How to Jailbreak Your Phone

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An easy-to-use guide to jailbreak your iOS or Android devices

Co-authored by Travis Boylls Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: March 27, 2026

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Jailbreaking Your iPhone

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Rooting Your Android

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Jailbreaking your phone allows you to customize your device, access its root file system, download apps from unofficial sources, and make other changes using the developer’s privileges. Jailbreaking is the term used for Apple iOS devices, whereas “rooting” is the term used to describe the jailbreak procedure for Android phones. This wikiHow teaches you how to jailbreak your phone.

Jailbreaking a Phone

For iPhone install TrollStore through TrollInstallerX or TrollHelperOTA, then go to https://ellekit.space/dopamine to sideload Dopamine through TrollStore, and then tap Jailbreak. For Android, download Android SDK at https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools. Connect your phone to a computer and open the program you downloaded. Follow the instructions on-screen.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Jailbreaking Your iPhone

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1
Make sure you have a compatible device running the compatible iOS version. Dopamine jailbreak is supported on iPhone 6S, SE 1st generation, 7, 8 and X running iOS 15.0 to 16.7.15, as well as iPhone XR, XS, 11 series, SE 2nd generation and 12 series running iOS 15.0 to 16.5.1, and iPhone 13 series, SE 3rd generation and 14 series running up to iOS 16.5.^{[1]
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- You can check the iOS version by going to Settings -> General -> About.^{[3]
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2
Understand the risks of jailbreaking. Jailbreaking allows your iPhone to access software and tweaks that are unapproved by Apple. It also removes many security measures Apple has in place. This puts your iPhone at risk of downloading viruses and malware. Some apps may stop working on a jailbroken iPhone. In rare cases, the jailbreak process can render your iPhone inoperable. Jailbreaking is not supported by Apple and will void any warranty you still have on your iPhone. Continue at your own risk.
- Also be aware that all jailbreaks for iOS 10 and higher are semi-untethered jailbreaks. This means the jailbreak will work until you restart your iPhone. Once you restart your iPhone, you will need to use the jailbreak app on your iPhone to reactivate the jailbreak.
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3
Back up your iPhone. This will protect your data in case anything goes wrong during the jailbreak process. You can back up all the data on your iPhone to iTunes, or Finder on your Mac computer. You can also use the following steps to back up your data to iCloud:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap your Apple ID at the top.
- Tap iCloud.
- Tap iCloud Backup.
- Tap Back Up Now.
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Download and install the necessary files. Download the latest version of Dopamine IPA and PlumeImpactor on your computer, and install PlumeImpactor.^{[1]
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- If your computer is running Windows, you also need to download and install iTunes (not the Microsoft Store version).
- Be sure to download the latest beta version of Dopamine if you are jailbreaking your iPhone running iOS 15.8.7 or 16.7.x.
- You might want to install TrollStore and install Dopamine through TrollStore if your iPhone is running iOS 15.0–16.6.1 or 16.7 RC (20H18). After doing these steps, skip to step 9. TrollStore lets you permanently sign any IPAs.^{[2]
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  - The process of installing TrollStore varies depending on the iOS version.
    - iOS 15.5–15.8.6 / 16.0–16.6.1 on iPhone 6S to X / iOS 15.7–16.5.1 on iPhone XR and later: TrollInstallerX method
    - iOS 15.0–15.4.1 on iPhone 6S to X and iOS 15.0–15.6.1 on iPhone XR and later: TrollHelperOTA method
    - iOS 15.8.7 and iOS 16.7 RC (20H18): TrollRestore method
  - Download the Dopamine IPA on your iPhone.
  - Open the TrollStore app, tap the plus button at top-right, select the Dopamine IPA file from files, then tap Install to install the Dopamine app.
    - It is recommended to reboot your iPhone after installation.
Use USB-A to Lightning cable. Plug the Lightning end into your iPhone and USB-A end into your computer. Trust the connection on your computer and on your iPhone. ^{[1]
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Install Dopamine. Open PlumeImpactor on your computer and click Settings and Sign In. Enter your Apple Account details. Drag and drop the Dopamine IPA into the main PlumeImpactor window. Install the IPA by clicking Install.^{[1]
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On your iPhone, go to Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Developer Mode and toggle that option. An alert will appear prompting to reboot your device. Tap Restart to reboot into developer mode.^{[1]
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Go to Settings -> General -> Device Management -> [your Apple Account] on your iPhone and tap Trust [your Apple Account] to trust the developer.^{[1]
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Run the Dopamine jailbreak. Open the Dopamine app, and tap Jailbreak to jailbreak your iPhone. After a moment, the iPhone should reboot and after that the home screen should have Sileo installed.^{[1]
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- If your iPhone crashes unexpectedly and doesn’t have Sileo installed, rerun the jailbreak again.
Open the Sileo app, search for ElleKit tweak and tap Get, Queued and Confirm to install the tweak. Repeat with PreferenceLoader. Tap Restart SpringBoard to restart SpringBoard.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Rooting Your Android

