Guide To Unlock iOS 4.3.1 Using Ultrasn0w 1.2.1 (iPhone 4, 3G/3Gs & iPad)

Finally, Dev-Team had released the untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.3.1 on all iOS devices from iPhone to iPad(except iPad 2) their next objective was to update Ultrasn0w to work on iOS 4.3.1. iPhone 4 users must take extra care while updating to iOS 4.3.1 as they need to prevent the baseband from upgrading. This update only brings iOS 4.3.1 support to basebands which could be unlocked earlier. Therefore, only baseband 01.59.00 can be unlocked on iPhone 4.

Here's the list of basebands that can be unlocked using Ultrasn0w 1.2.1:

iPhone 4:

• 01.59.00

iPhone 3G/3GS:

• 04.26.08
• 05.11.07
• 05.12.01
• 05.12.04
• 06.15.00

Note: For T-Mobile users in USA should disable 3G under Settings > General > Network. This is due to an incompatibility with T-Mobile’s 3G. Those in other countries do not need to do this, unless they face a problem.

Step 1: Use PwnageTool or Redsn0w to jailbreak your iPhone.
Note: For iPhone 4 users, must use PwnageTool since Redsn0w does not create custom IPSW which is required to prevent baseband upgrade.

Step 2: Launch Cydia on iPhone and add “http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com” as the new repository URL. You can simply tap “Manage” -> “Sources” -> “Edit” -> “Add” to add the repository URL. If your not clear about this, checkout my post here on how to add sources to Cydia. This step only for beginner users, for those who already know about adding repo you may ignore this step.


Step 3: Then tap “Search” and search for “ultrasn0w” application

Step 4 : Install “ultrasn0w” and then on confirm. If you have already installed Ultrasn0w before, you will see a modify button instead of Install, like in the screen shot above.

Step 5: After, Cydia has installed Ultrasn0w, you should reboot your iPhone. To restart, press and hold the power button till you see the slide to power off screen. Now slide the button to turn your iPhone off and then turn it back on. You should now have an unlocked iPhone with iOS 4.3.1.

How To Downgrade iPhone OS 3.1.3 Baseband Using Fuzzyband (iPhone 3G Only)

As mentioned in previous posts, it is warned that you SHOULD NOT upgrade to iPhone 3.1.3 if you’re using a software-unlocked (e.g. via ultrasn0w) iPhone 3G/3GS. Otherwise, you will end up with a locked iPhone again. While you upgrade to iPhone OS 3.1.3, the baseband of your iPhone is also upgraded to v5.12.01. That’s why your iPhone is locked again after the OS upgrade.

Presently there is no unlock solution for iPhone 3GS user. But if you’re using iPhone 3G with older version of bootloader 05.08, you may use Fuzzyband to downgrade the baseband version from 05.12.01 to 04.26.08, which can be unlocked using ultransn0w.

Note: Fuzzyband only works on iPhone 3G.

How To Downgrade Baseband From 05.12.01 To 04.26.08

1) You need to jailbreak your iPhone. As you have already upgraded to iPhone 3.1.3, please use redsn0w to jailbreak the iPhone.

2) Launch Cydia and search for “Fuzzyband”. Then download and install this application.

3) Go back to home screen after installation. Tap “Fuzzyband” icon to launch it.

4) Tap the “Downgrade” button to kick off the baseband downgrade.

5) Once you complete the baseband downgrade to 04.26.08 successfully, you can download ultrasn0w to unlock your iPhone. For instructions, you can follow the my guide here.

Tips To Select An iPhone Unlock/Jailbreak Tutorial

These are instructions/guides on how to select the right iPhone Unlock/Jailbreak tutorial for you and your iPhone. Let me remind you here, "unlock" word is refer to the process to open up your iPhone to accept all carriers. Unlocked iPhone allows you to use SIM card from all carriers. You are no longer bind to the official carrier (e.g. AT&T) approved by Apple. And for, "jailbreak" your iPhone means you are allowed to install 3rd party applications on iPhone. This applies to all version of firmwares.

Jailbreak Tools For iPhone

Redsn0w – Redsn0w is the latest generation of Jailbreak tool offered by iPhone Dev Team that supports jailbreaking on iPhone OS 3.0. It supports all models of iPhone including iPhone 2G, 3G and 3GS, as well as iPod Touch. Both Windows and Mac version are available. Redsn0w comes with built-in utility to unlock iPhone 2G. Jailbreaking using redsn0w is very straightforward and it is considered as the most user-friendly jailbreak utility iPhone. Redsn0w is also considered as a replacement of QuickPwn.

