Apple TV us a great addition to the existing TV setup. You can easily play video, music directly from your iPhone, iPad through AirPlay or browse apps and games available from the Apple App Store with Apple TV 4 or higher. Older variants Apple TV versions are less impressive when it just offers media playback.
However, a jailbroken Apple TV is a different thing. Once the software running on your Apple TV is jailbroken, you can then install any apps, services, and systems that are much more interesting than what Apple offers by default on your TV.
Should we jailbreak an Apple TV?
There are considerably a few downsides when jailbreaking an old Apple TV, and a lot of upsides. Here are some of the great apps that can be installed on a jailbroken Apple TV:
Kodi, an entertainment hub, allows you to play most music, videos, and podcasts. This app also enables PVR functionality so that you can watch, record, and even live television.
aTV Flash | FireCore is a user-friendly software for older Apple TV models, allowing you to play niche file types, surf the internet as well as use unofficial apps like Last.fm.
So jailbreaking your old Apple TV is a great idea, especially if you are using an Apple TV.
In this post, we will walk you through jailbreaking on tvOS 12 with ChimeraTV. Prepare your Apple TV 4 or 4K running on tvOS 12.0-12.1.1 and then get started!
Steps to jailbreak Apple TV with ChimeraTV
1) Visit the official ChimeraTV website and then download the latest version of the app.
2) If you’re on an Apple TV 4, plug it into the computer and sideload the app with Cydia Impactor. Just replace all references to LiberTV with the recently downloaded ChimeraTV app.
If you are using Apple TV 4K, the process is more complicated when you need Xcode app, a registered Apple ID in Xcode preferences.
3) Next, switch to your Apple TV and open the ChimeraTV app from the Home Screen.
4) If you did not save blobs for your Apple TV, you should skip this step and directly move to Step 5.
If you have previously saved blobs for your Apple TV, you can find the .shsh2 file that is saved for tvOS 12.1.1 or any firmware if you didn’t save the specific one. Look inside for the <key>generator</key>. From there, note down the <string> from the line under it.
You can start saving blobs by following these steps below:
- Press the Set Nonce button in the ChimeraTV app on your Apple TV
- The following screen will show up on the screen
- Enter the nonce you previously noted down, in a format 0x1234567890abcdef. After that, hit the Set button to save it.
- Hit OK to go back to the main screen. With setting the nonce like this, you can then restore your Apple TV to tvOS 12.0-12.1.1 at a later time in case you have trouble, instead of updating to an unjailbroken firmware.
5) Return to the main ChimeraTV screen, click on the Jailbreak button! You can see this screen part-way during the process on your first run. In this case, reboot your Apple TV and press Jailbreak again. You will get stage 3/3 on the on-screen readout, followed by the below screen:
6) Press OK again and your jailbroken Apple TV will automatically respring. After it boots up, you will then see the nitoTV app on the Home Screen, along with the ChimeraTV app.
7) That’s it! You can now open nitoTV, install updates, and enjoy your jailbreak. However, remember to change your SSH passwords immediately to avoid unexpected issues.
