Note: This tutorial is for iPhone 3G and MAC users only. Windows users subscribe to my blog or follow me on Twitter, so that I can give you a heads up when the windows jailbreak tool(Redsn0w) for 3.1 is out!
1. Create a folder named Pwnage on your desktop. In that folder download the following files
i) Pwnage 3.1: Download it from here - Link 1 or Link 2.
ii)iPhone 3G 3.1 firmware: Download it from here – Link.
(Please use firefox instead of safari if not it will be downloaded as a zip file)
2) Mount PwnageTool 3.1 by double clicking PwnageTool_3.1.dmg and drag the PwnageTool icon that opens up, into the Pwnage folder.Then from the Pwnage folder double-click PwnageTool application.
3) Select “Expert Mode” from the top menu bar.
4) Select your iPhone (In this case iPhone 3G) and click the blue button to continue.
5) Now browse for the IPSW file. Remember you downloaded it in Pwnage folder. (In some cases it may automatically be found).
Click on the IPSW file, if you do it right, a green check mark will appear next to it. Now click the blue button to continue.
6) On the following screen you will see 7 different options.
Inside General settings DO NOT CHECK ‘Activate the phone’ option. Repeat: If you are using an iPhone 3G, irrespective of whether you are on official carrier or not, you always need to make sure that the option is UNCHECKED.
Increase the size of the root partition slightly. To about 695 MB. Then click blue button.
Skip the Bootneuter settings by just clicking the blue button.
You will then be taken to Cydia settings where you can create custom packages so you don’t have to manually install them later.
Select the Download packages tab. Then click the Refresh button to display all the available packages. Double click the package that you want to download in order to make it available in the Select Packages list.
In the Select Packages tab, check the packages you want and click the blue arrow button.
On the following Custom Packages Settings screen. Leave all the settings as it is and click the blue arrow button.
You will then reach the boot logo settings. Just skip this step and click the blue button.
7) On the following screen click the “build” button to start the pwnage process (i.e build your own IPSW file).
8 ) Save the custom firmware(IPSW file) in Pwnage folder on the desktop (which you created in step 1) and wait for about 15 mins for it to be built.
9) Enter your administrator password.
10) Whether or not your iPhone has been pwned before just select NO on the next screen.
11) Keep your iPhone connected to your mac and switch it off, when indicated.
12) Now the part where you have to pay rapt attention and follow directions to enter DFU mode.
i) Hold the home and power buttons for 10 seconds.
ii)Release the power button and hold the home button for 10 seconds.
On doing this you will get a notification that reads successfully entered DFU (recovery) mode.
13) In iTunes, hold the Alt/Option key and click restore simultaneously. A new window will open where you can select the CUSTOM firmware that you built in step 7.
14) Browse to the Pwnage folder on your desktop.Select iPhone1,2_3.1_7C144_Custom_Restore.ipsw file and click the choose button. (REMEMBER: you have to choose CUSTOM IPSW in this step)
15) iTunes will then restore your iPhone 3G using the custom firmware in about 15 minutes.
16) You will then get the option of setting up your iPhone either as a new phone or restoring from backup.
17) Now just restart your iPhone and you will find cydia on your springboard. Hurray you are done :)
NOTE: Once you are done jailbreaking, you can unlock your iPhone 3.1 using ultrasn0w to use any carrier! Here is the tutorial – Link
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@Rohit you’re a legend.
Thank you very much for responding. And thank you for being so helpful to ma and everyone!!
I stayed up all night trying to work around the problem, and it turned out that regarding the apps, all I needed to do was download AppSync from Cydia after the JB just like your tutorial says.
However, I’ve had to return to 3.0 because my phone still won’t pick up the service network on 3.1 – I’m not too fussed about being back on 3.0 for now, and will attempt to upgrade again sometime in the future, but thankfully now I know what I can do to still use my phone!
Thank you so much for your time.
Cheers
Hi Rohit
Great tutorial…it seems if your iPhone is working great with 3.0 there seems little reason to upgrade at the moment.
For Mac users wanting to be able to re-arrange their apps from the desktop as in 3.1, there is a little app called Movement from movementapp dot com.
Not quite as seamless as iTunes but still does a great job.
