iPhone

Stay up-to-date on the latest iPhone news and learn new tips and tricks with our comprehensive tutorials. From software updates to new features, we’ve got you covered.

So Long iPhone Screen Protectors and Thanks for Nothing

Guest Author ∙ Updated November 25, 2016

We've learned from iLounge that Apple is pulling the plug and banning the sale of film based screen protectors and removing them from their retail and online store fronts. This includes all stand-alone screen protectors as well as film-based screen protectors that come as part of a package. The ban will affect all iDevices ranging from the iPod Touch to the new iPad due out early April 2010.

iPhone screens are made of durable glass that nearly impossible to scratch. This move comes as no surprise but it should make one wonder why Apple decided to sell these screen protectors in the first place.

Most screen protectors are nearly impossible to install and, with time, collects dirt around the edges. Not to mention the cost. Most of these screen protectors are $20 or more, depending on where you go; online markets are usually cheaper.

Just because Apple has banned film based screen protectors from the retail outlets, we are not completely without screen protectors. Film based screen protectors will still be available at 3rd party stores such as Best Buy, Fry's or other electronic superstores. Odds are you'll find them cheaper at an electronic superstore too.

Since the purchase of my iPhone [3GS] last July, I have invested roughly $100 on different screen protectors in hopes of finding the perfect one. Today, I swear by not using screen protectors since the iPhone screen has proven itself to be very durable and nearly scratch resistant. I do have a small scratch towards the bottom right corner but it's nearly unnoticable except when screen is black. I can even recount how it happened and, to this day, I am still amazed the scratch is as small as it is.

Do you use a screen protector? If so, will this move affect the future of your iDevices? Please share you opinion.

Top 25 iPhone Blogs

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated November 12, 2019

I'm often asked what I think is the best iPhone blog. It's hard to tell because most iPhone blogs have their own specific topic or their own "voice". While I do not have one favorite blog (except mine, hehe), there are few I read on a regular basis.

The following is my selection of what I think are top iPhone blogs.

Mac Rumors Gizmodo Just Another iPhone Blog Simple Reviews Apple Insider The Unofficial Apple Weblog iSmashPhone Apple iPhone School TiPB iPhone Atlas iPhone Alley Mac World iPhone in Canada iPhone Savior iPhone Hacks FSMdotCOM iPhone CTO KRAPPS The App Era Stuff I Make on My iPhone Simon blog iPhone Dev Team iClarified MacNN iPhone Download Blog

What's your favorite iPhone blog and why?

How to Unlock iPhone 3.1.3

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 31, 2010

This guide and tutorial will show you how to unlock iPhone 3.1.3 using UltraSn0w or BlackSn0w, depending on your iPhone baseband.

The first step is to jailbreak your iPhone 3.1.3, either with RedSn0w or with PwnageTool. Note that PwnageTool is the preferred method as it helps preserve the baseband.

You can use UltraSn0w to unlock these basebands:

04.26.08 05.11.07 05.12.01 05.13.04

To find out what your baseband is, go to Settings > General > About > Modem Firmware.

How to unlock iPhone 3.1.3 with UltraSn0w 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. How to unlock iPhone 3.1.3 with BlackSn0w Launch Cydia. Add the following source: http://blackra1n.com. After installing this source in Cydia, search for "BlackSn0w". Install BlackSn0w and reboot your iPhone.

Your iPhone should now be unlocked. If you have questions or comments on how to unlock iPhone firmware 3.1.3, please leave a comment.

UPDATE: This post is outdated. Check out our unlock section for the latest information about iPhone unlocking.

How to Downgrade iPhone 3.1.3 to 3.1.2

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 31, 2010

As always when a new firmware is being realeased, there is always a few unlucky people who "accidentally" update or restore to the latest firmware, thus losing their jailbreak and unlock.

In this case, you'd usually want to downgrade your iPhone from 3.1.3 to 3.1.2 simply by downloading 3.1.2 and SHIFT + Restore in iTunes so that you can choose your own firmware to restore to.