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1
Understand the risks of rooting your phone. Rooting your phone gives you superuser permissions over your phone. The process for rooting your phone varies quite a bit from one model to the next. It also takes away many of the security features that Google has put in place. This puts your phone at greater risk of viruses and malware. Some apps and services may stop working on a rooted phone. Many carriers do not support rooting your phone and may deny access to their network. In most cases, rooting your phone will void the warranty from your carrier or phone's manufacturer. Continue at your own risk.
- Many phone models and carriers do not allow you to unlock the bootloader. If you are unable to unlock the bootloader, you may be able to find an unofficial way to unlock your bootloader at https://forum.xda-developers.com/. If you can't find an unofficial way to unlock the bootloader on your phone, it is unlikely you will be able to root your phone.
- Unlocking the bootloader on Samsung phones will break the Knox security system. You will not be allowed to use any Samsung services such as the Galaxy Store, Samsung Pay, Samsung Cloud, etc. Additionally, the process will wipe all data from your phone.
2
Back up everything you want to keep on your phone. The process for rooting your Android phone requires you to flash a new recovery system onto your phone. This will wipe all data on your phone. Before you begin, be sure to transfer any photos and videos you want to keep to your computer or cloud storage. You can back up your account settings, app data, and other information to your Google Cloud account using the following steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner.
- Search the Settings menu for "Backup".
- Tap the Backup & Restore option.
- Tap Backup data.
- Tap Back up.
3
Install your phones USB drivers. You'll need the USB drivers for your Android phone to interface with your computer. Especially if you are using a Windows computer. You'll need to download the drivers from the manufacturer's web page. Use Google to search for the drivers for the make and model of your Android phone. Locate the drivers on the manufacturer's web page and download and install them. The following are some of the websites you can download the device drivers for your Android phone:
- Samsung
- LGE
- HTC
- Sony
- Motorola
- Huawei
- ZTE
4
Get the unlock code from your phone's manufacturer (if needed). Some phone manufacturer's, such as Sony, Motorola, HTC, and Huawei require you to get a special code to unlock the bootloader for your phone. To do get that, you will need to go to the manufacturer's bootloader unlocking page and select your phone model. Then you will need to sign in or create an account to request an unlock code. You should receive the bootloader unlock code and any special instructions through email.
- Samsung does not offer unlock codes for their products. Instead, you will need to download and install a separate program called Odin which can be used flash new firmware onto Samsung phones. Odin is available for both Windows and Mac.
5
Download and install Android SDK. Android SDK are command-line tools that allow you interface with your device using the command prompt or terminal. Use the following steps to download Android SDK tools.
- Go to https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools in a web browser.
- Click the download link for the operating system your computer is using.
- Open the zip file in your web browser or Downloads folder.
- Extract the "Platform-tools" folder to your desktop or another location of your choice.
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Enable OEM unlocking and USB debugging on your phone. In order to interface with your phone on your computer, you'll need to enable OEM unlocking and USB debugging. Not all phones have OEM unlocking. If your phone does not have OEM unlocking, you may still be able to root your phone on certain models. Other models will not allow you to root your phone. Use the following steps to enable OEM unlocking and USB debugging mode.
- Open the Settings app in your Apps menu.
- Tap About phone.
- Tap Build number 7 times to unlock Developer Options.
- Tap the back button in the upper-right corner to return to the root Settings menu.
- Tap Developer Options.
- Tap the toggle switch to enable OEM unlocking (if available) and enter your passcode.
- Tap the toggle switch to enable USB debugging and enter your passcode.
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Boot your phone into bootloader mode and connect it to your computer. The way you do this is going to be different depending on the make and model of your phone. First you'll need to start by completely turning off your phone. Then you'll need to press and hold a button combination to boot your phone into bootloader mode. If your phone displays a boot menu, use the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons to navigate the menu. Press the Power button to select the bootloader option. The button combination to unlock the Bootloader is as follows:
- Press and hold the Volume Up and Power button to boot into the bootloader menu on most Android phones. Release the power button and continue holding the Volume Up botton when you see your phone's logo on-screen.
- Some phone models require you to press and hold the Volume Down and Power button to boot into the bootloader menu.
- On Samsung Galaxy phones with a Bixby button, press and hold the Bixby, Volume Down, and the Power button all at the same time.
- Alternatively, you can connect your phone to your computer, open the Terminal on Mac, or open the "Platform-tools" folder, right-click any empty space and click Open Powershell window here. Type adb reboot bootloader" and press Enter. ^{[5]
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Open the Terminal on Mac or "Platform-tools" folder in a CMD/Powershell window on Windows. If you are using a Mac, you only need to open the Terminal. On Windows, open the Platform-tools folder you downloaded and extracted, hold Shift and right-click any empty space. Then click Open Powershell window here
- To check if your phone is properly connected, type the command "adb devices". It should display your phone's serial number.
- To see if your bootloader is unlockable type the command "fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability". If it returns a code of "1", your phone's bootloader can be unlocked. If it returns a code of "0", your bootloader can't be unlocked and you will need to find an unofficial way to unlock your phone's bootloader.
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Enter the command to unlock your phone's bootloader. This is different depending on the your phone's make and model. The most common command to unlock the bootloader is "fastboot oem unlock" or "fastboot flashing unlock". Some phone models may require you to enter the unlock code in addition to the command. Follow the instructions from your phone's manufacturer to enter the correct unlock command. You may also see a confirmation prompt on your phone's screen. If so, use the volume buttons to select the option to confirm that you want to unlock your bootloader.^{[6]
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- Be aware that this will most likely void your warranty on your phone.
- Samsung users will not be able to unlock their bootloader using the Terminal or command line. Instead, launch Odin.
10
Download TWRP for your phone. TWRP is a custom recovery program that allows you to install custom software on your phone, including the software needed to root your phone. TWRP is not available for all phone models, but it is available for most. If you can't find it on the website, try search Google or xda-developers.com. Use the following steps to download TWRP for your phone model:
- Go to https://twrp.me/Devices/ in a web browser.
- Click your phone's manufacturer name.
- Click your phone's model.
- Click the download link to download TWRP for your phone.
- Download the latest ".img" file for TWRP (Samsung users download the ".img.tar" file).
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Download Magisk. Magisk is the utility that you will be using to root your phone. Use the following steps to download Magisk:
- Go to https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk in a web browser.
- Scroll down and click the latest version of Magisk below "Downloads".
- Save the zip file to your phone's internal storage where you can find it. You can transfer files using the USB connection.
If your phone is not already in fastboot mode and connected to your computer use the same methods as before to put it in fastboot mode and use the USB cable to connect it to your computer. Open the Terminal or Powershell window in the Platform-tools folder and type "adb devices" and press enter to make sure it is connected.
13
Type fastboot boot and drag the TWRP image file into the window. This will give you the command to boot your phone into the TWRP custom recovery from the file on your computer. This will not install TWRP on your phone, but it will temporarily boot it into TWRP. When your phone boots TWRP, select "Keep read only" and swipe the arrows at the bottom to the right.
- Samsung users open Odin and click AP on Windows or PDA on Mac. Select the TWRP "img.tar" file and click Open. Click the Options tab and uncheck Auto Recovery. Then click Start to flash TWRP to your phone. Then you will need to reboot your phone into recovery mode to boot into TWRP. You will also need to use TWRP to wipe the data on your phone in order to remove the encryption. Additionally, you will need to download a file called No Verity from here and save it to your phone's internal storage. This file will keep your phone from getting stuck in a boot loop and unable to function.^{[8]
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Flash Magisks to your phone. Almost done. Once you flash Magisk to your phone it will reboot and then it will be rooted. Use the following steps to flash Magisk to your phone in TWRP.
- Tap Install.
- Browse to and select the Magisk zip file.
- Swipe to flash the magisk file to your phone (Samsung users also need to use this same method to install the No Verity file).

