Translation guide
How to express 'jailbreak' in Japanese, covering both literal prison escapes and the tech sense of bypassing device restrictions.
To escape from jail or prison, or the act of escaping.
The standard word for a jailbreak or prison escape. Can be used as a noun or a suru-verb (脱獄する).
彼は脱獄した。
He broke out of prison.
脱獄犯がまだ捕まっていない。
The escaped convict hasn't been caught yet.
Means 'escape' or 'desertion', often used for escaping from confinement, including prison. Slightly broader than 脱獄.
囚人が脱走した。
The prisoner escaped.
A more colloquial way to say 'break out of prison'. Literally 'slip out of prison'.
どうやって刑務所を抜け出したんだ？
How did you break out of prison?
A more dramatic or literary term for prison break, implying breaking through the prison itself. Rare in everyday speech.
破獄事件が新聞を賑わせた。
The prison break incident made headlines.
To remove software restrictions on a device, especially iOS jailbreaking.
The same word as prison escape, but widely used in tech contexts for jailbreaking iOS devices. Often used as a suru-verb (脱獄する).
iPhoneを脱獄する方法を教えて。
Tell me how to jailbreak an iPhone.
脱獄すると保証が無効になる。
Jailbreaking voids the warranty.
The direct loanword from English. Commonly understood among tech-savvy people, but 脱獄 is more standard.
ジェイルブレイクは自己責任で。
Jailbreak at your own risk.
A more general phrase meaning 'remove restrictions'. Can be used for any device, not just iOS.
このアプリは制限を解除するために使われる。
This app is used to remove restrictions.
脱獄 specifically means escaping from jail or prison. For escaping from other places (e.g., a room, a country), use 逃げる (にげる) or 脱出する (だっしゅつする).
In tech discussions, 脱獄 almost always refers to jailbreaking. If you need to be explicit, say iPhoneの脱獄.