3.0

iPhone 3GS Jailbreak & Unlock Confirmed

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 5, 2016

Less than a week after the launch of the iPhone 3GS, the Dev Team confirmed it will soon be possible to jailbreak the 24Kpwn exploit that the hybrid team used on the iPod Touch 2G. This 24Kpwn exploit applies for the bootrom of the iPhone 3GS. In other words, you will soon be able to use RedSn0w to jailbreak your iPhone 3GS.

The other news is that once jailbroken, you will be able to use the current version of UltraSn0w to unlock the iPhone 3GS.

This is great news, but how did it happen? Why didn’t Apple fix this in their normal cat&mouse fashion? Well it seems this bootrom was cut in about the August 2008 timeframe, so the unintended early reveal of 24Kpwn earlier this year didn’t affect the iPhone 3GS.

Important: Apple has not given up on the cat&mouse game, and in fact there are challenging aspects of the 3GS jailbreak that aren’t in the other devices. It’ll take some time to safely work these into our tools, but the fundamental weaknesses are there: The bootrom is exploitable via 24Kpwn, and the baseband is exploitable via ultrasn0w. (And just like with the 3G, ultrasn0w for 3GS requires that you not update your baseband when Apple comes out with new firmware.)

If you're really into iPhone hacking, the Dev Team released the technical notes about the 24Kpwn exploit in the iPhone 3GS. These notes can be found here.

There is no information so far on the expected release date of the iPhone 3GS jailbreak but I am confident the Dev Team will have it ready within the next 2 weeks. The sooner, the better. I don't know about you guys, but I'm going nuts with my unjailbroken iPhone.

Is This A Potential iPhone 3G S Jailbreak?

Sébastien Page ∙ June 23, 2009

George Hotz aka GeoHot, the iPhone hacker who was responsible for the first hardware unlock on the first gen iPhone, just posted an interesting image on his blog.

iClarified was the first site to break the news and give us some insight about what all these crazy codes mean:

Details of the exploit are still being gathered; however, it looks like GeoHot was able to insert a custom command to iBoot meaning sigchecks have been bypassed (thanks mav). This should be a start for the iPhone 3GS (N88AP) jailbreak which has been dubbed purplera1n.

That is some very good news for iPhone 3G S owners (me included) who are eagerly waiting for a jailbreak. I guess time will tell. Keep your fingers crossed!

iPhone 3.0 Jailbreak & Unlock Roundup

Sébastien Page ∙ June 23, 2009

The new iPhone 3.0 came out about a week ago and the Dev Team already managed to jailbreak and unlock it. All the info available about jailbreaking and unlocking might be a little confusing so I wanted to write some sort of summary in order for you to figure out what's the best solution for you.

iPod Touch & iPod Touch 2G

If you're an iPod Touch user and want to jailbreak it, then you will have to use RedSn0w. I wrote a tutorial on how to use RedSn0w for the iPhone but the steps are pretty much the same for the iPod Touch. Refer to this tutorial to learn how to jailbreak your iPod Touch or iPod Touch 2G.

iPhone 2G

You have 2 options to jailbreak your iPhone 2G. If you're on a Mac, the best way to do this is to use PwnageTool. You can read my PwnageTool jailbreak tutorial here. If you're on a PC, you may want to use RedSn0w, for which I also wrote a guide here.

The tools to unlock the iPhone 2G are the same as the tools to jailbreak it. If you're using a Mac, read my PwnageTool unlock tutorial here. If you're on a PC, read my RedSn0w unlock guide here.

Note that RedSn0w works on both PC and Mac, so if you're on a Mac, you can still use RedSn0w, which I recommend as it is a little more straightforward than PwnageTool.

iPhone 3G

Once again, you have 2 options to jailbreak your iPhone 3G. First option is to use PwnageTool for Mac (see tutorial here). The second option is to use RedSn0w, which works on both PC and Mac (see tutorial here).

Now if you want to unlock your iPhone 3G, you will first have to jailbreak it using one of the methods mentioned above, and then you will have to run UltraSn0w (see tutorial here).

iPhone 3G S

Unfortunately, there is no jailbreak or unlock method for the iPhone 3G S yet. The Dev Team just released the iPhone 3G unlock UltraSn0w and I believe they will now focus on finding a jailbreak and unlock for the 3G S.

Stay tuned for more information coming as these new tools are released.

Unlock Your iPhone 3G With UltraSn0w

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 1, 2009

UltraSn0w, the soft unlock for the iphone 3G 3.0 firmware is now available thanks to the good work of the Dev Team. Don't wait any minute to install UltraSn0w and unlock your iPhone 3G.

