this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2026
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So, my son's girlfriend is really obsessed with collecting old devices and "jailbreaking" them and it seems quite popular. I've never done it before, I wonder why it's so popular?

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[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 3 points 34 minutes ago* (last edited 29 minutes ago)

A smartphone is a handheld computer. Why should it be restricted to what software the company arbitrarily decides should be allowed to run on it?

Also suggests she's a technically minded person who likes to know how things work and is not satisfied with a black box. Jailbreaking uncovers the complex machine a smartphone truly is, something that Apple tries very hard to hide behind its patronizingly simple interface.

[–] discocactus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

First of all, keeper.

This person has a lot to teach you about the pursuit of freedom. Why don't you ask her? And ask her to teach you?

[–] Cort@lemmy.world 7 points 4 hours ago

I've heard of some younger kids getting into older digital cameras and camera phones. Apparently it's like having an (old-timey) Instagram filter built in.

Not sure if that's the reason, but I know I've done jailbreaking and odd tech stuff 'just because I can'

[–] bobo1900@startrek.website 31 points 6 hours ago (1 children)
  1. doing things you are not supposed to do is fun
  2. thinkering with electronics in fun
  3. we are sacrificing our freedom to megacorporations that continously tell us what to do, what to think, what you can and can't do with devices we own and enshittify them. Taking back some of that freedom feels good
[–] AlexLost@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago

It's not just fun, it's the future. Job markets want people that can do things, and if/when society collapses, Jerry rigging shit will be useful. Totally get bullet 3. To think we thought having the world at our fingertips would lead us to more wisdom instead of uncertainty.

[–] vatlark@lemmy.world 66 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Damn, the kids sound cool these days

[–] Motherof3@lemmings.world 22 points 7 hours ago

Most of them are, especially her! She got my son into it :)

[–] Pogogunner@sopuli.xyz 21 points 6 hours ago

Why don't you ask her directly? If she's so obsessed with it, I'm sure she would like to explain her interests. Might be a really good bonding opportunity!

[–] gaiussabinus@lemmy.world 52 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

That chic is sick as fuck. That is awesome

[–] Motherof3@lemmings.world 21 points 7 hours ago

My son truly has good taste haha!

[–] First_Thunder@lemmy.zip 28 points 7 hours ago

(Assuming here you don’t know what jailbreaking means) Jailbreaking simply means doing what you want to your devices, which may mean bypassing artificial restrictions made by who made them. Not sure how popular it is with the youths, but I sure would like to meet people like those

[–] Iamsqueegee@sh.itjust.works 16 points 6 hours ago

Imagine you bought a deck of cards to play Go Fish and you only ever played Go Fish and you only let people use your cards to play Go Fish and somebody else said, hey, we could play sooo many other games. That’s kinda in the neighborhood of jailbreaking.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 4 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

I mean im obsessed with getting and doing easy mods ot consoles and other electronic things. I think its the tism

[–] Camille_Jamal@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 hours ago

Bro me too I also tism

[–] hexagonwin@lemmy.sdf.org -2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

ik reddit is shit lately but you might wanna visit r/legacyjailbreak

[–] doleo@lemmy.one 5 points 6 hours ago

be a lot cooler if you didnt