Jailbroken iPhone users getting locked out of the App Store

[ModeratorOMD]

You are delusional.

We capture whether or not our apps are running on Jailbroken devices and it's less than 1/2 of 1% with millions of downloads.

We deny support to Jailbroken devices, as over the years we have determined that virtually all of the issues we get from users on Jailbroken devices come from their non standard configuration, and have nothing to do with our software.

We cannot afford to support those users.

It's only a matter of time before the iUniverse is blocked as well.

The less than 1/2 of 1% of users that you can't afford to support don't need the support. But what about the other 99 and 1/2 % that gives your app bad reviews? Don't you think it's more important to focus on your core demographic than to waste time trying to block less than 1% of users?

If it is, in fact, what you say. I have a Jailbroken device, as well as a jailed device, and the apps that I use to keep connected, all work perfectly fine.

I'd like to see evidence of these malfunctions with apps that some people have brought up. Jailbreaking doesn't automatically break your device. And when we do get around the blockage, the apps still work.

 

[kch50428]

We capture whether or not our apps are running on Jailbroken devices and it's less than 1/2 of 1% with millions of downloads.

Tell us - who is "We". I'd like to know the name of your company so I can elect to not to burden you with a need to support me - EVER.

Thanks - and have a nice day

 

[ModeratorOMD]

I sure would like to know that too, because, here's the thing. Jailbroken users know what they're risking. If the app doesn't work, it doesn't work. What you're trying to do is add a penalty to having a free device to make it seem like jailbreaking causes more problems than it actually does.

You're not even being fair.

It's that the app on one device is censored, and the other one isn't because you decided to take matters into your own hands. Be fair.

You can't afford to support jailbroken users, you can't afford to support jailed users- in many cases they are the same people.

 

[ghostface147]

The less than 1/2 of 1% of users that you can't afford to support don't need the support. But what about the other 99 and 1/2 % that gives your app bad reviews? Don't you think it's more important to focus on your core demographic than to waste time trying to block less than 1% of users?

If it is, in fact, what you say. I have a Jailbroken device, as well as a jailed device, and the apps that I use to keep connected, all work perfectly fine.

I'd like to see evidence of these malfunctions with apps that some people have brought up. Jailbreaking doesn't automatically break your device. And when we do get around the blockage, the apps still work.

Why should he have to prove anything to you? The people that are upset that an app won't work are always going to be louder and giving bad reviews than the one who are happy. It is true that jailbreaking is relatively stable for the vast majority (compared to the very very early jailbreaking days), but there are also people out there who jailbreak and have nothing but issues. I am guessing it's because they installed some obscure program that broke something and I am guessing it's those people who are asking for support.

 

[ghostface147]

IJailbroken users know what they're risking.

I disagree. I've had non-techie friends who had their techie friends jailbreak their phone because they were told it's cool to do and there are things you can customize things and it caused nothing but headaches. The company I work for has a BYOD policy, but we don't support rooted androids nor jailbroken iPhones. We've had issues where the construction manager says this particular function doesn't work right, for example exchange syncing, and I notice it's jailbroken. I'll look at it and see if I can find a quick workaround, but that rarely happens. Once I restore the phone to a stock state, works fine. He went back to jailbreak it a week later and the problem re-appeared. I looked to make sure he didn't install too many things from Cydia and he didn't except sbsettings and whatever that app is that falsifies 3G status. To this day he has issues and too damn bad, we aren't going to help him. Let his project manager deal with him now.

 

[Fausty82]

You are delusional.

We capture whether or not our apps are running on Jailbroken devices and it's less than 1/2 of 1% with millions of downloads.

We deny support to Jailbroken devices, as over the years we have determined that virtually all of the issues we get from users on Jailbroken devices come from their non standard configuration, and have nothing to do with our software.

We cannot afford to support those users.

It's only a matter of time before the iUniverse is blocked as well.

Thank you for providing this information. It totally supports my supposition (stated here). I am convinced that the changes to the iOS itself, introduced by jailbreaking, is in fact, the biggest part of the issue - and a valid reason for app developers to block access to their apps from jailbroken iOS devices.

