Home / iPhone / How-To
How-To

Unjailbreak your iPhone

Jailbreaking your iPhone can open up a wealth of new software possibilities, so it’s always tempting to for any hacker to jailbreak an iPhone. But what happens if you need to take your iPhone back to an Apple Store? Here we look at how to remove jailbreak software from an iPhone.
By Lou Hattersley
Macworld MAR 24, 2015 8:09 am PDT

There are lots of reasons to consider removing jailbreak software from an iPhone. You might want to upgrade, you might not find jailbreaking all it’s cracked up to be, and you might want the extra security that comes from having a non-jailbreak version of iOS on your iPhone.

Importantly, you might want to take your iPhone in for repair. Some readers ask us: “Should I remove the jailbreak software before taking the iPhone back to the Apple Store?” To which our answer is an emphatic. “Yes! Fix that first.”

Read next: Complete guide: How to update iOS on iPhone or iPad

Will the Apple Store fix a jailbroken iPhone

For its part Apple is very clearly against jailbreaking. Apple has included this text in versions of its warranty (it changes by location):

Making unauthorized modifications to the software on an iPhone violates the iPhone software license agreement. The common term for modifying an iPhone is jail-breaking, with a particular emphasis on the second part of that term. That’s why we strongly, almost emphatically, recommend that you do not do so. Really. Should you be unable to use your iPhone due to an unauthorized software modification, its repair will not be covered under the warranty.“

While this text isn’t included in the current iPhone warranty in the UK, we generally think Apple Store employees take a dim view of fixing jailbroken phones. It is be a good idea to remove the jailbreak software from the iPhone before taking it in to Apple.

Read next: Should you jailbreak an iPhone? Jailbreaking safety and security tips

Can Apple tell if I’ve jailbroken my iPhone?

Fortunately it’s really easy to remove the jailbreak from an Apple phone. The process is to back up your phone, then reinstall the original iOS software and restore from your backup.

Backup your iPhone using iTunes

Once you have removed the jailbreak software from your iPhone it will be in the same state as a fresh setup, and the Apple Store employees won’t be able to tell that you previously used jailbreak software. Be aware that you will lose access to the Cydia Store and all of your jailbroken software. Follow these steps to remove jailbreak software from your iPhone.

  1. Connect your iPhone to a Mac using the USB Cable.
  2. If you have a passcode on your iPhone, enter the passcode to unlock it.
  3. Click Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone and set it to Off.
  4. Enter your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.
  5. Click the Devices icon in iTunes and choose your iPhone.
  6. Select This Computer under Backups.
  7. Click Backup Now and choose Backup Apps from the Alert Window.
  8. Click Restore iPhone and tap Restore in the alert window.

Apple iTunes will now restore your iPhone to its original software state. You may need to download the latest version of iOS from Apple, and it may take a while for the installation to complete. Follow the instructions on-screen to restore your iPhone from the backup you created earlier.

Remove jailbreak software from your iPhone

Read next: How to put an iPhone into DFU mode