Semi-Restore is a software tool that allows an iPad, iPod and an iPhone user with a jailbroken device to restore their device to a completely clean condition without having to let go of the jailbreak! And in a recent update this software became able to support iOS devices running on OS versions from 5.0 to 9.1. As it stands Semi-Restore is available for both Linux and Windows computers with rumors circling that Mac support may be soon available.
Does Semi-Restore Work?
If you’re not familiar with this software, then Semi-restore may sound like something you’ve wanted / needed for a long time. However, users of the software have reported mixed experiences. Negative experiences have ranged from people devices getting stuck during the restoration process and others claiming that they have had to lose their jailbreak and move to iOS 9.3.2!
However, the vast majority of users, have claimed to have had a positive experience with Semi-restore. So it’s always best to find out as much as you can before doing anything with your iPhone, iPad or iPod. So to help out, I’m going to explain to you what the software is and how to use it.
What is Semi-Restore?
To start with, this software was launched 3 years ago and offered users an no holds barred way to clean up their sluggish iOS device and keep any jailbreak they had at that time. As you can expect, this was particularly appealing to Jailbroken device users who where experiencing issues or suffering from sluggishness.
Semi-restore is similar in many ways to another piece of software called Cydia Impactor, in that it will wipe everything off a device and then seemingly restore it to its original stock settings. However, there is a difference between the two software’s, Cydia Impactor will remove a jailbreak, while Semi-Restore has been developed to stop short of that.
Not a DownGrade Solution
You should not think of Semi-Restore as a way of downgrading your iOS device, yes it does remove everything so that’s tweaks, apps, media, photos, messages etc. But as I’ve said before it will leave a jailbreak in place, so that a user does not have to go through the process again!
Semi-Restore Requirements
The newest version of iOS that has a jailbreak is iOS 9.1, Semi-Restore will work with that all the way down to 5.0. And will run on computers such as 64-bit Windows and 64-bit Linux systems. the Semi-Restore website also suggests that a version for the Mac is being worked on, but there is no indication of when this will be available.
If you’re a Windows user, you must have iTunes 12 or newer and NET 4.0 or higher installed on you computer to have it work. And if you’re a Linux user you need to have libimobiledevice, openssl , libusbmuxd-tools, and GTK 3 installed. Also the jailbroken device must have OpenSSH installed and ready for the restore process to work.
How to Use Semi-Restore
As it stands, I did not feel comfortable enough to use Semi-Restore to create a How-to tutorial, but you can bet that I will do that when I’ve confirmed that the software is stable with my version of iOS.
However, if you want to give the software a try you can find it on the developers website in the link above.
Should you Give it a Try?
As I mentioned above, personally I’m not quite ready to give it a go, as my iPhone whilst running a little sluggish can wait for a while. I would rather it be in the state it currently is than be forced to update to iOS 9.3.2 and lose my jailbreak.
On a more positive note, the developer does seem to be active, and offers some good support on the subject via Reddit. You can view them here and if you’re a Reddit member ask questions.