Note that this tutorial was originally written for the 3.0 unlock but the steps are exactly the same to unlock iPhone OS 3.0.1. I simply updated this guide with the latest info.

Before installing UltraSn0w, your iPhone 3G has to be jailbroken and running the latest 3.0 3.0.1 firmware. You can either jailbreak your iPhone 3G using RedSn0w (see tutorial here) or by using PwnageTool (see tutorial here).

After jailbreaking your iPhone 3G, follow these simple steps:

Launch Cydia. Add the following source to Cydia repo666.ultrasn0w.com (note there is a "0" in sn0w, not an "o"). After installing this source in Cydia, search for "ultraSn0w". Install UltraSn0w and reboot your iPhone. Voila!

Note that T-Mobile users should disable 3G before using UltraSn0w.

Unfortunately, the new iPhone 3G S still can't be unlocked because there is no jailbreak for it yet.

Tutorial: iPhone 2G Unlock Using RedSn0w

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

This RedSn0w guide & tutorial will show you how to unlock your iPhone 2G using RedSn0w. This guide is to unlock the iPhone 2G only. If you want to unlock the iPhone 3G, you will have to jailbreak your iPhone first using this guide, then run UltraSn0w, the unlocking tool for iPhone 3G.

This tutorial was originally written for jailbreaking firmware 3.0 but it also works with firmware 3.0.1. I just updated this guide with the latest information.

Note that this RedSn0w tutorial is for Windows users but I assume the steps are similar on a Mac.

1. Before doing anything, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes and the latest firmware 3.0 3.0.1 installed on your iPhone 2G.

2. Create a new folder on your desktop. In this folder, download RedSn0w as well as the 3.0 firmware (not 3.0.1) for your iPhone 2G from our iPhone downloads page (make sure you pick the right firmware). Also download the following bootloader files: BL 3.9 and BL 4.6

3. Unzip and launch RedSn0w.

4. Click “browse” and select the 3.0 (not 3.0.1) firmware you downloaded in a folder in step 2.

5. Once the firmware has been successfully identified, click “next”.

6. Select “install Cydia” and "unlock", then click “next”.

7. Browse for the bootloader files you downloaded in step 2, and click "next".

8. Make sure your iPhone is plugged into the computer and that it is off. Click “next”.

9. RedSn0w will then guide you to put your iPhone into DFU mode. Hold down the power button for 2 seconds. Without releasing the power button, also hold down the home button for 10 seconds. Without releasing the home button, release the power button but keep holding the home button for 30 seconds.

10. If done correctly, your iPhone should reboot and the jailbreak process should start. This step may take up to 15-20 minutes so be patient.

11. Once this process is over, you will get a message saying that it is “done!”

12. Click the “finish” button and reboot your iPhone. The reboot may take up to 10 minutes so again, be patient.

13. Congratulations, you just jailbroke and unlocked your iPhone 3.0 3.0.1 with RedSn0w.

Tutorial: iPhone 3.0 Jailbreak Using RedSn0w

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 8, 2009

This RedSn0w guide & tutorial will show you how to use RedSn0w to jailbreak your iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, or iPod Touch 2G. Note that this step is required to unlock your iPhone 3G using UltraSn0w later on. For more information about the latest jailbreak methods for each iPhone, I recommend you read this before doing anything.

This guide is for PC users but I assume the steps are very similar on Mac. If you want to build custom firmware files with more flexibility it is suggested that you use PwnageTool on Mac OS X (PwnageTool jailbreak tutorial - PwnageTool unlock guide).

1. Before doing anything, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes and the latest firmware 3.0 installed on your iPhone.

2. Create a new folder on your desktop. In this folder, download RedSn0w as well as the latest 3.0 firmware for your iPhone from our iPhone downloads page (make sure you pick the right firmware).

3. Unzip and launch RedSn0w.

4. Click "browse" and select the 3.0 firmware you downloaded in a folder in step 2.

5. Once the firmware has been successfully identified, click "next".

6. Select "install Cydia" and click "next".

7. Make sure your iPhone is plugged into the computer and that it is off. Click "next".

8. RedSn0w will then guide you to put your iPhone into DFU mode. Hold down the power button for 2 seconds. Without releasing the power button, also hold down the home button for 10 seconds. Without releasing the home button, release the power button but keep holding the home button for 30 seconds.

9. If done correctly, your iPhone should reboot and the jailbreak process should start. This step may take up to 15-20 minutes so be patient.

10. Once this process is over, you will get a message saying that it is "done!"

11. Click the "finish" button and reboot your iPhone. The reboot may take up to 10 minutes so again, be patient.

12. Congratulations, you just jailbroke your iPhone 3.0 with RedSn0w. Cydia should now be on your springboard :)

Tutorial: Unlock iPhone 2G 3.0 Using PwnageTool For Mac

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

This tutorial will show you how to unlock your iPhone 2G using PwnageTool for Mac. This guide will allow you to use your iPhone 2G with any carrier.

