checkn1x jailbreak

When checkm8 was introduced to the world, no one expected that Windows users would ever have a chance to use it to jailbreak iOS devices. checkn1x for Windows users fills the gap, allowing them to run checkra1n from any PC. This Linux allows you to run checkra1n from a USB dongle on any computer including those with Windows installed.

Download checkn1x ISO

Download the most recent version of checkn1x 1.1.7, or opt for the preceding release, checkn1x 1.1.6, which comes bundled with OdysseyRa1n. These versions are available in the form of ISO images, suitable for either burning onto a CD or installing onto USB drives.

What is checkn1x?

checkn1x, a compact Linux distribution (about 28 MB), enables users to perform iOS device jailbreaking using the checkra1n application. This serves as an optimal solution for PC users seeking to leverage checkra1n on Windows for jailbreaking iPhone models ranging from 5s to X, operating on iOS 12 through iOS 14.8.1. Regrettably, neither checkra1n nor checkn1x supports iOS 15 through iOS 17, as updates for compatibility with these releases have not been provided.

Because checkra1n was never officially released for Windows, PC users needed to find an alternative solution to take the advantage of checkm8 exploit by axi0mX. checkn1x is a light distribution that can be installed on a USB stick. It contains only the necessary libraries to run checkra1n therefore the distribution is really small and fast to download on PC.

checkn1x release is packed with checkra1n 0.12.4 on ISO. It offers all features provided by the jailbreak with no limitations. It supports all the devices as the original app. The requirement is to boot the system from a USB drive and connect an iPhone or iPad via a USB-A cable to a PC.

The ISO file with pre-installed checkra1n is created by checkn1x build script. It's based on Alpine Linux, but it takes only the necessary components to run the jailbreak. We provide ready-to-use downloads of checkn1x-1.1.7.iso or checkn1x-1.1.6.iso files with no need to build it by yourself.

Since this is a LiveCD, it will work with any Windows version. No matter if you are running Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11. The edition is not relevant. The checkn1x LiveCD includes the latest release of checkra1n on the ISO file.

After launch, the distribution will open a simple text menu with all available options.

Welcome to checkn1x.

Alt+F1 : Welcome
Alt+F2 : Checkra1n
Alt+F3 : Checkra1n CLI-mode
Alt+F4 : Usbmuxd (debug)
Alt+F5 : Shell (debug)

You can run checkra1n in graphic text mode or as a command-line tool. There is also an option to run usbmuxd (USB multiplexing daemon) in debug mode. This daemon is in charge of multiplexing connections over USB to an iOS device. And that's it.

Jailbreaking iOS with checkn1x is a simple and straightforward process easy to follow. Any Windows user should manage to install and use it. On 16 April 2022, iRemovalRa1n was released, the unofficial native checkra1n for Windows app. However, a better approach in 2023 would be to use the WinRa1n jailbreak for Windows with support for iOS 12 – iOS 17.

The latest version, checkn1x-1.1.7.iso, no longer includes OdysseyRa1n. Instead, its primary objective is to substitute Cydia and Substitute by integrating Sileo and the libhooker library into the existing checkra1n jailbreak setup. If you prefer the inclusion of OdysseyRa1n, it's advisable to consider downloading checkn1x 1.1.6, as this version still provides that specific feature.

Prepare the USB drive

Because checkn1x is released as an ISO file you can easily burn it on any CD/DVD. The better approach is to flash the OS images to a USB drive and run checkra1n from it.

1. Install Etcher on your computer (available for Windows, macOS & Linux).
2. Download checkn1x.iso (link on top of this page) and open it with Etcher app.
3. Flash the ISO to your USB drive.
4. Reboot and enter your BIOS's boot menu.
5. Select the prepared USB drive to boot from.
6. Run checkn1x and click Alt+F2 to open checkra1n app.

checkn1x is released as an open-source project with code available through GitHub Repository. The code is written 100% in Shell. Created scripts will download Alpine distribution and checkra1n for Linux and build a custom-made Linux. The code was modified on 9 Aug 2021.

The build script depends on some additional tools that should be installed on your system.

sudo apt install -y curl ca-certificates tar gzip grub2-common grub-pc-bin grub-efi-amd64-bin xorriso mtools

Supported devices

checkn1x jailbreak supports all A5-A11 systems on a chip (SoC). The compatibility reaches millions of Apple devices. Below you can find the actual list of compatible iPhones and iPads.

• A11 - iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.
• A10X - iPad Pro 10.5" (2017), iPad Pro 12.9" 2nd gen (2017).
• A10 - iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, iPad (2018, 6th gen), iPad (2019, 7th generation) (iOS 14 not supported).
• A9X - iPad Pro (12.9 in.) 1st generation, iPad Pro (9.7 in.).
• A9 - iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE, iPad (2017) 5th gen.
• A8X - iPad Air 2.
• A8 - Phone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad mini 4.
• A7 - iPhone 5S, iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3.
• A6X - iPad (4th gen).
• A6 - iPhone 5, iPhone 5C.
• A5X - iPad (3rd generation).
• A5 - iPad 2, iPhone 4S, iPad Mini (1st gen).

What's new

• Updated to checkra1n 0.12.4.
• Removed Odysseyra1n.
• Downgraded some Alpine packages.
• Fixed iDevice not being detected by checkra1n or usbmuxd.
• Fixed broken loopback interface.

Written by

Kuba Pawlak

Kuba has over 20 years of experience in journalism, focusing on jailbreak since 2012. He has interviewed professionals from various companies. Besides journalism, Kuba specializes in video editing and drone flying. He studied IT at university before his writing career.

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