Keep up the great work
@Penny Thanks for the compliment mate :). Am really very glad that it worked for you.. Hope everything goes smooth sailing when you update to 3.1 the next time around .
@howie Thanks for that piece of info mate. If that app is really useful then I may write a post about it!
When you select the files to build should I choose the ones I want or the ones you show in the demonstration
Rohit,
I know I’m beating a dead horse, but this will be my first ever jailbreak, so I am ultra-n00b! I’ve read this 50 times, on different sites, as well as in this thread, but being super cautious:
1. I have no interest at all in unlocking
2. I have a 3G
3. via iTunes I have the official OS3.1 with modem 05.11.07
4. Apparently I can happily jailbreak my phone with your guide. Again… could care less about unlocking.
The reason for asking is different sites seems to mix up jailbreaking versus unlocking, or use the term “will not work with 3G(S)” implying, to me, they mean both 3G and 3GS, and I originally wanted to use redsn0w for jailbreak and I either can or can’t, and I’ve read so much I’m just confused!!!
As a side question… Let’s say for whatever reason jailbreaking is not for me or I brick the phone. I should just be able to go back to regular 3.1/05.11.07 by restoring normally through itunes, right?
Thanks for any info Rohit!
@Will I am sorry but your question is a bit vague. By files, if you mean packages under cydia settings > Download packages tab, then YES you can select JUST the files(packages) that you need(wish) to download.
It’s NOT necessary to download all the files shown in this image
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2477/3924195609_f2c62dc5b9_o.png
For example you may want just OpenSSH package to be installed. You can select just that. By the way even if you miss out on a package you can download it later via cydia from your iPhone. So it’s best if you just choose the very important packages during the Pwning process.
@Gregg Brilliant! Seems like you have done enough homework Gregg.
The fact that you are on an iPhone 3G and DON’T want an unlock makes things simple.
(It would have been a big problem if you needed unlock as well since you are on 5.11.07 baseband. Unlock is possible only on 04.26.08 baseband).
Now that we have established the fact that you CAN jailbreak since you are an iPhone 3G user, the next question is which tool to use to jailbreak? Generally there are two methods
1) PwnageTool ( For MAC users only)
2) Redsn0w tool (For MAC/Windows users).
As of now, ONLY PwnageTool is out to jailbreak iPhone 3.1 firmware. So give a rest to all your redsn0w thoughts for the time being. Just use the Pwnagetool for iPhone 3G by following the steps in the above tutorial and you will have a jailbroken 3.1 iPhone! (The steps are for iPHONE 3G and NOT iPhone 3GS)
If, you ARE a WINDOWS user, you can’t jailbreak your iPhone 3.1 because as I mentioned above redsn0w-the windows jailbreak tool isn’t out yet.
Hope that gives an end to all your confusions. (By the way even I was like you when I first jailbroke my iPhone. I read through a zillion tutorials and after being dead sure about what I was suppose to do, I went ahead with the jailbreak process. Extraaa cautious :) )
Thanks Rohit!
1) you’re a class act helping everyone here so graciously.
2) I am a Mac user / fanboi, so I’ll proceed with PwnageTool!
3) I’ll double and triple check I DO NOT CHECK ‘Activate the phone’ !! :)
gregg
One more thing Rohit, I’m sorry…
Will getting that AT&T MMS update effect my desire to pwn my 3G, or does that update have nothing to do with the iphone OS?
Thanks
@Gregg Thanks a ton! Don’t worry, the MMS update shouldn’t be a problem. You can go ahead with the Jailbreak (pwnage) process.
Hi Rohit,
Once again thanks for responding to email and post of September 26, 2009. While I wait for Redsn0w tool for my 3G iphone with version 2.0.1 that I upgraded to version 3.1(7C144) to enable me get my phone working again.
Meanwhile, I’m confused about the meaning of:
1. Jailbraking an iphone – what does it mean?
2. Unlocking an iphone – what does it mean.
Please I would appreciate it if you can explain what they mean and the difference.
Thanks a bunch.
Steve.
Hi Rohit,
I really appreciated in your good tutorial, and partient reply and I still have some questions, which I dont know if you have answer it or not yet?
