'Absinthe A5' Brings First Untethered Jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2
Noted iOS jailbreak author pod2g has teamed up with the Chronic Dev Team to release "Absinthe A5", an enhancement to the popular Greenpois0n jailbreaking tool which adds the ability to perform an untethered jailbreak of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 for the first time.
A related effort from the iPhone Dev Team will include a command-line tool for more control over the jailbreaking process and to assist with diagnosis and repair. Absinthe is currently available only for Mac OS X, although versions for Windows and Linux are set to follow shortly.
Jailbreaking is the process by which users can open up their iOS device systems to load third-party software and hacks not authorized by Apple. Procedures for jailbreaking iOS devices are typically divided into two categories: "tethered" tools that required the device to be connected to a computer each time it is booted, and "untethered" tools that allow the device to be booted independently.
Untethered jailbreaks are obviously the more highly desired of the two forms, and Absinthe represents the first of these untethered jailbreaking tools for iOS devices such as the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 that run Apple's A5 system-on-a-chip.
Device and iOS version combinations that can be jailbroken using Absinthe include the iPhone 4S running iOS 5.0 (9A334) and 5.0.1 (9A405 and 9A406) and all models of the iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1 (9A405).
Apple warns that jailbreaking can void a device's warranty, and users should be aware of the potential implications of jailbreaking their devices, but most issues can be resolved using common jailbreak tools and devices can be reverted to their non-jailbroken states if necessary.
Update: The Greenpois0n site is currently seeing intermittent availability issues undoubtedly related to high traffic coming from the new release.
Popular Stories
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone.
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker.
According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found.
Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future.
"I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public.
There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