PwnageTool – Also, developed by iPhone Dev Team, PwnageTool is a jailbreak tool for Mac platform only. It supports jailbreaking on iPhone 2G/3G/3GS and firmware level up to 3.0. Same as QuickPwn, it also provides built-in option to unlock iPhone 2G. Compared with QuickPwn, for which it performs jailbreaking directly on iPhone, PwnageTool takes a different approach of jailbreak that it creates a custom firmware file (i.e. IPSW) for jailbreaking. PwnageTool is considered as more flexible as it allows the direct modification of firmware file.

Purplera1n – Purplera1n is an alternative of jailbreak tool to Redsn0w and Pwnagetool for iPhone 3GS only. It is developed by GeoHot, who is the guy that developed an unlock solution for the 1st generation iPhone dated back to 2007. Purplera1n supports both Windows and Mac.

iPhone Unlock Tools

Ultrasn0w – Ultrasn0w is the 2nd generation of unlock tool, developed by iPhone Dev team, to replace yellowsn0w. It is considered the ultimate unlock tool (as of now) to unlock iPhone 3G and 3GS on iPhone OS 3.0. To use ultrasn0w, it is required to jailbreak your iPhone first. The ultrasn0w software is available from Cydia and it’s free.

Purplesn0w – Developed by GeoHot, Purplesn0w is an alternative to Ultrasn0w for iPhone 3GS unlock. To use Purplesn0w, you’ll need to jailbreak the iPhone with Purplera1n before applying Purplesn0w.

Yellowsn0w – Yellowsn0w is the 1st generation of unlock tool, developed by iPhone Dev team, to unlock iPhone 3G and supports firmware 2.2 (with baseband version 02.28.00). The software is freely available via Cydia. You’ll need to first jailbreak the iPhone before you can install the software.

iPhone 2G

Jailbreak

PawnageTool

Mac

Redsn0w

Windows/Mac
(Tutorial Here)

Unlock

PawnageTool

Mac

Redsn0w

Windows / Mac
(Tutorial 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

Jailbreak

PawnageTool

Mac

Redsn0w

Windows/Mac
(Tutorial Here)



Unlock

Ultrasn0w

Windows/Mac
(Tutorial Here)

iPhone 3GS

Jailbreak

Redsn0w

Windows / Mac
(Tutorial Here)

PurpleRa1n

Windows

Mac

Unlock

Ultrasn0w
(Tutorial Here)

Windows/Mac

PurpleSn0w
(Tutorial Here)

Windows

Mac

UltraTips

UltraSn0w: TroubleShooting & Fixes

iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS Unlock: Updated UltraSn0w V0.9

Redsn0w v0.8 For iPhone 3GS Jailbreak

UltraSn0w Demonstration (iPhone 3GS) By iPhone Dev Team

Guide To Unlock iPhone 3GS Using Ultrasn0w

Ultrasn0w is simply a replacement of yellowsn0w and it works on iPhone 3.0 OS. Ultrasn0w doesn’t matter the version of bootloader you’re using. As long as you’ve upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0 with baseband 4.26.08. It will work for you. Before you proceed with step-by-step instruction you may read the ultra tips from iPhone Dev Team regarding above matter here and here.

Note for T-mobile USA user: Please ensure you disable 3G service before installing ultrasn0w. To use Ultrasn0w to unlock iPhone 3GS on firmware 3.0, please follow these procedures:

Step 1: Upgrade your iTunes to iTunes 8.2 version and backup your iPhone data by synchronizing it with iTunes. Upgrade your iPhone 3GS to iPhone OS 3.0 (or what so called firmware 3.0) using iTunes 8.2.
Step 2: Use PwnageTool or redsn0w (both Windows or Mac User) to jailbreak your iPhone 3GS
Step 3: Launch Cydia on iPhone and add “http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com” as the new repository URL. You can simply tap “Manage” -> “Sources” -> “Edit” -> “Add” to add the repository URL. If your not clear about this, checkout my post here on how to add sources to Cydia.

Step 4: Then tap “Search” and search for “ultrasn0w” application
Step 5: Install “ultrasn0w”

Step 6: Reboot your iPhone 3GS after installing ultrasn0w and enjoy!

