Jailbreak Your iPad on 4.3.1 with PwnageTool [Tutorial]

The long-awaited jailbreak for Apple’s iOS 4.3.1 is finally here. It is the first official jailbreak since Apple released iOS 4.3 almost a month ago. Those with iDevices wanting to take advantage of some of the new features in 4.3, haven’t been able to upgrade without losing their jailbreaks.

That all changed in the wee hours of last night, when the Dev Team members finally released the anticipated software. The exploit is available in 2 different forms of software: PwnageTool, which is for Mac users only, and RedSn0w, which will work on either Windows or Mac.

This step by step tutorial will show you how to jailbreak your iPad on iOS 4.3.1, using PwnageTool. This software is for Mac users only. If you are on a PC, follow our RedSn0w tutorial here.

Important Note: Just remember this is not for the iPad 2, there is no jailbreak available for this device yet.

Before we get started, you want to make sure your iPad is on iOS 4.3.1. Backing up your iPad to iTunes is also recommended, better safe than sorry. But don’t worry, the process is super simple and will have your iPad jailbroken in no time.

Step 1: For this tutorial, you’ll need PwnageTool 4.3, which you can download here. Make sure you select the 4.3 version, as it is the only one that will work. I always download my tools to my desktop so they’re easier to find.

Step 2: Load up PwnageTool, select the iPad/Apple TV option and click the blue arrow. With this method, PwnageTool should actually locate your iPad firmware on your hard drive for you, so there is no need to download the .ipsw file.  Select the iPad firmware and click next.

Step 3: Sit tight as PwnageTool does its thing, it can take a while. It is taking the file you selected and jailbreaking it. Then we will load the jailbroken firmware onto your iPad.

Step 4: Once done, you will be prompted to connect your device via usb. PwnageTool will now help you put your device into DFU mode. If you don’t get it the first time, don’t fret. Just wait until it’s finished giving DFU instructions, and click try again. If you did it correctly, it should look like this:

Step 5: Now you can close PwnageTool. Open iTunes with your iPad still connected, and you should receive this message:

Step 6: Don’t just click restore because you will just install Apple’s original firmware. While holding down your Mac’s Option key, click restore. This should open up a window for you to browse for the file. Select the custom firmware from your Desktop that PwnageTool just created, and restore it.

Step 7: It may take a while for iTunes to install the custom firmware on your iPad. But once completed, your iPad should restart itself and the Cydia icon should be on your home screen.

That is how you jailbreak your iPad on 4.3.1 with PwnageTool, any questions?