1- My Iphone is universal unlock, means I can use with any carrier without a need of yellowsn0w or ultrasn0w, and it’s currently stand with firmware 3.1 from official apple(I can use it with any sim with baseband 5.11…). My question is if I want to jailbreak it, is it still able to use with anysim anymore? or it will be lock.
2- If one day, I get bored with jailbreak firmware, could I go back to official firmware with safe of unlock?
3- For your tutorial, when I have to plug my iphone with MAC, or I need to plug it in since the begining of the process and off it with Pwnage come to the last step?
Regards,
@Ratha Thanks :)
1) Since your iPhone has a universal unlock (factory unlock), you can use any sim after jailbreaking. Nothing will cause you to lose the unlock ability i.e irrespective of baseband update etc you will continue to enjoy your iPhone on ANY carrier.
2) Yes you can go back to the official firmware any time in the future. All you need to do is go to iTunes and click the restore button.
3) You can do it either ways. Just make sure that in step 11 you keep your iPhone connected to your mac and switch it off, when indicated. Then follow the remaining steps.
@STUGOK Cheers mate!
Your questions:
1)What do you mean by Jailbreaking an iPhone:
After purchasing your iPhone the only place that you can officially install applications from is the Apple app store. However, the Apple app store doesn’t always have all the solutions/applications due to various limitations imposed by Apple on developers. For eg: You can’t change themes on your iPhone, you can’t run voip applications over 3G etc. There are developers who know that users need such features on their iPhone. So they develop applications like WINTERBOARD(To change themes), VOIPOVER3G etc and make them available through CYDIA which is like another Appstore(Unofficial of course).
Now immediately after purchasing your iPhone you cannot access CYDIA. There is like a virtual JAIL/SHIELD preventing you from using other store(Cydia). So you need to BREAK THAT JAIL. This is nothing but Jailbreaking.
What do you mean by Unlocking an iPhone?
As we all know our iPhones are usable by default on only certain carriers i.e AT&T(US), O2(UK), Vivo(Brazil), Airtel/Vodafone(India) etc. This means that our iPhones are locked to a particular carrier. Now what IF the user wanted to use other carriers. What if he found the data plans/calling plans better on say T-mobile instead of AT&T, Orange instead of O2? That’s when you feel like getting rid of the carrier LOCK on your iPhone. This is nothing but UNLOCKING.
——————————————–
Now that you know what jailbreaking and unlocking is, let’s see which tools can be used to jailbreak and unlock.
Jailbreak Tools:
PwnageTool for mac
RedSnow for Windows/MAC
Unlock Tool:
Ultrasn0w
Ultrasn0w is available on CYDIA and as we just learnt to access CYDIA(the other store), you need to first Jailbreak your iPhone by either using PwnageTool or RedSnow.
@Rohit, thanks so great help you offer to the net.
hey rohit, i’ve started to follow the dev-team blog…talk about debbie downers over there when it comes to talking about a possible unlock for 5.11.07….
anyways i was wondering if you could tell me more about these turbo sims i keep hearing about. i’m afraid to post over there without getting yelled at for upgrading to 3.1 through itunes.
I have a huge problem and was wondering if there was a fix.
I bought an Iphone off a friend and am with T mobile so I needed to unlock to use it. Problem is that he upgraded to 3.1 and baseband 5.11.08 before he gave it to me. The phone has never been jailbroken before. Is there any hope from the dev team or should I go ahead and put this baby on e bay.
Hi Rohit,
Thanks again for you detail and prompt response to my post #112. My 3G iphone Version 2.0.1 had a universal unlock and I have been able to use it in US – T-Mobile, EU -Bluefire Wireless, Nigeria – MTN and GlO for about a year now before
my upgrade on September 26, 2009 to Version 3.1(7C144) modem Firmware 5.11.07 and I’m in US and can’t use my T-Mobile prepaid sim card and assume I won’t be able to use it also in EU and Nigeria.
I also had CYDIA before the upgrade and has now disappeared. What do I do?
I called Apple they told me that my iphone is still unlocked but cannot help me because I don’t have AT&T sim card.
Looking at this situation, what do I do or where do I go from here? My phone is saying “No Service” I use “windows”
I’m so pressed up now, I will appreciate it very much if i can CALL YOU so that you can walk me through this mess i found myself into.