You might be checkout the demo video from iPhone Dev Team on how to unlock iPhone 3GS using Ultrasn0w

UltraTips From Dev Teams: UltraSn0w Troubleshooting And Fixes

The latest version of ultrasn0w fixes lots of unlock issues, some of the readers still experience hiccup during the carrier unlock process. Now, iPhone Dev team posted a great post and offered a number of unlock tips:

1. The first tip is about the battery issue. The team mentioned unusual battery depletion is almost always caused by choosing “Restore from backup” instead of “Setup as new iPhone” when iTunes prompts you during the initial setup. The battery depletion issue is no related to jailbreak or ultrasn0w tool but it’s common for iPhone 3.0 if you’re using “Restore from backup” option to restore back your iPhone. And, here is the possible fix:

The fix is to just re-run the official 3.0 restore and choose “Setup as new” this time. Your music and apps and all that will still be synced, but you’ll get rid of any conflicting wifi, bluetooth, or carrier settings. Then just re-run redsn0w and install ultrasn0w.

Personally, I used “Restore from backup” option to restore back the iPhone. Not all jailbroken iPhones experienced this battery depletion issue. But I did turn off push notification and push email to preserve battery. But if you encounter this issue, I suggest you to follow iPhone Dev team’s recommendation and re-jailbreak your iPhone again.

2. For T-mobile USA user, remember to turn off 3G before using ultrasn0w. Ultrasn0w does not support 3G service of T-mobile USA (actually, it’s not ultrasn0w’s problem but due to t-mobile’s non-standard 3G).

3. Remember ultrasn0w only works on hacktivated iPhone. That means, even you’re using the official carrier, please don’t use the official sim to activate the iPhone via iTunes. Use redsn0w for the activation (i.e hacktivate) and keep your unofficial sim card in iPhone all time when using ultrasn0w.

4. For certain unofficial plans, they have limitations on whether you can make calls and use data at the same time. That’s not unlock-related.

For those of you experience any unlock problem while using ultrasn0w, remember to read through the above tips and go through the jailbreak & unlock process again. For details of the tips, you can further check out iPhone Dev Team’s post. If you’re planning for jailbreak and unlock your iPhone 3G/3GS, you can also check out this step-by-step guide for iPhone 3G / iPhone 3GS.

iPhone 3GS and 3G Unlock: Ultrasn0w v0.9

iPhone Dev team updated ultrasn0w to v0.9 with lots of bug fixes. As claimed, this version fixed numerous issues that were found on older version of the unlock software.

Same as the previous version, ultrasn0w 0.9 can unlock both iPhone 3G and 3GS. Before using ultrasn0w, the iPhone should be jailbroken via redsn0w, PwnageTool or Purplera1n. And, as always, ultrasn0w is now available to download via Cydia.

As I know, some readers have tried the older version (i.e. 0.6 or 0.8) of ultrasn0w but failed to unlock their iPhone 3G. Also, some reported the missing SIM or no network issues. As claimed by the dev team, the latest version of ultrasn0w already fixed these issues. So, if you fail to unlock your iPhone 3G or 3GS, try out ultrasn0w 0.9.

For those who experienced a reduced battery life after using ultrasn0w, iPhone Dev team also mentioned the issue in its post:

ultrasn0w 0.6 did have a problem where the STK refresh command it used crashed the baseband in 3G S. This caused the baseband to continually come up and then restart. That DOES take power and so may explain the issues that people have been seeing. ultrasn0w 0.8 was supposed to have fixed this issue, but perhaps not completely.

With the release of ultrasn0w 0.9, it’s supposed you’ll not experience reduced battery issue. To learn about how to unlock iPhone 3G using ultrasn0w, check out this guide for detailed instructions.

iPhone Dev-Team: UltraSn0w Demonstration on iPhone 3GS

While GeoHot released the first-ever jailbreak solution called Purplera1n for iPhone 3GS, the iPhone Dev team also posted a demo video to show off how ultrasn0w can unlock the new iPhone 3GS. Quoted from Dev Team:

Our ultrasn0w program uses the at+xlog crash as an injection vector of our unlocking payload — and it does so on the 3GS in exactly the same way as on the 3G! But this injection vector will be lost if you update to 3.1 using the official Apple IPSW, which updates the baseband. So stay away from official 3.1 IPSWs until we release the tools that let you update the firmware without updating the baseband.

iPhone 3GS Unlock Demonstration from planetbeing on Vimeo.