1. Make sure you have downloaded the latest version of iTunes 8.2 and that you have updated your iPhone to the latest 3.0 firmware.

2. Create a folder on your desktop. In this folder, download PwnageTool 3.0 and your iPhone 2G 3.0 firmware from our iPhone downloads page. Also download bootloader files 3.9BL, 4.6BL.

3. Launch PwnageTool, agree to the warning, and select the “expert mode”.

4. Select your iPhone model (iPhone 2G) and click the blue arrow to continue.

5. Now if your computer doesn’t automatically detect the iPhone 2G 3.0 firmware you downloaded in step 1, browse for it.

6. You will then have a menu with 7 choices. Choose “general”, which will allow you to set your own root partition size. Click the blue arrow to continue.

7. You will now have 3 checkboxes. Make sure that "activate the phone" and “enable baseband update” are checked. You will also need to increase the root partition size. Usually setting the root partition around 700MB is enough. Click next to continue.

8. When you get to the “bootneuter settings”, only check the boxes for "unlock baseband" and "auto delete bootneuter.app". Click the blue arrow to continue.

9. The “Cydia settings” allow you to choose packages to download now so you don’t have to download them from Cydia later. Choose any of the packages you want and click next.

10. You will now have the possibility to choose your own boot logo. I will skip this step as it is useless.

11. After setting your own boot logos (if you chose to), you will now be able to build your own IPSW file. Click the blue “build” button to start.

12. If it's the first time you do this, you will get a message asking you to upload the bootloader file v3.9. When asked to search the web for it, click "no". When asked to browse for it, click "yes" and select it from the folder we created in step 2. Repeat the process for bootloader v4.6.

13.You will then be asked if you're a legit iPhone user. If you click "yes" this will not unlock the phone, thus defeating the whole purpose of this guide. Make sure you click "no".

14. You will then have to choose a folder to save your custom firmware (ie. desktop). You custom firmware will now be built, which may take up to 15-20 minutes. Be patient.

15. Enter your administrator password.

16. When asked if your iPhone has been pwned before, say “no”, even if it has. Make sure your iPhone is connected to your computer and turn it off, as prompted.

17. This is the tricky part. You will now have to follow directions to enter DFU mode. It will ask you to hold the home and power buttons for 10 seconds. Then, you will have to release the power button and hold the home button for 10 seconds.

18. If done correctly, you will get a message saying that you successfully entered DFU mode. Close PwnageTool and launch iTunes.

19. iTunes will then give you a message saying it has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. Click OK.

20. In iTunes, hold the Alt/Option key and click “restore” at the same time. It will open a window where you will have to select the custom firmware that you built a few minutes before.

21. iTunes will then restore your iPhone 2G using the custom firmware. This step may take 15-20 minutes so again, be patient.

22. Once done, you will have to “set up your iPhone”, either as a new phone (which I recommend), or from backup.

23. Reboot your iPhone and you should have a Cydia icon on the springboard.

24. Congrats! You just unlocked your iPhone 2G using PwnageTool 3.0

Tutorial: Jailbreak Your iPhone 3G 3.0 With PwnageTool For Mac

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

This tutorial will show you how to jailbreak your iPhone 3G using PwnageTool for Mac. Following this guide is the first step to take in order to unlock your iPhone 3G later on using UltraSn0w.

1. Make sure you have downloaded the latest version of iTunes 8.2 and that you have updated your iPhone to the latest 3.0 firmware.

2. Create a folder on your desktop. In this folder, download PwnageTool 3.0 and your iPhone 3G 3.0 firmware from our iPhone downloads page.

3. Launch PwnageTool, agree to the warning, and select the "expert mode".

4. Select your iPhone model (iPhone 3G) and click the blue arrow to continue.

5. Now if your computer doesn't automatically detect the iPhone 3G 3.0 firmware you downloaded in step 1, browse for it.

6. You will then have a menu with 6 choices. Choose "general", which will allow you to set your own root partition size. Click the blue arrow to continue.

7. You will now have 3 checkboxes. Make sure only "enable baseband update" is checked. You will also need to increase the root partition size. Usually setting the root partition around 700MB is enough. Click next to continue.

8. When you get to the "bootneuter settings", simply click the blue arrrow to continue.

9. The "Cydia settings" allow you to choose packages to download now so you don't have to download them from Cydia later. Choose any of the packages you want and click next.