 

[Fausty82]

You're not even being fair.

It's that the app on one device is censored, and the other one isn't because you decided to take matters into your own hands. Be fair.

How is he not being fair. First of all, it's HIS software. You have already conceded that he is free to do with it as he chooses, just as you are free to use your iOS device as you choose - JB your device.

He has stated that there are known issues that only JB devices encounter with his app.

He has made the decision to not support JB devices.

If he chooses to block HIS software from JB devices, he's saving his support staff the trouble of even dealing with what he considers to be non-issues.

If he chooses to block HIS software from JB devices, he is also saving you (and the rest of the JB user base) the headache of dealing with an app that seems to have an issue.

Seems to me like he's actually doing you a favor. And the issue seems pretty much cut and dried to me.

 

[Just_Me_D]

How is he not being fair. First of all, it's HIS software. You have already conceded that he is free to do with it as he chooses, just as you are free to use your iOS device as you choose - JB your device.

He has stated that there are known issues that only JB devices encounter with his app.

He has made the decision to not support JB devices.

If he chooses to block HIS software from JB devices, he's saving his support staff the trouble of even dealing with what he considers to be non-issues.

If he chooses to block HIS software from JB devices, he is also saving you (and the rest of the JB user base) the headache of dealing with an app that seems to have an issue.

Seems to me like he's actually doing you a favor. And the issue seems pretty much cut and dried to me.

C'mon people, you can't get any clearer than this! From my perspective, Mr Hewett clearly stated his rationale without demeaning the JB community and as Fausty82 stated, he made a logical business decision and I'm sure, other developers came to the same conclusion. Is it fair to the JB community? Some would say that it is not. If people are not going to chastise Apple for not providing the functionality desired by the JB community then don't chastise the developers for deciding to not provide JB support in regard to their app(s). It's not a slight, but merely a business decision.


Just Me, D
(Tapatalk - iPhone 4S)

 

[BLiNK]

Thank you for providing this information. It totally supports my supposition (stated here). I am convinced that the changes to the iOS itself, introduced by jailbreaking, is in fact, the biggest part of the issue - and a valid reason for app developers to block access to their apps from jailbroken iOS devices.

^ and this is coming from someone who used to jailbreak, might i add
.

all of this talk really does have me rethinking my stance on jailbreaking. i do it for a hobby not a necessity, like some. i am happy either way

 

[Fausty82]

^ and this is coming from someone who used to jailbreak, might i add
.

all of this talk really does have me rethinking my stance on jailbreaking. i do it for a hobby not a necessity, like some. i am happy either way

Indeed. And while I didn't encounter any "blocked" apps, I did experience "oddities" with iOS from time to time. I've been JB, and now run with TeamPure. To each, his own...

Can we move on now?

 

[BLiNK]

Indeed. And while I didn't encounter any "blocked" apps, I did experience "oddities" with iOS from time to time. I've been JB, and now run with TeamPure. To each, his own...

Can we move on now?

just to be clear, i was not saying that negatively. i just wanted to let others know that you are not one of those who are against it and have never been jailbroken

which there are A LOT of those by the way, here and other places i visit

 

[iLive an iLife]

So what are you saying, that now that you JB'd your phone, it no longer works with your Sync system in your car?

Sorry for the confusion. The sync system works fine with the iPhone 4S (both Pure and Jailbroken). The problem was Bluetooth. It eats up my battery at a ridiculous rate and it's so cumbersome to turn Bluetooth on/off through the Settings menu. I've heard all about jail breaking and SBSettings, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm sure there aren't many apps that block out JB users, but I'd rather not even deal with that. Back to Team Pure I go haha.

 

[Fausty82]

Sorry for the confusion. The sync system works fine with the iPhone 4S (both Pure and Jailbroken). The problem was Bluetooth. It eats up my battery at a ridiculous rate and it's so cumbersome to turn Bluetooth on/off through the Settings menu. I've heard all about jail breaking and SBSettings, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm sure there aren't many apps that block out JB users, but I'd rather not even deal with that. Back to Team Pure I go haha.

