iOS 9.2 Jailbreak Release Date Still Delayed; Latest iOS 9.3 Beta Version for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch Now Available To Public Testers

Feb 01, 2016 11:53 AM EST

As Apple released the second beta version of the iOS 9.3 to public beta testers, members of the iOS jailbreak community are eagerly waiting as to when a jailbreak tool for the earlier iOS 9.2.1 version will be ready for download.

The tech giant has made the iOS 9.3 beta 2 available to testers whose iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch devices are registered to the company's Developer Program. This comes two weeks after the first beta version was released, a move suggesting that Apple is preparing to unveil the final version of the said iOS build to its regular users.

While the new iOS 9.3 is nearing its public roll out, a jailbreak tool that supports the current iOS 9.2 has yet to surface. Rumors have been going on for quite some time suggesting that popular jailbreak teams Pangu and TaiG are waiting until iOS 9.3 is fully released before they make the iOS 9.2 jailbreak available. This strategy would give them the advantage of keeping their vulnerabilities unknown and not giving Apple the chance to patch up the exploits in the upcoming iOS 9.3.

While jailbreaking iOS devices have long been legal in the United States to some extent, Apple has continuously been working to discourage third-party iOS developers to create jailbreak tools by patching exploits specifically used by TaiG and Pangu in the past. Nevertheless, these teams have also been constantly working to find loops on Apple's mobile system to let users customize their device the way they want to.

For those who have been following iOS jailbreak updates, both Pangu and TaiG have previously released a "partial" or "semi-jailbreak" for the iOS 9.1 allowing users to get past some restrictions. However, many features found in the usual jailbreak process were not included. These two teams have somewhat earned the reputation of not collecting personal information from iOS users.

Beginning with the release of iOS 9 in October 2015, Apple has since provided five different software upgrades. The iOS 9.2 update rolled out in December brought in support for the Arabic language and USB Camera Adapter, which allows users to easily transfer photos from their iPhones to any iDevice without having to sync to a computer beforehand. The most recent update, iOS 9.2.1, has been made available on January 19.

Once the final version of the iOS 9.3 reaches iPhone and iPad users, it is expected to carry over some new features, the most popular of them being the "Night Shift Mode." This feature works by automatically reducing the amount of blue light emitted by the screen in the evening. The purpose of which is to lessen the effect of night-time gadget use to users' sleep cycle along with reducing eye stress while reading content on the display.