Can You Jailbreak the Droid Verizon Phone?

Jailbreaking Overview

A 'Wired' article from November 2009 explains jailbreaking, or rooting, as the process of 'cracking the code' of a smartphone like the Droid X or Droid Pro. Although Google makes the source code for its Android operating system freely available, you do not have administrative access to your Droid device when you purchase it. Jailbreaking allows you to gain this access, thereby taking complete control of your smartphone. When you jailbreak, you can override the standard operating system and open up all the available features -- without paying additional costs to the carrier.

Jailbreaking Process

Numerous free programs exist that enable you to jailbreak your Droid. These programs have varying requirements depending on which Verizon Droid model you have. After you locate a jailbreaking application and download it to your computer, you can then connect your smartphone and begin the jailbreak.

Precautions

Before you begin the process of jailbreaking your Droid smartphone, a July, 2011 article from 'InfoWorld' suggests that you remove any anti-virus protection. This type of program can detect your jailbreak program and disable it. As another precaution, you should back up any personal data stored on your smartphone. During the jailbreak, there is a possibility you could lose your information. Or, if the jailbreak does not work, you may have to reset the device.

Warnings

Until July, 2010, jailbreaking a phone was considered illegal under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Although it is no longer a prohibited activity, jailbreaking does carry some risks. According to an August 2010 article from TechRepublic, jailbreaking your Droid device may void your Verizon warranty, can leave it open to possible security risks and may compromise functionality and performance. In some instances, jailbreaking a smartphone leaves it 'bricked.' When your Droid model is bricked, it no longer works and cannot be used.