For several weeks, hackers have been playing with iPhone backups to modify their operating system in order to activate functions blocked by Apple. The beta 5 of iOS 18.1, the update scheduled for October, puts an end to this diversion.
How to Change iPhone Backup to Turn iPhone 12 into iPhone 16 thanks to the “SparseRestore” exploit.
Using tools like Nugget and misakaX, hackers have found a way to recover an iPhone’s backup and modify a few lines of code to unlock several internal settings. This allows you to change its model number, activate experimental functions (Dynamic Island on an old phone, support for iPad applications on iPhone, etc.), activate Apple Intelligence in Europe or unblock the installation of applications outside the App Store, such as Fortnite, in any country.
Today, the SparseRestore exploit works on devices running iOS 17 and iOS 18, although its media coverage dates back to the summer of 2024. In October, with the iOS 18.1 update, Apple should patch it permanently. Beta 5 of the update disables the modification of a backup, which puts an end to this new kind of jailbreak.
Jailbreaking is no longer popular and Apple does not want to give it a second chance
For three months, jailbreak fans have been playing with the SparseRestore tool to do things blocked by Apple. Some have long hoped that the Californian brand would let them do it, since it did not react during the development cycle of iOS 18.0. It must be said that installing a modified backup can be scary, since it sometimes leads to the deactivation of Face ID, with the risk of having to reset your device in the event of a problem.
The interface of misakaX, the software that allowed you to patch your iPhone backup. // Source: OneJailbreak
Obviously, even if Apple was slow to react, the brand could not let it happen. The SpareRestore exploit makes it easy to bypass geographic restrictions, which is obviously problematic for a company that reserves certain possibilities for the European Union under constraint from the authorities, while blocking Apple Intelligence and several new features in Europe. Apple knows full well that the existence of this tool would have caused a lot of talk in October, at the launch of Apple Intelligence, with the appearance of numerous tutorials to bypass its bans.
By closing the SparseRestore flaw, Apple is reminding the jailbreaking community that it hasn’t forgotten about it, even though unlocking Apple devices is less popular than it was 10 years ago. iOS has improved a lot in recent years, making jailbreaking risky for little benefit. As for Apple Intelligence in Europe, you’ll need a US account to try it before it’s released in France.
Find the features and tips of iOS 18