The problem is that Apple recently stopped signing all previous firmware versions making it impossible for you to downgrade.

Fortunately, Saurik has been smart enough to create a system to bypass Apple's signature and making it possible for you to downgrade from 3.1.3 to 3.1.2. To do so, you will need to have your SHSH on file. To see if it's on file, launch Cydia and look at the top. Mine says "This device has SHSHs on file for iPhone OS: 3.0, 3.1, 3.1.2".

If you don't have this, make sure you look for a link that says "Make my life easier" on Cydia. This will allow you to save your SHSHs.

This being said, downgrading an iPhone 3GS from 3.1.3 to 3.1.2 is easier said than done. It's actually a pretty painful process that I detailed in a tutorial a few month ago. I originally wrote this tutorial to downgrade from iPhone 3.1 to 3.0 but the steps are exactly identical (MuscleNerd confirmed this).

If you're one of those who need to downgrade your iPhone firmware, then check out my tutorial, or simply wait for the Dev Team to come up with a reliable jailbreak for 3.1.3. Something tells me PwnageTool is not too far ahead of us ;)

UPDATE: If you have an iPhone 3G, you can now downgrade from baseband 05.12.01 to o4.26.08.

UPDATE 2: This post is slightly outdated. Check out this page for the latest information about downgrading your iPhone.

Jailbreak & Unlock iPhone 3.1.3 with Sn0wBreeze? No, Thank You

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 22, 2017

The almighty Sn0wBreeze has been recently updated to version 1.4 and although it claims to help jailbreak and unlock iPhone 3.1.3, I recommend to stay away from this tool.

The problem with Sn0wBreeze is that only a very small amount of people actually get it to work. It's such a small amount that I've come to think that it's the creator himself who leaves comments here and there to make people believe Sn0wBreeze actually works.

In a Sn0wBreeze tutorial I wrote about a week ago, only one commenter got it to actually work, but then he had to face many other issues:

I still get a lot of glitches when installing third party apps as well as the apps from the App Store. Also, I’m getting a lot of problems with Cydia. The Big Boss Repo won’t show up no matter how many times I uninstall and reinstall, still the same problem.

Can Sn0wBreeze jailbreak and unlock iPhone 3.1.3? Maybe. Do I recommend it? No. MuscleNerd goes as far as suggesting to stay away from it.

For those of you daredevils who'd still want to give a shot at jailbreaking and unlocking with Sn0wBreeze, you will first have to download version 1.4 and look at the Sn0wBreeze guide I wrote (steps are exactly the same).

Have you tried Sn0wBreeze? Have you had it to work? Please let us know in the comments.

GeoHot Says “No Jailbreak For You”

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 23, 2016

When GeoHot talks, you listen because you never know what he's up to. Earlier today he gave some pretty disappointing news on Twitter by basically saying that there was no way to jailbreak the latest iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch models on OS 3.1.3, and that there was not much hope for an untethered jailbreak.

But we all know GeoHot and how he likes to be challenged. I'd bet you that he's dissecting OS 3.1.3 as we speak and looking for some exploit. That's what I think anyways.

In the meantime, the Dev Team has been working hard on redsn0w (see tutorial) and has found some workarounds to jailbreak older models.

Do you think GeoHot will show up and save the world again?

Jailbreak iPhone 3.1.3

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated August 31, 2010

Hours ago, Apple released iPhone OS 3.1.3 and as usual in this case, I recommended that you do not update if you care about your jailbreak or unlock.

Turns out we have some good news from the Dev Team. It is currently possible to jailbreak the iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch 1G running OS 3.1.3.