Hi Rohit,
Is it possible that my phone is unlocked as Apple claimed if it is true, why is my phone saying “No Service”, is Jailbreak only what I need now?
If it locked back after the upgrade to Version 3.1(7C144) Modem Firmware 5.11.07 as I suspect and explains why my iphone says “No Service” Do I then need both Jailbreak and Unlocking ( RedSnow and Ultrasn0w) respectively.
What do you think.
Steve
@danielle Turbo sim doesn’t work with on 3.1 firmware. Besides even if it did work am always against the idea of using a hardware unlock.
Check this forum, many have asked for a turbo sim for 3.1.
You need to register and log in to view the thread.
http://www.xsellize.com/showthread.php?t=62089
@Will Since you have purchased the iPhone jst recently, your best bet is to put it up on ebay mate. Evn if there is any fix for the 5.11.07 baseband it will easily take about 3 weeks(or more) for the solution to be it. So instead of waiting that long might as well sell it on ebay and purchase a new one on which unlock is possible so that you can use your t-mobile sim.
@STUGOK If it is a universally unlocked iPhone then irrespective of which firmware and baseband you are running on, ANY sim SHOULD work.
This brings me to the question
Is your iPhone a genuine unlocked iPhone sold by Apple?
Is it really genuine? Or is it a “so-called” legally unlocked iPhone 3G which is actually unlocked by other methods (e.g. TurboSIM)? For those, who are experiencing this issue , you better check out this link from Apple
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1937 (Via CNET)
The web page lists out all the part numbers of iPhone 3G and the corresponding unlock/lock information.(Via CNET)
Hi Rohit,
Yes, there is gold sim that is inserted before any carrier sim card. I don’t know if that is what you are referring to.
@stugok Yes that’s what I am referring to. The Gold sim means your iPhone is not genuine unlocked iPhone. So, you will have to wait for the dev team to come up with a solution for those who have updated to baseband(modem) firmware 5.11.07 (If it’s possible)
I am afraid there is nothing that you can do at this point Steve. You are at the mercy of the dev team!. Will let you know the moment any tool which can help fix your problem is out.
rohit,
well, i know its just a waiting game now and i have no one to blame but myself.
i feel like eventually someone will be able to crack the 5.11.07 baseband or whatever else apple puts out because i find it hard to believe that every iphone from here on out will never be able to unlock again.
until that time i am being punished by having to use possibly the oldest nokia phone ever made, but i guess it’s better than no phone at all…lol.
btw, out of curiosity, what are your qualms with a hardware unlock? may i ask the difference or cons?
Hi Rohit,
I’m very grateful for your candid opinion to my problem.
I look forward to when the cure is leased by the Dev Team.
@danielle yea I knw that sucks.I had to use nokia 6881 when I lost my iPhone last year.(Had to purchase it again). Coming to your question
Hardware unlock is the most invasive of all the unlocking methods and there is a high chance of your iPhone turning into a piece of trash. Besides some hardware unlocks send illegal signals to providers. Anyways, dont get too caught up with this. For some folks it just works and they are happy. I personally don’t prefer it but that doesn’t mean it should give you any problems.
@Stugok cheers!
that doesn’t sound like something i want to play around with.
i’m probably going to wait this out as long as i can or start selling some body parts to save up enough money to get out of my contract with tmobile and switch to at&t…lol
thx for such amazing tips for the jailbreaking, Rohit!
im abit sad i have an iphone 3gs with 3.1 and i really need a jailbreaking for that, how long you know they will be able to break that? thank you!
rohit,
i cracked finally. i switched over to at&t and now have my iphone back!!! lol.
quick question though, i had to restore the phone because it wasn’t recognizing my new sim. i just assumed it was because of the jailbreak…and when i was trying to restore it i got that crazy picture of steve jobs. what was that all about? lol
@danielle congrats that you finally got it working :). That goofy steve jobs was because of custom boot logo. Even I am surprised that while doing a normal restore you ended up getting that!
@noble thanks mate!
The jailbreak tool for iPhone 3GS, pwnage 3.1.3 for MAC is out.
