The jailbreak development community has moved on. The last untethered jailbreak for any version was iOS 9.0.2, released over eight years ago by Pangu (which they quickly patched in 9.1).
Key developers (tihmstar, Siguza, Luca Todesco) have publicly stated that they have no interest in developing an untether for 9.3.6. The effort required to weaponize a new iBoot bug or bootrom exploit for a 32-bit device is immense, and there are no financial incentives (bug bounties for old firmware are zero).
Unless the checkm8 bootrom exploit (which is permanent and untethered for checkm8 devices) is backported to iOS 9.3.6, it will never happen. However, checkm8 requires a computer to send the exploit every boot—ironically making it tethered in practice.
In the world of iPhone modding, few phrases generate as much nostalgic longing—and technical confusion—as "iOS 9.3.6 jailbreak untethered." ios 9.3 6 jailbreak untethered
For the average user, this string of numbers and terms might look like gibberish. But for enthusiasts holding onto an iPhone 4s, iPad 2, or iPad 3, it represents the final frontier of legacy device customization. iOS 9.3.6 was never a flagship release; it was a quiet, critical update released in July 2019, long after iOS 11, 12, and 13 had taken over the world.
Why does this matter? Because iOS 9.3.6 is the last official iOS version ever released for 32-bit Apple devices. After this, the iPhone 4s and the original iPad mini were relegated to the history books.
This article dives deep into the burning question that echoes across Reddit, r/jailbreak, and old forums: Does an untethered jailbreak exist for iOS 9.3.6? And if not, what are the best alternatives? The jailbreak development community has moved on
On 64-bit devices, Apple introduced KPP (Kernel Patch Protection). iOS 9 on 32-bit devices does not have KPP, but it does have KASLR (Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization). While 32-bit devices are easier to exploit, untethered requires a bootrom-level exploit or a persistent kernel code injection that survives a reboot.
The last true untethered jailbreak for a 32-bit device was iOS 9.1 (Pangu9). Everything after 9.1 moved to semi-untethered because the exploits required to persist across reboots were burned by Apple or reserved for higher bounties.
Tool: kok3rni (Recommended for 64-bit) Type: Semi-untethered (Untethered capabilities available via "UntetherHomeDepot" package in Cydia after the initial jailbreak). Instructions:
Note: An untether package exists for 64-bit devices on iOS 9.3.6. This means once you install it, you can reboot the device normally without needing to use an app to re-jailbreak.
Requirements:
Instructions:
How to make it "Untethered" (Permanent): If the jailbreak worked, you currently have a semi-untethered state. To make it truly untethered:
To achieve a jailbreak on iOS 9.3.6 today, the recommended method utilizes the Home Depot exploit, often delivered via a Semi-Untethered app wrapper.