Update 1: [Don’t go near this if you have 3GS, newer ipt2G, or any ipt3G] Thanks to daring experimenters in the comments, we can confirm that yesterday’s redsn0w works for today’s 3.1.3 update for iPhone 2G. Just point it at the 3.1.2 iPhone 2G IPSW after doing update or restore to 3.1.3. So far we’ve only confirmed this for iPhone 2G. (Note that if this does work for iPhone 3G too, you can *only* use it if you don’t care about the unlock.)

Update 2: [Don’t go near this if you have 3GS, newer ipt2G, or any ipt3G] Can confirm that this method works for iPhone 3G and iPod touch 1G too. Don’t do it for iPhone 3G if you need an unlock though (really, don’t!). For older iPod touch 2G, we’ll need a small (1-character) change in redsn0w source.

What does that mean? It means that if you have an iPod Touch 1G, an iPhone 2G or an iPhone 3G, you can use RedSn0w to jailbreak your iPhone 3.1.3. If you care about ever unlocking your iPhone, DO NOT do this. Just wait and stay away from the update.

Here is what you have to do to jailbreak your iPod Touch 1G, iPhone 2G or 3G. First, update to the latest 3.1.3 firmware from iTunes, then simply follow the directions in my RedSn0w tutorial. Download the latest version of RedSn0w and when asked to choose for a firmware, make sure to choose 3.1.2.

This method reportedly works for jailbreaking the 3 devices mentioned above. It doesn't work for the iPhone 3GS and for other iPod Touches.

The Dev Team is currently working on it. I will update you as soon as we get more info. Make sure to check the jailbreak section for up-to-date information about jailbreaking.

UPDATE: This post is outdated. Check out our jailbreak section for the latest information about iPhone jailbreaks.

iPhone OS 3.1.3 is Out. Jailbreakers Beware!

Sébastien Page ∙ February 2, 2010

Apple released iPhone OS 3.1.3 just a few hours ago and it it is now available for download directly from iTunes or from our iPhone downloads page.

This is a very minor update, and to be honest, it's almost deceiving. If I had to give my opinion on this, I'd say that Apple released firmware 3.1.3 just to piss off the Dev Team, who released RedSn0w 3.1.2 jailbreak just days ago.

The "fixes and improvements" for iPhone OS 3.1.3 are as follow:

improves accuracy of reported battery level on iPhone 3GS resolves issue where 3rd party apps would not launch in some instances fixes bug that may cause an app to crash when using the Japanese Kana keyboard

Additionally, Apple has updated the baseband from version 5.11.07 to 5.12.01 on the iPhone.

As usual when a new firmware update is released, it is recommended for jailbreakers and unlockers alike not to update their device. If you update to 3.1.3, you will lose your jailbreak and/or unlock.

More info will follow as it comes. For up-to-date news about jailbreaking, make sure to read our iPhone jailbreak section.

RedSn0w 0.9: iPhone 3.1.2 Jailbreak Available

Sébastien Page ∙ January 31, 2010

RedSn0w 0.9 is officially out of beta and is now available to everyone who wants to jailbreak iPhone 3.1.2. RedSn0w had been in beta testing for a couple of weeks now and the Dev Team worked on fixing the bugs. Apparently, this release is now completely bulletproof.

This release of RedSn0w supports all iPhone and iPod Touch models (still a tethered-only JB for late-model devices though) and runs fine on Windows and Mac OSX.

At first, this version of RedSn0w was supposed to include the IPCC tethering hack but it seems it was causing issues so it was removed at the last minute.

I was a little confused about the baseband situation so I asked MuscleNerd directly. Here is what he has to say:

redsn0w itself doesn't update the firmware, or the baseband. It just works with whatever firmware is there and ignores the baseband. redsn0w happens to know about both 3.0 and 3.1.2 firmwares, so it can jailbreak (or add logos, etc) to either.

ultrasn0w right now is only for baseband 04.26. If you have baseband 04.26 on 3.0 (which you normally would at that FW version), then that works fine for ultrasn0w. If you have baseband 04.26 on 3.1.2 (you got there through a custom IPSW), then that works fine for ultrasn0w too. And in both cases, redsn0w can be used to jailbreak, get Cydia, and install ultrasn0w.