But please keep in mind that this is just a demo only. The iPhone Dev team has decided to postpone the release of Jailbreak tools until the release of iPhone 3.1. So, right now please be patient.

Guide To Jailbreak iPhone 3G For 3.0 Firmware Using Redsn0w (Windows)

Developed by iPhone Dev Team, Redsn0w is a replacement of QuickPwn to jailbreak iPhone 3.0. The jailbreak process is very straightforward that any iPhone owner can manage the jailbreak. Visit at iPhone Dev Team Blog for more information about Redsn0w.

Please read through the below notes before taking action to jailbreak your iPhone 3G:

• RedSn0W only suitable for the recent iPhone OS 3.0 firmware updated.
• This jailbreak guide is designed for Windows user only. For Mac user, you can use PwnageTool 3.0 to jailbreak.
• Redsn0w is work for Original iPhone (1st Generation), Original iPod touch, iPod touch 2G and the iPhone 3G (not the iPhone 3GS).
• For iPhone 3GS user, please do not use Redsn0w to jailbreak your new iPhone. Presently, there is no way to jailbreak iPhone 3GS.
• If you’re using lower version of firmware (e.g. 1.1, 2.0, 2.1 or 2.2), you can also follow these jailbreak procedures to upgrade the firmware to 3.0. But please bear in mind, that you’ll have to re-install all the Cydia applications after upgrade. And, at the time I write this post, not all Cydia applications (e.g. AptBackup, iBluetooth, Backgrounder, iRealSMS, MySMS, BossTool, Quickgold) are compatible with iPhone 3.0. So, if you have any cydia applications that you rely on, please ensure its compatibility before upgrading.

Step 1: Make sure you have upgraded to iTunes version 8.2 and backup your iPhone data by synchronizing it with iTunes 8.2.

Step 2: Download RedSn0w 0.7.2 (or download here) and iPhone 3G 3.0 firmware. Save them all in the same folder. Extract/unzip Redsn0w. Make sure you have all the files in place before continue.

Installing iPhone 3.0 OS via iTunes 8.2

Step 3: Just connect your iPhone to your computer via USB cable and launch iTunes. Select your iPhone in iTunes. You might see all information about you iPhone and the button “Upgrade” and “Restore” appear in iTunes window.

Step 4: Hold the “SHIFT” key and click the “Restore” button simultaneously. The iTunes file dialog will pop up for you to select the firmware file. Locate the “iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw” that you have downloaded in previous step and click “Open”.

Step 5: iTunes will then restore your iPhone with firmware 3.0 automatically. Keep your iPhone connected, don’t touch anything and wait until the process complete.

Jailbreak using RedSn0w

Step 6: Your iPhone should completely restore to firmware 3.0. But it’s still locked right now. Please power off your iPhone (but keep it connected with USB cable). However, If your bought unlocked iPhone original from factory settings you iTunes shows that your iPhone is unlock successfully and you don't need to unlock it, just proceed to the next step.

Step 7: Launch RedSn0w to start jailbreak your iPhone 3G. Make sure your iPhone connect via USB cable and then click "Next" button to proceed.


Step 8: You are required to provide the firmware 3.0 IPSW file. Click “Browse” button to locate the “iPhone1,2_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw” were you had downloaded in Step 2.

Redsn0w will then verify the firmware file. If it’s correct, redsn0w will show the message “IPSW successfully identified”. Then click “Next” button to continue.

Step 9: You are required to configure the settings for RedSn0w. Normally, you could mark all checkboxes (i.e. Install Cydia, Install Icy). If you would like not to install icy, just left “Install Icy” unmarked. Click "Next" button to proceed.


Step 10: Redsn0w will instruct you to put your iPhone into DFU mode. Ensure your iPhone is connected (via USB) and it’s turned OFF. If you’re ready, click “Next” to continue.

Step 11: Redsn0w automatically puts the iPhone into DFU mode. After that, you’ll be instructed to hold the "Power" button for 3 seconds. Then hold "Power" and "Home" buttons together for 10 seconds. Next, release "Power" button and continue to hold "Home" button for 30 seconds until your iPhone is in DFU mode.

