Apple iPhone users rush to ‘jailbreak’ their devices

Less than a week after the unlocking of iPhones was deemed legal in the US, a new programme which allows users to 'jailbreak' their iPhone 4 has been released.

The programme, JailBreakMe, enables users to run applications and software on their phones that are not approved by Apple.

The company has long been criticised for its attempts to control what users do with their iPhones - for example forcing users to download approved programmes from Apple's own app store. Phones that have been jailbroken are not restricted in this way and users can download software and operating system tweaks from sites like Cydia.

The developers of JailBreakMe say the utility works on all iPhones and iPod Touch devices running iOS4. Previous jalbreaking programmes had to be downloaded onto a separate computer and then transferred to the iPhone, but JailBreakMe can be downloaded straight onto the device using its Safari web browser.

Demand for JailBreakMe has been so high that the site has been crashing and there have been reports that some iPhone users are losing FaceTime and multimedia messaging services, while those trying to jailbreak their iPads have experienced other problems.

But these glitches are not fatal to the device: anyone who experiences problems after using JailBreakMe can restore the original settings and put their device back into Apple's sphere of influence using iTunes.

However, Apple has warned that anyone who does jailbreak their phone will void their warranty protection.

"The vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones," said the company. "This can violate the warranty, and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably."

Part of JailBreakMe's popularity could be down to the fact that US regulators last week announced that jailbreaking phones is lawful and does not contravene copyright regulations.

The ruling could lead to an exodus of American iPhone users from AT&T, which has an exclusive agreement with Apple to provide mobile phone coverage. ·