Apple is close to releasing an OS with an improved file system that will significantly make things difficult for iOS jailbreakers. But the more well-known hackers have not even come close to releasing a stable version of an iOS 10.2 jailbreak tool for public use.
Apple rolled out the iOS 10.2.1 update on Jan. 23, and Tech Times reported on Jan. 25 that the Chinese hacker team Pangu announced a delay in the release of its jailbreak for the iOS 10.2.
iOS Jailbreakers Remain Silent, Laying Low
While jailbreakers are usually quick to find exploits to develop jailbreaking tools for public use, it is quite noticeable that most of them are laying low for unknown reasons.
Some believe that Apple's quick rollout of security patches for the iOS 10 has been effective in keeping jailbreakers from exploiting the operating system's weaknesses. Others think hackers, specifically Pangu, are just waiting for a stable iOS 10 release to work on, but the group has kept mum about its true reason.
Luca Todesco's Yalu102 Still In Beta
At the very least, 19-year-old Italian hacker Luca Todesco rolled out his beta version for the Yalu102 — his jailbreak tool for the iOS 10.2 — but users claim that it still has a lot of bugs that need fixing, which actually makes sense since the tool is still in beta, so a perfectly polished tool should not have been expected.
the latest commit of yalu102 as an ipa is now available at https://t.co/yZLQTPXp8p
— qwertyoruiop (@qwertyoruiopz) January 26, 2017
However, prior to the actual release, it would seem Todesco has had enough of the jailbreaking community and announced that he will be taking a break from his public research for the 10.2 jailbreak. Take a look at his tweet below.
PSA: I will stop all public iOS research after I drop that 10.2 thing. The idiocy of the jailbreak community is too much to handle for me. — qwertyoruiop (@qwertyoruiopz) January 22, 2017
Unfortunately, he is not the only one.
So @ih8sn0w is also about to leave the jailbreak community. Sad!
— qwertyoruiop (@qwertyoruiopz) January 28, 2017
However, Todesco did clarify that he only intended to stop with the public research, not the actual research.
@d_olex you're not wrong: I will keep to do research, and I will talk about technical info. By 'public research' I mostly meant 'public jbs' — qwertyoruiop (@qwertyoruiopz) January 22, 2017
The good news is that Todesco is not completely abandoning jailbreaking tool creation but only focusing on other things at the moment. That includes resolving bugs and expanding the list of Apple devices supported by Yalu.
An official .ipa will be provided once I get feedback that this solved issues on the iPhone 6 and that it actually works on the 5s
— qwertyoruiop (@qwertyoruiopz) January 29, 2017
hopefully one step closer to final with yalu102b6 now available at https://t.co/06ytqT4Q4f — qwertyoruiop (@qwertyoruiopz) January 30, 2017
To clear it up: Yalu1011 for iPhone 7 will be updated at some point. Just not a priority right now. Got stuff to do.
— qwertyoruiop (@qwertyoruiopz) February 1, 2017
Except for the iOS 10.2 on iPhone 7.
I find it hilarious that the people that keep asking for i7 10.2 support cannot understand that if it's not supported, there's a reason. — qwertyoruiop (@qwertyoruiopz) February 17, 2017
The only thing jailbreak enthusiasts can do is hope that either Pangu is already well on their way to releasing an iOS 10.2 jailbreak tool while Todesco is working on resolving and finalizing Yalu.
Then again, there are other jailbreakers who are equally determined to crack the iOS 10.2.
