The Cydia jailbreak store is still going strong 10 years on, allowing users to access their favorite apps and tweaks on jailbroken devices – opening up the iPhone to innovation and freedom.
Throughout its 10 year history, the Cydia jailbreak has faced a decent number of obstacles and has struggled to remain the dominant force in unlocking the iPhone. With the innovation and collaboration that is common within the community, there are a number of developers that have all offered their take on unlocking the restrictive iOS platform, opening many users’ phones and allowing the devices to reach their true potential. Although Saurik, the developer behind the Cydia jailbreak, has slowed down in the past few months – causing fellow developer CoolStar to release his own update to the functionality – he remains a main contributor to the iOS jailbreaking scene.
In addition to other jailbreaks trying to poach users away from the Cydia jailbreak, Saurik has also faced a significant amount of opposition from Apple. Part of the reason Apple is so successful is their ability to maintain a standard user experience across their entire ecosystem – producing products that work despite user error and that interact seamlessly with one another. The Cydia jailbreak poses a threat to Apple’s desire to lock down their operating system and retain complete control over their devices, and Saurik hasn’t exactly been popular with the company as they work to stay a step ahead of this prolific jailbreaker.
The Cydia jailbreak remains one of the major options for creating a more open iPhone, and the fact that it continues to be one of the top jailbreaks years after release is a testament to the will and dedication of Saurik and his team. However, a lot of that passion for producing the best possible tweaks can also come to a head in some drama and conflict, with recent reports that Saurik was allegedly trying to block CoolStar from using a modified version of the Cydia jailbreak in his own Electra jailbreak. While the efforts of Saurik to sabotage CoolStar may not be the best for the jailbreaking community at large, that doesn’t necessarily detract from his legacy as one of the top iOS jailbreakers since 2008.
Until we see an official Cydia jailbreak release for iOS 11, our current best bet for modern operating systems is the Electra jailbreak. However, once Saurik manages to update Cydia for 11.x.x and beyond, it’s possible that we’ll once again see this excellent exploit return to its position as king of the iOS jailbreaking scene.
In the last 10 years, the impact of the Cydia jailbreak has been undeniable. While it’s likely that another jailbreak could have risen up to take its place, there’s no telling what the world of the unlocked iPhone would have looked like without the contributions of Saurik and his team. Although Apple will continue to tighten security moving forward, trailblazers like Saurik will continue to fight the good fight and ensure the phones remain open for all. Happy 10th birthday, Cydia.