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I jailbreak the passcode on my phone?

Community Answer

No you can't because the password is heavily encrypted and you can't jailbreak it.

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I need to access my deceased wife's iPhone 11 to retrieve photos and videos, but I do not know the passcode. What are my options for gaining access?

Archibald Leviticus.

Community Answer

You might consider inquiring with Apple support again to see if they can assist with data recovery or transfer to a new device, especially if you can provide official documentation like a death certificate and proof of ownership.

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Tips

Try using a different USB cable or USB port on your computer if it fails to recognize your iPhone or Android during jailbreaking. This can help rule out problems with faulty hardware. For Android phones, make sure you have the latest drivers installed for your phone and they are up-to-date.

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Try installing all required updates on your computer, phone, and in iTunes (if jailbreaking an iPhone) if you experience problems or error messages when jailbreaking your device. Outdated software can sometimes interfere with jailbreaking or rooting.

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Try unrooting your Android or unjailbreaking your iPhone if your device no longer functions properly following the procedure. In some cases, your phone may not work properly if it has software problems or is no longer compatible with jailbreaking software.

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Warnings

Keep in mind that jailbreaking will void your manufacturer’s warranty with Apple and the manufacturer of your Android device. Jailbreak or root your phone at your own risk, and know that Apple and your Android manufacturer are not responsible for data loss or software damage to your phone or computer.

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