iOS 9 "Rootless" security feature may end jailbreaking indefinitely, according to dire warnings by some Apple watchers. Meanwhile, the iOS 8.4 Jailbreak update may be released despite the absence of iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3 Jailbreak.

What is Rootless?

9toMac recently reported on an all-new security apparatus called Rootless, which apparently prevents "administrative-level users from being able to access certain protected files on Apple devices." This may land a heavy blow to jailbreak communities, an anonymous source told the publication.

Apple Watchers Respond

Naturally, Apple watchers all over had different reactions to the recent 9to5 report.

Cammy Harbison at iDigitalTimes wrote, "If iOS 9 proves to be as difficult to jailbreak...then we might see the release of that iOS 8.2-8.3 jailbreak in the near future." Still, the writer added that her theory was based solely on speculation.

In contrast, iCrackUriDevice had a more positive outlook. The YouTube commentator pointed out that determined users will still find exploits within iOS 9.

"Though we can't say exactly what Rootless means in terms of iOS 9 until we catch our first glimpse of the firmware, we can confirm that this won't be the end of jailbreaking," he said in a recent posting. "Don't fret, essentially every piece of software is exploitable in the beginning stages."

TaiG Jailbreak Functions without Root Privileges

In a joint article with Evasi0njailbreak, iCrackUriDevice also stated that TaiG for iOS 8.0 does not need to have "root privileges to successfully complete jailbreak." This means that the jailbreak group can theoretically work around iOS 9's Rootless system.

Previously, TaiG had released a jailbreak update for iOS 8.1.2 OS. Though it promised to release iOS 8.2 Jailbreak, the update never arrived. The absence of jailbreak continued even after iOS 8.3 was released. Many in the rumor mill believe that TaiG has skipped onto iOS 8.4.

As of now, there is no word regarding when the world will see an iOS 8.4 Jailbreak update. Hypothetically, Apple may decide to overlook the existence of iOS 8.4 jailbreak. However, there is a greater possibility that Apple will patch up iOS 8.4, which is considered the last major update for iOS 8.0.

When will iOS 9 Be Out?

The iOS 9 release date will be dependent on the iOS 8.4 launch cycle. In other words, Apple will need to release iOS 8.4 first. As of now, Apple has not confirmed an iOS 8.4 roll out schedule.

Upon release, iOS 8.4 is also expected to address a number of bugs in Apple's previous iOS 8.3 operating system. The upcoming OS may be announced alongside iOS 9 and OSX 10.11 at WWDC 2015, according to 9to5Mac. Still, this prediction may or may not pan out when WWDC begins on June 8.