10. You will now have the possibility to choose your own boot logo. I will skip this step as it is useless.

11. After setting your own boot logos (if you chose to), you will now be able to build your own IPSW file. Click the blue "build" button to start.

12. Choose a folder to save your custom firmware (ie. desktop).

13. Your custom firmware will now be built, which may take up to 15-20 minutes. Be patient.

14. Enter your administrator password.

15. When asked if your iPhone has been pwned before, say "no", even if it has.

16. Make sure your iPhone is connected to your computer and turn it off, as prompted.

18. If done correctly, you will get a message saying that you successfully entered DFU mode. Close PwnageTool and launch iTunes.

19. iTunes will give you a message saying it has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. Click OK.

20. In iTunes, hold the Alt/Option key and click "restore" at the same time. It will open a window where you will have to select the custom firmware that you built a few minutes before.

21. iTunes will then restore your iPhone 3G using the custom firmware. This step may take 15-20 minutes so again, be patient.

22. Once done, you will have to "set up your iPhone", either as a new phone (which I recommend), or from backup.

23. Reboot your iPhone and you should have a Cydia icon on the springboard.

24. Congrats! You just jailbroke your iPhone 3G using PwnageTool 3.0 :)

First Thoughts On iPhone OS 3.0

Guest Author ∙ June 19, 2009

On June 16, 2009, I came home late and ran to my computer, eagerly, I waited for it to boot up. Then I had to wait forever for my iTunes to open. Then came the wait for midnight. All this took me back to my early memories of the pre-Xmas jitters. I actually stayed up till midnight and also kept looking for posts on twitter that would let me know that someone had actually started to download the upgrade.

I went to bed disappointed but jumped out of bed first thing in the morning, ran to the computer to see the new O.S 3.0. Again, I was heartbroken. It was almost as if Santa skipped my house on purpose!

Then came the hour of reckoning (later in the day of course) when I was to upgrade to the much anticipated 3.0!!!

iPhone 3G S Info Roundup

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 5, 2016

The new iPhone is coming out tomorrow so I wanted to post a little roundup about everything we posted so far on the blog about the iPhone 3G S.

About the iPhone 3G S

Everything you need to know about the iPhone 3G S Guided tour of the iPhone 3G S More RAM and memory for the iPhone 3G S iPhone 3G and 3G S compared side by side Early delivery for the 3G S? Cost of ownership of the iPhone 3G S vs. the Palm Pre vs. Android G1 How to do everything on the iPhone

Buying an iPhone 3G S

7 reasons to buy the new iPhone 3G S 6 reasons the iPhone 3G S sucks

AT&T

AT&T screwing iPhone 3G owners who want to upgrade AT&T's marketing stunt to appear like the good guys How to buy an iPhone 3G S without an AT&T contract AT&T won't charge extra for MMS

3.0 Firmware

113 new features available in 3.0 3.0 firmware download available 100+ undocumented features in 3.0

Jailbreak and Unlock

Demo of UltraSn0w Warning to unlocked and jailbroken iPhone owners Update about UltraSn0w

100+ Hidden Features In iPhone 3.0

Sébastien Page ∙ June 18, 2009

Copy/paste, landscape keyboard, MMS, spotlight search are just a few of the new features of the new firmware 3.0. But did you know there are over 100 hidden features?

MacRumors put together a list of undocumented features in 3.0. Here are some of the most interesting ones:

You can now download apps redeemed from promo codes on the device. previously you could only redeem them and had to download them in iTunes The keyboard letter keys are a few pixels narrower than in the last OS, and the spaces between the keys slightly wider Mail preview loading is much faster You can now share a contact Unknown incoming calls show the location of the call You can send as many pictures as you want in Mail

Visit MacRumors for the full list of new features.

iPhone 3.0 Jailbreak Update

Sébastien Page ∙ June 18, 2009

The Dev Team posted an update regarding the iPhone 3.0 jailbreak. It seems the jailbreak is harder than they expected, but there's nothing too hard for our favorite team of iPhone hackers.

We have two issues that we’ve been trying to resolve:

There are new 3.0 complications with YouTube.app if you’re on a hacktivated (unofficially activated) device There’s a bug in Apple’s new version of asr that our custom IPSW’s are tickling and causing crashes on, on some devices. (For the nerdy or curious among us, the details of that bug were tweeted by planetbeing a month ago.)

As of Thursday morning we now have a workaround for #2. For #1, we’ll try our best to get it fixed but we may end up releasing a preliminary jailbreak in which YouTube doesn’t work for hacktivated devices, and then follow that up with a more complete jailbreak when we can.

As a reminder, this jailbreak is necessary to inject UltraSn0w, the payload that will allow you to unlock your iPhone.