An Apple Watch hacked to run a web browser might be the first sign of a software jailbreak.
Prominent jailbreaker Comex posted a video of Apple’s fledgling smartwatch running a nondescript browser.
In the clip, Comex shows off the Google search homepage running on the device, scrolling around the page just as you would on a normal browser.
Unfortunately, Comex has yet to detail how the hack actually works, meaning an Apple Watch jailbreak is still out of reach.
Jailbreaking is when users circumvent hardware restrictions on an iOS device, allowing them to make changes to the device’s software that weren’t intended by Apple.
Adding a web browser to the Apple Watch is an example of such a change, and is likely the result of a jailbreak.
What the video does show, however, is that the Apple Watch is very ill-suited to web browsing.
The browser looked difficult to operate on the small screen, and text was far too small to read without difficulty.
Related: Apple Watch tips and tricks
The Apple Watch doesn’t have its own web browser, and it’s likely because there wasn’t a good way to condense such software onto a small screen effectively.
Whether the browser is good or not, it’s still joyous news that a jailbreak for the Apple Watch is fast approaching.
Developers are currently complaining that Apple’s developer kit for the smartwatch is too restrictive, which makes it difficult for third-parties to produce apps.
If the modder community can get access to deeper areas of the Apple Watch software, users with jailbroken devices will have significantly more freedom to add content not vetted by Apple.
Apple will likely detail the future of Apple Watch software at the upcoming WWDC developer conference, which runs from June 8 to 12.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
