What does rooting or jailbreaking mean?¶

Rooting on Android and jailbreaking on Apple devices modify or bypass normal operating-system restrictions to permit deeper privileges and non-standard software behaviour.

Modification changes the trust model¶

Privileged software may access protected files, alter system settings or install outside ordinary stores. Normal permissions, logs and security assumptions may no longer apply. Wider privilege can also increase exposure to malware and remote access.

The modification can be used for customisation, repair, research or accessibility and does not establish criminal intent.

Preserve before assessing integrity¶

Record suspected indicators and current state, but do not attempt an informal root, jailbreak, update or reversal. An app name alone does not prove modification. Specialist examination should establish what privileges and system files changed and when.

Reliability depends on the actual effect of modification, not the label alone.