Note: Timing is very important here, if you may not be able to put the iPhone into DFU mode for the first trial. Simply click the “Back” button to go back and try to follow the instructions again. Redsn0w will start the jailbreak process only if it detects your iPhone is properly put into DFU mode.

Step 12: If you have successfully put the iPhone into DFU mode, redsn0w will automatically start the jailbreak process.


Step 13: During jailbreaking process, your iPhone screen shows downloading jailbreak data and flashing NOR progress. What you have to do just keep waiting and don’t touch anything to your iPhone.

Step 14: RedSn0w will let you know the jailbreak process is successful. Your iPhone will be restarted automatically. This process will take 3-5 minutes to complete. Just wait until the process been done and your iPhone will be rebooted again.

Step 15: Now jailbreaking process has complete with iPhone 3.0 OS. Finally, sync back your iPhone to restore your backups data with iTunes 8.2.

Step 16: If your iPhone 3G is still unlock and not receive your carrier signal, you can checkout my post on how to unlock iPhone 3G for OS 3.0 using Ultrasn0w. For those who already use unlocked iPhone version from previous factory setting you can ignore this step. However this step is use full for those who would like to unlock the iPhone 3G.

Step 17: For beginner user, you might be want to know what to do after Jailbreak. Check out my post here on how to use Cydia. For those who already knew about the Cydia you could ignore this step.

Guide To Unlock iPhone 3G On iPhone OS 3.0 Using Ultrasn0w

This is a great news for all iPhone 3G users and a Big Thanks to the iPhone Dev Team again. iPhone Dev Team has just announced the release of Ultrasn0w to unlock iPhone 3G on firmware 3.0. Yesterday, I’ve mentioned in this post that you should hold off the upgrade to firmware 3.0 for iPhone 3G users. Now, I have to say you’re ready to upgrade to the latest version of iPhone OS and you got a soft-unlock solution (i.e. ultrasn0w) that can handle iPhone 3.0 with baseband 4.26.08.

As you may know, the previous unlock solution (i.e. yellowsn0w) will only work on baseband 2.28.00. And for those using baseband 2.30.00, the only solution is to downgrade the baseband (but this workaround only works on bootloader 5.08).

If you have used yellowsn0w to unlock your iPhone 3G on firmware 2.2 before, ultrasn0w should be familiar to you. Ultrasn0w is simply a replacement of yellowsn0w and it works on iPhone 3.0 OS. Ultrasn0w doesn’t matter the version of bootloader you’re using. As long as you’ve upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0 with baseband 4.26.08. It will work for you. I know you may have been waiting for this unlock solution for months. Now, it’s here.

UPDATED: Also you might to checkout my post on how to jailbreak iPhone 3G for OS 3.0 using Redsn0w.

Note for T-mobile USA user: Please ensure you disable 3G service before installing ultrasn0w.

To use Ultrasn0w to unlock iPhone 3G on firmware 3.0, please follow these procedures:

Step 1: Upgrade your iTunes to iTunes 8.2 version and backup your iPhone data by synchronizing it with iTunes. Upgrade your iPhone 3G to iPhone OS 3.0 (or what so called firmware 3.0) using iTunes 8.2.
Step 2: Use PwnageTool or redsn0w to jailbreak your iPhone 3G
Step 3: Launch Cydia on iPhone and add “http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com” as the new repository URL. You can simply tap “Manage” -> “Sources” -> “Edit” -> “Add” to add the repository URL. If your not clear about this, checkout my post here on how to add sources to Cydia.

Step 4: Then tap “Search” and search for “ultrasn0w” application
Step 5: Install “ultrasn0w”

Step 6: Reboot your iPhone 3G after installing ultrasn0w and enjoy!

You might be checkout the demo video from iPhone Dev Team on how to unlock iPhone 3G using Ultrasn0w

iPhone Dev Team Releases RedSn0w To Jailbreak iPod Touch 3.0 Firmware

After the release of PwnageTool for Mac yesterday, the Dev Team just announced the release of of RedSn0w, a jailbreak method that will work for iPod Touch, iPod Touch 2G, iPhone, and iPhone 3G. RedSn0w can also unlock the iPhone 2G.

RedSn0w, which works on both Mac and PC, provides similar functionality to QuickPwn, which makes me wonder whether or not the Dev Team will update QuickPwn, or simply replace it with RedSn0w.

According to the Dev Team:

1. 
   

