much more control over their devices.

Pangu is a well-known team of developers who create iOS jailbreak tools to allow users to install unofficial app stores and customize their devices in a way that Apple simply doesn't allow. Jailbreaking your iPhone, which is perfectly legal in the U.S., is something that has previously been limited to a small minority of enthusiasts and hackers, but in recent years, it has grown in popularity.

Following the release of the final version of iOS 9 at the end of September, two of the main jailbreaking groups -- Pangu and TaiG -- have been working to produce a jailbreak which will work with all of Apple's devices. Pangu has won the race, but its iOS 9 jailbreak, which supports the very latest version of iOS 9.0.2, only works with Windows at the moment.

It is also thought that the iOS 9 jailbreak could soon be rendered useless when Apple releases its iOS 9.1 software update, which is expected to arrive before the launch of the iPad Pro later this month. It is expected that Apple will patch whatever vulnerability Pangu has exploited in iOS 9 with the update, meaning the group will have to go back to the drawing board to develop an iOs 9.1 jailbreak.

Jailbreaking iPhones is big business these days with vulnerability vendor Zerodium recently offering up to $1 million to anyone who “creates and submits an exclusive, browser-based and untethered jailbreak for the latest Apple iOS 9 operating system and devices.” While Zerodium is looking to use that jailbreak to sell powerful hacking tools to its customers, which include governments and law enforcement agencies, groups like Pangu and TaiG are not interested in undermining the security of iPhones and iPads.

A group of jailbreak enthusiasts are posting details of how to install the jailbreak on a dedicated Reddit thread and issues they are running into.

Here are the instructions according to iDownloadblog

1. Backup your device and connect it to your computer via USB.
2. Disable Find My iPhone via Settings → iCloud → Find My iPhone.
3. Disable Passcode and Touch ID via Settings → Touch ID & Passcode.
4. Enable Airplane mode via Control Center.
5. Download the Pangu jailbreak tool for iOS 9 from our downloads page and run it.
6. Start the Pangu jailbreak by clicking the Start button and click Already Backup when prompted.
7. Your iPhone will reboot and Pangu will ask you to put your iPhone back into Airplane mode. Once you do this, it will continue the jailbreak.
8. After some time, the Pangu tool will request that you open the Pangu app on the iPhone’s Home screen.
9. Once the Pangu app is run, it will ask to you to allow access to your Photo Library. Tap the accept button on the Pangu screen to continue.
10. Tap the OK button on the “Pangu Would Like to Access Your Photos” pop-up box.
11. Your iPhone will reboot again. Once you reboot, disable Airplane mode, and run the Cydia app.