Here’s a complete tutorial on how to jailbreak iPhone 3GS 3.1 firmware using Pwnage 3.1.3 for Mac
http://www.digitalmarketingtalk.com/iphone/how-to-jailbreak-iphone-3gs-3-1-firmware-using-pwnage-3-1-3-for-mac/
Hey Rohit
I hope you could help me with some problems I am having. I am based in Thailand and been here for some time. I wanted to have an iPhone before Apple had made a deal with a local provider so I ended up buying a hacked iPhone (jailbreak and unlocked I guess) on the black market. It was one of the first 3G phones and I was running 2.0. It was working fine in the beginning but after some time the wifi stopped working and the battery time was only 12 hours before I had to charge it (when this happened I have that the phone for 4 months. I thought it was a software problem and been waiting for a good time to restore everything and start from scratch. My first try was to restore some of the settings so I could get the wifi to work but this forced me to update the firmware to 3.1, unfortunately I didn’t know by then that this was not so good. After reading you tutorial here I decided to give it a try anyway (I don’t care if the SIM card don’t work at the moment). I did everything exactly as mentioned above but ended up with “No SIM card installed” and a display with a USB cable connecting to iTunes. iTunes is saying the same. I have tried to put my old SIM but it is not valid. I thought that the jailbreak would let me into the phone and the apps. I have tried loads of things to access to phone but I don’t seem to be able to… Is my phone broken?
Sorry for the long story :-)…
@Mrp sorry am travelling so can’t give u a detailed reply.. But yes I can help u solve the prob..
Try the following:
1) Again restore your iPhone with custom firmware that you built in step 7. This is the custom firmware file that you must use iPhone1,2_3.1_7C144_Custom_Restore.ipsw
To restore in iTunes, hold the Alt/Option key and click restore simultaneously. Then select the iPhone1,2_3.1_7C144_Custom_Restore.ipsw file.
2)If that doesn’t work put your iPhone in DFU mode and again restore as above
To put ur iPhone in DFU mode
i)Keep your iPhone connected to your mac and switch it off
ii)Hold the home and power buttons for 10 seconds
iiiRelease the power button and hold the home button for 10 seconds.
You will then enter dfu mode. Now restore using custom firmware as I mentioned above
3) If none of the above work try to recover your iPhone by using this tutorial:
http://www.digitalmarketingtalk.com/iphone/how-to-fix-the-problem-of-iphone-3gs-being-stuck-on-apple-logo-screen-or-in-recovery-mode/
Thank you for quick reply :-)
Unfortunately anything you suggested did the trick :-(
1) I have tried several times to restore using Iphone1,2_3.1_7C144_Custom_Restore.ipsw file. I is alway the same case in the end… the display with the USB and iTunes logo. If I put the phone into DFU mode after this and try again I get a error message 1600. Ones I got this message the phone is dead and I can only get access to it agin by restoring the normal way via iTunes. In other words not with the custom ipsw file.
I tried the link you send as well but when it tried to restore like that I got the error message 1604!!!
I think others have got similar problems and they all complain about the 3.1 upgrade and think the phone is bricked. All though the discussions is not about solving the problem it is instead about if the iPhone can be bricked or not and who’s fault it is. These people seam to have the ability to get help from apple directly cause they do have a proper SIM from a valid provider and warranty on the product so I don’t really know what their problem is. In my case it is not so easy to get help from apple ;-)
Maybe a stupid question but do I need to have a SIM card in the telephone when I do this jailbreak process? I have tried both and when I do it without it is stuck with “put a valid SIM in the phone” or with “you don’t have a valid SIM” the display show the same USB, iTunes symbol… so no access to the phone at all…
Any other suggestions???
And dude… thank you so much for your help and patience with all our questions…
@MrP Thanks for the compliment!
There is a way to get rid of 16xx errors (in your case 1604). I had written a tutorial for that.It has helped many folks who were getting those errors. I hope it helps you out too..
http://www.digitalmarketingtalk.com/iphone/how-to-get-rid-off-16xx-or-21-error-in-itunes/
By the way since you have restored couple of times directly via iTunes without using custom firmware. You must now be on 5.11.07 which am afraid will cause your iPhone to lose it’s unlock ability.. All that the above tutorial will do is help you use your iPhone as an iPod touch atleast i.e access music and applications..
