Over the last 24 hours, owners of iOS devices across the globe have been compelled to take their expensive gadgets, wrap them in Glad Wrap and stick them inside their refrigerator. What on Earth would make anyone do that, short of a mental break? Well, it is because of a break of sorts — a jailbreak.

iOS 11.3.1 has finally been jailbroken, with the Electra app that allows regular users to crack into their iPhones and iPads released only a day ago.

Unfortunately, the jailbreak process for 11.3.1 is incredibly unreliable.

As explained in our last post on the latest iOS jailbreak, there are two exploits being used to gain root access to the operating system: a reliable one that requires a $US99 developer account; and one that doesn't, but fails most of the time.

Soon after the new Electra was released, users found that the version using the second method won't work the first time. Or the second time. Or even the 300th time. In fact, some have been at it for hours. Most of the solutions to make the jailbreak more reliable include signing out of iCloud, turning on Aeroplane Mode and deactivating Siri.

However, more out-there suggestions exists — bordering on witchcraft — with one of the more popular ones including sticking your device in the freezer for 60 seconds.

Everything You Need To Know About The New iOS Jailbreak On May 30, security research Ian Beer, well-known in the industry for uncovering bugs in Apple software, announced the discovery of two new exploits in iOS — specifically 11.3.1, which until recently was the most up-to-date build. Shortly afterwards, the jailbreaking community went bonkers, the promise of an updated jailbreak for Apple gadgets, both new and old, seemingly around the corner. Read more

How the heck does cooling down one's device help a software jailbreak? Put simply, the second exploit is rather sensitive to the physical state of the hardware, to the point that lowering the temperature of one's gadget can make it work.

So, until the creators of the Electra jailbreak can fine-tune the reliability of the second exploit, users will continue to nestle their iOS devices next to the frozen peas in the hope it'll bust them out of Apple's walled garden.