However if you somehow have baseband 05.11 on firmware 3.0 (you went up to 3.1.2 then tried to come back down), ultrasn0w won't do the unlock, even though redsn0w will work fine. And if you have baseband 05.11 on firmware 3.1.2 (you did a stock apple restore/update), then ultrasn0w won't work there either.

I recently wrote a tutorial on how to use RedSn0w to jailbreak iPhone 3.1.2. Check it out if you want to jailbreak your iPhone using RedSn0w, which you can get from our iPhone downloads page.

Jailbreak Your iPhone 3.1.2 Using Sn0wBreeze

Sébastien Page ∙ January 23, 2010

I had heard several times about Sn0wBreeze but I never really paid attention to it because it seemed to be one of these tools that would never get out of beta. I was wrong!

Today I received a couple emails from readers of the blog with more info about Sn0wBreeze, and Thomas even sent me a pretty detailed tutorial (thanks Thomas).

Sn0wBreeze is a jailbreaking tool developed by some underground developer and from what I understand, it's pretty much a rip off of Dev Team's PwnageTool, except it works on Windows. As a side note, it's important to highlight that the Dev Team came up with an update to RedSn0w (see RedSn0w tutorial here).

Just like PwnageTool, Sn0wBreeze will create a custom firmware for iPhone OS 3.1.2. This is the perfect solution for people who want to upgrade to OS 3.1.2 without updating their baseband.

I haven't tried this myself but as I said above, I got reports from 2 different people that it works flawlessly. Obviously, you should be cautious if using Sn0wBreeze...

This version of Sn0wbreeze only supports the iPhone 2G, 3G and 3GS (non MC) as well as the iPod touch 1G and 2G (non MC) so far.

This step-by-step guide and tutorial will show you how to jailbreak your iPhone 3.1.2 by creating a custom firmware with Sn0wBreeze.

Step 1: Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your PC. If not, download and install it, then reboot your PC.

Step 2: Download Sn0wBreeze as well as the right firmware 3.1.2 for your device from our download page. To make things easier, I suggest you place these 2 files on your desktop.

Step 3: Launch Sn0wBreeze and select "Simple Mode".

Step 4: SnowBreeze will then ask you to browse for your IPSW file. Click "Browse" and select the 3.1.2 IPSW file you downloaded to your desktop in Step 2.

Step 5: Sn0wBreeze will then verify your IPSW. Click Next to continue.

Step 6: Sn0wBreeze will now ask you if you want to activate your iPhone. If you are on an official carrier (ie. AT&T in the US), say no. If you are not on an official carrier, then click yes.

Step 7: SnowBreeze will now create the custom firmware for your iPhone.

Step 8: Now launch iTunes and we will restore your iPhone using the custom cooked firmware we just created. To do so, hit the SHIFT key on your keyboard while clicking on RESTORE. It's very important that you hold the SHIFT key while clicking! iTunes will ask you the location of the firmware you want to use to restore your iPhone. Browse for the custom IPSW (most likely on your desktop) and select it.

Step 9: Your iPhone will now be restored using the custom firmware. This might take a while so don't stress out.

Done! You have successfully jailbroken your iPhone using Sn0wBreeze. Next step for you might be to unlock your iPhone. Follow this guide to figure out how to unlock your iPhone, depending on what model you have.

Your iPhone Can Hurt You!

Sébastien Page ∙ January 22, 2010

You use your iPhone everyday for pretty much anything. You use it to check your emails, make phone calls, send text messages and even play video games. If you're like me, you probably consider your iPhone as your best friend gadget.

Well, I've got news for you. Your iPhone is not your friend! Your iPhone might actually cause you some severe injuries. You don't believe me? Check out this NY Times article (spotted via TUAW) that states that over 1,000 people found themselves in emergency rooms in 2008 because they were distracted while walking.