Once you get to the point where you are able to access the springboard, I suggest you follow this tutorial and see if you can downgrade your baseband.
http://www.digitalmarketingtalk.com/iphone/how-to-downgrade-your-iphone-3g-firmware-3-1-baseband/
If your phone is eligible for a downgrade and you are successful with the process. Use the below tutorial to unlock your iPhone. Once you are done unlocking, you will be able to use any carrier on your iPhone.
http://www.digitalmarketingtalk.com/iphone/how-to-unlock-iphone-3g-3-1-using-ultrasn0w/
Hello again Rohit,
Once again a quick reply :-)
No I have spent half a day trying but…
The error I am receiving most is 1600… it happens when I am trying to restore the custom ipsw for the second time… the first it is always just stuck in the “No Valid SIM” USB, iTunes logo mode. Once I am receiving an error message the phone is not responding to anything so it is impossible to put it into DFU mode once I am trying to run your iREB program. And the program is also asking if I have installed libUSB… here I am not sure but what ever I do the program continues till it is time for me to put the phone into DFU mode which is impossible in any case. Maybe I am doing a mistake but I have tried different ways and now I am out of ideas!
As long as I am stranded in the USB/iTunes symbol mode there is not so much I can do I fell…
Best P
@MrP Oh I am sorry to hear that..Most of the people in your situation used iREB and have managed to get rid of any 16xx errors.. I am surprised that it didn’t work for you.. I will search other solutions and just in case I find any that can help u fix the issue, I will immediately giv u a shout.
Dear Bohit,
Thank you very much for all your help…
I will try to make the iREB work some how. Do i need the libUSB file in the system to get the program to work? And should I run the program directly after I get the error message or should I run it after I restore the phone from the error message?
Best regards P
hi rohit,
I have a iphone 3G which I bought last year in canada,I have a rogers sim.I have updated it on itunes a few days back and the version is 3.1,I want to unlock and jailbreak it so that i can use it in india (airtel or bsnl).Someone told me its impossible for now since I updated it to 3.1.
best
sonu
@MrP I found this video off youtube. It may help you out. The guy explains in detail how exactly to use iREB :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TymOsKDQslg
@sonu Hi there! What you have heard is true. By updating directly via itunes to 3.1 you have also updated your baseband(modem) firmware to 5.11.07 which causes iPhone to lose it’s unlock ability.
Go to settings > General > About on your iPhone and then check the modem firmware number.
But don’t get disappointed, there is some good news in store. Read this:
http://www.digitalmarketingtalk.com/iphone/geohot-to-bring-a-jailbreak-solution-for-iphone-baseband-05-11-07/
Many developers are working on different jailbreak and unlock solutions so I strongly feel that in the coming weeks there will be an unlock solution available too.
(By the way BSNL has got 3G coverage in few cities so you may want to choose that over Airtel. I hope 3G auction takes place soon in India so that private players also start providing the service)
Hi Rohit,
How are you doing? I hope all is well with you. Please while we wait for the solution for iphone 3G 3.1(7C144) Firmware 05.11.07 jailbreak and unlock, my iphone WIFI cannot connect to internet. Do you know what I can do or is the problem connected to the jailbreak and unlock problem.
Steve
@STUGOK I am doing fine. Thank you. Try any of these methods and hopefully it will work
Reset network settings (Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Setting)
Erase all settings (Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings)
If it doesn’t see if the following thread helps
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=553576
Hi Rohit,
Please status check: do you have any clue on where we are on the Redsn0w the unlocking and jailbreaking tool for iphone 3G version 3.1(7C144) fireware 5.11.07 windows os users
hi Rohit,
I have a phone with version 3.1 and firmware 05.11.07. Can i unlock it by buying this tool from the site unlock-the-iphone[dot]com/.
Please advice.
Thanks.
@PPS For heavens sake don’t buy the so called unlock tool.. That site is online jst to scam ppl
Hi Rohit,
Please status check: do you have any clue on where we are on the Redsn0w the unlocking and jailbreaking tool for iphone 3G version 3.1(7C144) fireware 5.11.07 windows os users
Thanks.
Steve
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