Guide

How to jailbreak iOS 5.1.1 using RedSn0w 0.9.12b1 with DFU mode, A4 Devices and below only

As promised, here is the follow up tutorial for performing an untethered jailbreak on iOS 5.1.1 using the traditional DFU method. This tutorial is for the latest version of RedSn0w 0.9.12b1, and only works with A4 devices and below (A5 devices are not compatible with this method). If you want to use your A5 device — iPad 2, the new iPad, or the iPhone 4S — then see our previous Non-DFU mode tutorial for RedSn0w.

In most cases you should use the Non-DFU method for jailbreaking your devices, even if it's an A4 device. The exception comes if you have a lot of media stored on your A4 device or below. If you have a lot of media on your device, the iPhone Dev Team advises that this traditional method for jailbreaking may be a best practice due to iCloud syncing issues.

Take a look inside for the full walkthrough...

How to jailbreak iOS 5.1.1 using RedSn0w 0.9.12b1, no DFU method

With the release of RedSn0w 0.9.12.b1, you now have the ability to perform an untethered jailbreak on almost every iOS 5.1.1 compatible device. RedSn0w 0.9.12b1 even works with A5 devices like the iPad 2, the new iPad, and the iPhone 4S.

The only requirement for A5 devices is that you use the non-DFU method when using RedSn0w. RedSn0w also includes support for the older DFU-based limera1n method as well, but that is for A4 devices and below only. In this particular tutorial, we will showcase how to jailbreak your device using the universal non-DFU method that works with all devices.

This is the simpler of the two methods included with RedSn0w, and is recommended unless your device happens to contain a lot of media, as noted by the iPhone Dev Team.

Check inside for the full how-to...

How to jailbreak iOS 5.1.1 using Absinthe 2.0 on Windows

Fret not Windows users, you can now download Absinthe 2.0 in order to perform an untethered jailbreak on your iOS device running iOS 5.1.1. The procedure is pretty much exactly the same as it was for Mac users, beside a few minor details like running Absinthe as an administrator, and the self extracting zip file. Outside of that, if you can follow the steps from our Mac tutorial, you should be fine to use our Windows tutorial as well.

Check inside for the full dedicated tutorial for jailbreak your iOS 5.1.1 device on Windows, because hey, we love our Windows readers and viewers!

How to jailbreak iOS 5.1.1 with Absinthe 2.0

The iOS 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak is now a reality with the release of Absinthe 2.0, and we've got the full tutorial that shows you how to jailbreak your device.

This jailbreak is compatible with most iOS devices capable of running iOS 5.1.1.

Check inside for our full step-by-step walkthrough that shows you how to use Absinthe 2.0 to perform an untethered jailbreak on your device...

Save your SHSH blobs for iOS 5.1.1

The Absinthe 2.0 talk is going on right now at Amsterdam's Hack In The Box security conference, so that can only mean that the upcoming untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 is imminent. For this reason, now is a good time to save your SHSH blobs for iOS 5.1.1 while Apple is still signing the firmware.

Check inside for a full tutorial on how to ensure that your SHSH blobs are saved. You may never need them, but it's much better to be safe than sorry in the event that you do...

How to regain your iOS device’s stock Home screen layout

With so many tweaks available that allow you to rearrange your Home screen in various ways, it's almost inevitable that you end up with a Home screen that looks nothing like the original Home screen that you started with.

Fortunately there's a really easy way to reset your app icon layout on your Home screen.

A good lot of you are probably already aware that such an option exists, but it's a nice reminder since recent tweaks like Dashboard X can result in drastically altered Home screens that can be time consuming to rearrange by hand.

Take a look at our video walkthrough for more information...

How to downgrade an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 on Windows

We love our Windows readers and viewers, and to prove it we've created a video tutorial that shows you how to downgrade an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 using RedSn0w 0.9.11b1 on Windows.

The process is basically the same as what we showed you with the Mac version of RedSn0w, but this time around we downgraded an iPhone 4S instead of an iPad 2. The iPad 2, iPhone 4S and the New iPad — all being A5 devices — can be downgraded using this method....

How to jailbreak the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 with RedSn0w

Now that a method exists for downgrading A5 devices, a greater number of folks will be looking for an easy solution to jailbreak their devices.

While the Absinthe jailbreak tool still works, RedSn0w may be more desirable to you due to its all encompassing nature.

For that reason we've put together a handy guide that shows you how to jailbreak your iPhone 4S and iPad 2 using RedSn0w 0.9.11b1...

How to downgrade your iPhone 4S, iPad 2, or new iPad with RedSn0w 0.9.11b1 [Video]

It's finally here folks, the official downgrade tool for A5 devices!

Indeed, you can now downgrade your iPhone 4S, iPad 2, or new iPad (iPad 3) with the latest version of RedSn0w 0.9.11b1. Downgrading will allow you to perform an untethered jailbreak on your iPhone 4S, or iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1 firmware.

Check out our tutorial for the step-by-step downgrade instructions inside...

How to restore your SAM unlock activation ticket to unlock your iPhone

Since it appears that Apple has fixed the issue with their activation servers, latecomers to the SAM iPhone unlock party are left in the lurch. Fortunately, not all users have lost the potential to unlock their iPhones.

Those who were proactive enough to unlock their iPhone using SAM, and backed up their activation tickets can still easily restore those tickets and unlock their iPhones if they have to restore their device for whatever reason.

If you're currently unlocked on an unofficial SIM by means of the SAM unlock, backup your activation ticket now before you lose it. We can't stress this enough.

Keep in mind that you will still need a jailbroken iPhone to accomplish this, and you will need your backed up Lockdown folder that you saved-off after successfully unlocking your device the first go-round...

If you meet the criteria, step right inside and take a look at our easy to follow guide for restoring your iPhone unlock...

How to backup your iPhone’s unlock activation ticket with RedSn0w

Backing up your iPhone's activation ticket was a step suggested by iPhone Dev Team member MuscleNerd. Fortunately for us, his team has made it even easier to perform such a backup using the latest version of RedSn0w.

This step is suggested for those who take part in the recently uncovered SAM iPhone unlock method. If you followed our tutorial to unlock your phone, we suggest you follow through on preserving your activation ticket as well.

Check inside for a full video tutorial that shows how easy it is to successfully backup your iPhone's unlock activation ticket, and any other file that you want to save locally from your iPhone...

How to unlock any jailbroken iPhone on iOS 5.0 or later on any baseband [Video]

Unlocking the iPhone 4S, and the iPhone 4 just got a whole lot easier thanks to the SAM package unlock revealed earlier this morning.

After alerting you guys to the news, we went into out labs and started testing this for ourselves. After a few failures, we were finally able to come up with a reliable method for making this work every time.

The good news is that this will likely become even easier as time goes on, and needless steps are eliminated. We're already to the point where we can switch back and forth between our AT&T SIM card and our T-Mobile SIM card without having to reconfigure anything. It's pretty awesome.

Check inside for our full tutorial that shows how to unlock any iPhone on iOS 5 or higher (running any baseband) using the SAM jailbreak package...