Examples of such visits include a 16-year-old boy who walked into a telephone pole while texting and suffered a concussion; a 28-year-old man who tripped and fractured a finger on the hand gripping his cellphone; and a 68-year-old man who fell off the porch while talking on a cellphone, spraining a thumb and an ankle and causing dizziness.

That's pretty funny if you ask me, but for the purpose of this article, I will pretend it's an important matter...

Of course, this applies to any phone user but iPhone owners are more likely to be diverted by one of the thousands of engaging applications available.

Personally, I don't use my iPhone while walking in the street. I'll occasionally look at an incoming SMS but I don't do any gaming, web browsing, or emailing while walking. Same applies with driving.

I'm currently in Bali and it's crazy here to see the kids texting while driving their scooters on overcrowded roads. These kids sure know how to multitask...

Have you ever had any accident while playing or using your iPhone? If you have any story, please share it with us in the comments.

Jailbreak iPhone 3.1.2 with RedSn0w 0.9

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 31, 2010

This guide and tutorial will show you how to jailbreak your iPhone 2G, 3G or 3GS running OS 3.1.2 using RedSn0w 0.9.

If you are new to the whole jailbreaking thing, I really suggest you read this information about RedSn0w 0.9. It will tell you everything you need to know about RedSn0w before starting.

I know that some of you won't bother reading the more info link about RedSn0w 0.9 so here is probably the most important information about this jailbreak:

If you have a late-model iPhone 3GS, or if you have an iPod touch 2G whose serial number begins with “MC”, you can use redsn0w to jailbreak but you are currently restricted to “tethered” rebooting. That means you need to connect your device to a computer to complete the boot after a reset. Also, these devices cannot have custom logos.

redsn0w will ask you whether or not you fit in this category when used with the iPhone 3GS or iPod touch 2G. If you have a late-model device and don't give redsn0w the correct answer, you will likely need to do a system restore to recover from the mistake.

To do a tethered boot after your late-model device resets for some reason, either run redsn0w again and select “Just boot tethered right now”, or run blackra1n.

This RedSn0w tutorial was written for Windows but I assume the steps are identical for a Mac.

Step 1: Download RedSn0w 0.9 for Mac or PC as well as the correct 3.1.2 firmware for your iPhone from here. To make things easy, save those 2 files on your desktop.

Step 2: Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your computer, then restore your iPhone to the latest firmware 3.1.2. Restoring is the preferred way to go about it as simply updating could cause issues later on.

Step 3: Launch RedSn0w and browse for the 3.1.2 firmware you downloaded to your computer in Step 1.

Step 4: RedSn0w will automatically check if you chose the right firmware (IPSW). It will then patch the file.

Step 5: For iPhone 2G only (other please skip to step 6)! You will then be offered several options. If you have an iPhone 2G and you want to unlock, now select "Install Cydia" and "Unlock". You will have to download the bootloaders 3.9 and 4.6 from here. If you just want to jailbreak, disregard this and go to step 6.

Step 6: You will now have the option to "Install Cydia" as well as "Custom boot logo" and "Custom recovery logo". For the purpose of this tutorial, I suggest you only choose "Install Cydia".

Step 7: Make sure your iPhone is plugged to your computer. RedSn0w will now dictate you a few steps to have your iPhone enter DFU mode. Follow the onscreen instructions very carefully.

Step 8: Your iPhone will reboot when successfully jailbroken.

Congratulations! You just jailbroke your iPhone using RedSn0w 0.9. If you want to unlock your iPhone 3G or 3GS, simply install UltraSn0w from Cydia.

Any question or concern, please feel free to ask in the comment section below. Happy jailbreak :)

UPDATE: People have encountered quite a bit of problems when running RedSn0w o.9 beta 3 with an iPhone 3GS. Thankfully MuscleNerd has been updating RedSn0w and the 3GS issues should now be gone. You can download the latest RedSn0w from our iPhone downloads page.