Skype Says "No" to Jailbroken iPhones
The latest update to the Skype iPhone application delivered some minor improvements and fixes, but the biggest update involves a new warning message directed at the owners of jailbroken iPhones. After launching the updated version of Skype (v 1.0.2), you'll see a message that reads "this version of Skype is only supported on unmodified iPhone OS." Why is Skype doing this?
Skype + Jailbreaks = Crashing
After the highly anticipated Skype application was released a couple of weeks ago, it quickly became one of the most popular applications in the iTunes App Store and has already been downloaded over 2 million times. However, for jailbroken iPhone owners, the Skype application was unstable, often freezing up and crashing on a regular basis.
The problem has to do with a jailbreak package called the "Mobile Substrate," reports the iPhone Hacks blog. This package is used by a number of jailbreak applications including Winterboard, Clipply, Lockdown, Five Icon Dock, and more. The solution is to download the latest update for the Mobile Substrate package which the developer and Cydia creator, Jay Freeman, has now released.
The Problem with Jailbreaking
It's apparent that Skype didn't want to be blamed for the problems that only affected the jailbreaking crowd. Since they obviously can't stop people from downloading or using their app, they put in the disclaimer to cover themselves from any complaints or liabilities.
This issue, however, highlights the problems of having the jailbreaking community underground and unsupported. Although the EFF is pushing the U.S. Copyright office to grant a DMCA exception so users can jailbreak their phones without fear of penalties, they have not yet been successful in doing so. If that was to pass, it would legitimize jailbreaking and that would mean iPhone developers would have to consider how their applications worked with the others outside of the App Store.
An issue like the one Skype had could possibly even have been discovered prior to launch by testing the app on jailbroken devices, then working with or simply alerting the developer of the app that caused the issues. But because jailbreaking is still considered this "naughty thing" some people do to their phones (instead of the incredible thing it really is), app developers don't have to test their apps or support apps running on the hacked devices. Is that OK? We guess that it is, considering the situation, but we're not happy about it.
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I'd rather have Jailbreak that Skype on my phone to be honest.
Posted by: Simon Wicks
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April 17, 2009 6:30 AM
You are right, it shows this warning but doesn't do anything with it. As you say, IT IS JUST A WARNING.
You simply restart the applications and it works fine. At max, restart the iPhone. I am using it on my Jaibroken iPhone.
No issues, I have faced so far. And yes, from this release onwards, it works with EDGE as well (just for chat though).
Hope this information helps my fellow Jaibroken iPhone Skype lovers.
Cheers
Anurag Bansal
@knowliz
Saurik explains the situation in a notice he put up in the Cydia Store:
http://cydia.saurik.com/info/mobilesubstrate/skype.html
Skype say "no" but the community, in a beautiful day will respond "yes". What Skype have done is not best as their desire!
I have no more opinion now. Please wait for some better news when jailbreak iPhone 3.0 arrives. I see it on:
http://www.quickpwn.com/2009/04/iphone-3-0-beta3.html
Skype doesn't say no at all. They say "sorry, but we cannot offer support for every hack out there". I think you are trying to guess what do they think at Skype without knowing it at all.
They don't say no, and it's up to the user to know problems may appear if they modified the software theirselves or by third party solutions. And in any case, I think this simple warning is not saying they agree or not with jailbreaking. This is only your personal opinion, not theirs.
It's not really fair to say it's MobileSubstrate's fault, as Saurik explains in the post linked to by Steven, it's the extension developer's fault. MobileSubstrait is just a loader for the extensions.
Skype did the wrong.it is my own opinion.i think skype should say yes.
@5 has it precisely right. If you choose to jailbreak your phone you're modifying the OS however slightly. They're merely saying "Hey, it might work, but we won't support it if it doesn't" which is FINE. Come on folks, you can't feel all hackerish and cool while jailbreaking your phone and expect official support. Live on the edge... :)
I don't think it's fair at all to expect developers going through Apple's supported dev process to be expected to vet their apps against every permutation of configuration possible for a jailbroken iPhone.
It's not about naughty or nice, it's about consistency and reliability. It's a gated community, but at least it's got mostly known parameters.
Now, I don't think jailbreaking should be illegal by any means, or even disallowed. But, I think just like users should have the option to leave the relative safety of the approved environment, developers should have the option to stay there.
Jailingbreaking is fun if you're 14 - anyone older is an idiot. Besides, why do jailbreakers spend all their whining their apps don't work correctly? If you're gonna jailbreak - shut up about it.
all,
I had the skype issue on my jailbroken phone and found a quick fix. 3 min later i was using skype on my modified iphone.
You can email me at masterguy@gmail.com if you need help.
NOTJailbreaking is for people under 14 or people who just want to have a popular phone and thats it, if you really want to take advantage of everything iphone offers then jailbreaking is for you, i guess you just like to have a nice looking phone i recommend you then to buy w/e and give the one you have to people who are going to take advantages of everything an jailbroken iphone offers