Not to get too far off topic, but check the AppStore for Bluetooth chat apps... for about $1 I found a couple that let you do BT chat... but one of the features of these apps is the ability to turn BT on/off without digging through the settings menu... just a thought.

 

[ModeratorOMD]

C'mon people, you can't get any clearer than this! From my perspective, Mr Hewett clearly stated his rationale without demeaning the JB community and as Fausty82 stated, he made a logical business decision and I'm sure, other developers came to the same conclusion. Is it fair to the JB community? Some would say that it is not. If people are not going to chastise Apple for not providing the functionality desired by the JB community then don't chastise the developers for deciding to not provide JB support in regard to their app(s). It's not a slight, but merely a business decision.


Just Me, D
(Tapatalk - iPhone 4S)

I disagree. I've had non-techie friends who had their techie friends jailbreak their phone because they were told it's cool to do and there are things you can customize things and it caused nothing but headaches. The company I work for has a BYOD policy, but we don't support rooted androids nor jailbroken iPhones. We've had issues where the construction manager says this particular function doesn't work right, for example exchange syncing, and I notice it's jailbroken. I'll look at it and see if I can find a quick workaround, but that rarely happens. Once I restore the phone to a stock state, works fine. He went back to jailbreak it a week later and the problem re-appeared. I looked to make sure he didn't install too many things from Cydia and he didn't except sbsettings and whatever that app is that falsifies 3G status. To this day he has issues and too damn bad, we aren't going to help him. Let his project manager deal with him now.

Look, your reputation is on the line for this. The app store contains millions of apps downloaded and used and shared by jailed and jailbroken users alike every second. That's how it is. Jailbroken devices are mainstream. Whether or not my device is Jailbroken, I have the exact same number of apps download to my device.

You don't respect jailbreaking. You don't see it as mainstream or normal, or even moral.

But here's the thing: The fact of the matter is that anything you download to your device can cause it to act up. YOUR app included. So when you've gone through the trouble to make your app half available, half unavailable, (when it doesn't matter anyway, because we're jailbroken) and people tell you that your app is crashing (read the reviews for yourself) what does that tell you?

It tells you one thing. It doesn't matter. You don't want the money of a person with a Jailbroken device. You don't need the money of a person with a jailbroken device. You think you're better than that. What do you think you're trying to prove?

Software is software, jailbreaking is not a virus. It's the same device.

 

[Fausty82]

Software is software, jailbreaking is not a virus. It's the same device.

I'm going to go through this one more time. Jailbreaking is not a crime. It's not illegal. But it IS a hack. In order to install the hack, one must find a security hole in the iOS software and exploit that hole. When that happens, new code is introduced into the iOS software to cause it to behave differently. It is that process of CHANGING iOS to accommodate the jailbreak in the first place that CAN cause issues with how the device behaves. Plain and simple.

No one in this discussion has said that jailbreaking a device is wrong, immoral or a crime. Some (including me) have said that it makes some illegal activity more possible, but making something more possible is not, in or of itself wrong. It's just a fact.

At least one developer has said that his experience shows that running his software on a jailbroken device introduces problems that, when all is said and done is the result of the jailbreak. That is to say the software performs poorly (or crashes) on a JB device but not on a pure device. So he chooses not to allow it on a jailbroken device in the first place. It saves EVERYONE the hassle. While the possibility exists that some developers MIGHT write crappy, buggy code, IF they do, they won't be around long. But for those that do write good, clean, tight code... is it wrong for them to not want their reputations soiled by reports of crashes that result SOLELY from being run on a jailbroken device. (Remember, like it or not, jailbreaking CHANGES the underlying OS code, dramatically in some respects.)

That really doesn't seem to be a problem to me. However, you continue to cry about how unfair it is that he has you blocked from running his app(s), and at the same time you say you don't want his software anyway...

At this point there is nothing new to add to the conversation. Is it possible that you're just trying to keep the pot stirred up?

 

[kch50428]

If a developer is not going to support jailbroken devices, they'd better say so - UP FRONT. After purchase is the wrong time to make such a discovery.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

If a developer is not going to support jailbroken devices, they'd better say so - UP FRONT. After purchase is the wrong time to make such a discovery.

I can agree with this. I don't think they're any under obligation to, but from an ethical standpoint, it would
be better.

I'd be more content if I was about to purchase an app on my jailbroken device and was able to see that it
won't work, then I'd be if I bought it only to find out it won't work. But I wouldn't be upset. I know I can do
whatever I want with the product I bought, but the way Apple works is just what I'll have to deal with.

 

[ModeratorOMD]

Yep. They'll take the money and leave you out to dry.

And one thing. There is no, "pure" .......

the correct term is jailed.

You neglect to acknowledge the fact that apps in iOS crash all the time on jailed devices. All. The. Time.

It's the annoyances in iOS, the jailed (or what you call "pure") that led me to jailbreak the thing in the first place. In many cases, jailbreaking actually fixes the problem. Faster than Apple is able to do. Because when everyone was crying about needing a new update because the battery life was bad, you better believe people with Jailbroken devices weren't crying, they already had the problem solved.

They already had Siri speaking Japanese, and Korean, which Apple has not done yet. Why do you think people jailbreak?

And I would just like to touch on one more point.

It's only a matter of time before the iUniverse is blocked as well.

That will never happen. Everyone could take a tip or two from jailbreakers. You need innovation and the limits of the device need to be tested. It's not as clear cut as Jailbroken vs. Pure / Clean vs. Filthy

You are within every right to block your app. And I support your decision. But I don't think its very judicious.

 

[ghostface147]

Look, your reputation is on the line for this. The app store contains millions of apps downloaded and used and shared by jailed and jailbroken users alike every second. That's how it is. Jailbroken devices are mainstream. Whether or not my device is Jailbroken, I have the exact same number of apps download to my device.

You don't respect jailbreaking. You don't see it as mainstream or normal, or even moral.

But here's the thing: The fact of the matter is that anything you download to your device can cause it to act up. YOUR app included. So when you've gone through the trouble to make your app half available, half unavailable, (when it doesn't matter anyway, because we're jailbroken) and people tell you that your app is crashing (read the reviews for yourself) what does that tell you?

It tells you one thing. It doesn't matter. You don't want the money of a person with a Jailbroken device. You don't need the money of a person with a jailbroken device. You think you're better than that. What do you think you're trying to prove?

Software is software, jailbreaking is not a virus. It's the same device.

I laugh at this because it's clear someone is spending far too much time huffing and puffing because the big bad developer stole your handful of dollars. You have options. Leave iOS, deal with it, complain and see nothing come of it and move on. I don't care if you jailbreak or not (I've done the dirty deed myself, but found it to be unstable), but I have a problem with people complaining because something doesn't work because they run a jailbroken device. Even then, I also read on this thread that there is an app that spoofs your jailbroken status so that your broken app works.

Now for those who say that a company should state up front that their app won't work on JB devices, I am wondering if that's even something they are allowed to say. Remember, Apple has final say on what appears on the description. What if they aren't allowed to say that? Are they just supposed to stop development? No. This isn't about morals, this about being upset because you made a choice and developers made a choice to not support your choice.

 

[ModeratorOMD]

I am wondering if that's even something they are allowed to say. Remember, Apple has final say on what appears on the description. What if they aren't allowed to say that? Are they just supposed to stop development? No. This isn't about morals, this about being upset because you made a choice and developers made a choice to not support your choice.

That makes me wonder if Apple would even approve of something like that. They didn't see it because their devices aren't jailbroken when they test it. That's manipulation. Does Apple even know about developers doing this?

I'm for the good of the people. And I would be hard pressed to download an app from a manipulator, people who have a vendetta against jailbroken devices.

These types of developers must be mad as hell. I don't always jail break my devices, but I would at least like to have the option and choice.