1. GOLDEN RULE: If you are using a 3G iPhone with yellowsn0w and rely on yellowsn0w to obtain cellular service, then you should NOT use redsn0w right now. Ultrasn0w (the 3G carrier unlock) is not included with this release and therefore your baseband will be locked and unable to use an operator other than the official one it was bought for. UltraSn0w will be released via APT (cydia and icy) soon. If you have an original iPhone (1st generation) then 3.0 carrier unlock works with this redsn0w release.
2. Yellowsn0w in its current form will NOT work with the baseband version that is present in the 3.0 update, you will need Ultrasn0w, which will be released sometime soon, Ultrasn0w will work with all iPhone 3G models (but not 3GS), even ones that were previously unlockable, Ultrasn0w (when available) will be released via APT (this means you will be able to get it via Cydia or Icy).
3. Please read all parts of this post before downloading and using these tools.
4. Read items 1, 2 and 3 again and again.
5. At the bottom of this post are the bittorrent files for the latest version of redsn0w.
6. This app is suitable for the recent 3.0 release
7. redsn0w will NOT work for the iPhone 3GS.
8. redsn0w WILL work for Original iPhone (1st Generation), Original iPod touch, iPod touch 2G and the iPhone 3G (not the iPhone 3GS).

To use redsn0w simply upgrade the device in iTunes to firmware version 3.0 and run redsn0w to activate and jailbreak the device (and if you are using an original iPhone 2G, it will unlock it too!)

The Dev Team also suggests to use PwnageTool on Mac to build custom firmware files with more flexibility.

SHA1 SUMS

• SHA1(redsn0w-mac_0.7.zip)= 284639d37fd6675056814b6c8a5b0583ad91c370
• SHA1(redsn0w-win_0.7.1.zip)= e264e44954aa417a3eb12ed29770790a30f85a66

Official Bittorrent Releases -

• Mac OS X torrent
• Windows torrent

UnOfficial Mirrors

Mac

• http://g.appleguru.org/redsn0w-mac_0.7.zip
• http://download.server-land.com/redsn0w/redsn0w-mac_0.7.zip
• http://therepository.binarytide.com/redsn0w/redsn0w-mac_0.7.zip

Windows

• http://g.appleguru.org/redsn0w-win_0.7.1.zip
• http://theiphoneproject.org/windows/redsn0w-win_0.7.1.zip
• http://www.chemicalwebs.com/redsn0w/redsn0w-win_0.7.1.zip

Note that UltraSn0w, the iPhone 3G jailbreak, hasn’t been released yet. Also note that there is currently no way to jailbreak or unlock the new iPhone 3G S.

UPDATED: Ultrasn0w is available now via Cydia!. Check out my post here on how to unlock iPhone 3G using Ultrasn0w.

Updated: Checkout my post here on guide to jailbreak and unlock iPhone 2G for 3.0 firmware using Redsn0w.

Unlock iPhone 3G Using Ultrasn0w: iPhone Dev Team Demo

As announced before, Dev Team member MuscleNerd did a demo of UltraSn0w, the new software unlock for the iPhone 3G (skip to 2.20 min on the video below). Unlike its predecessor YellowSn0w, UltraSn0w will unlock your iPhone 3G no matter what firmware, bootloader or baseband you have, as long as you have the new 3.0 firmware installed.

The actual program that UltraSn0w injects into the baseband to accomplish the unlock is the exact same one the Dev Team developed for YellowSn0w. What changed is that the Dev Team found a new “hole” to inject the unlocking payload. During his demo, MuscleNerd successfully jailbroke his iPhone 3G and proved it by inserting a T-Mobile SIM card.

UltraSn0w won’t be available until Friday and like YellowSn0w, it will be downloadable through Cydia. Your iPhone will obviously have to be jailbroken and the Dev Team will release the necessary tools for that QuickPwn and PawnageTool soon.

Please bear in mind, this is no baseband downgrade needed. You can just upgrade to 3.0 tomorrow and wait for the Dev Team to push its unlocking tools and UltraSn0w on Friday. Note that this unlock is only valid for the iPhone 3G. According to the Dev Team, this hack may be applicable to the new iPhone 3G S if it can be jailbroken, which should happen sometimes soon.

Guide To Unlock iPhone 3G (2.2.1 Firmware) Using Yellowsn0w

This is a good news for iPhone 3G users who do not intentionally upgrade to this version of firmware (Quick tip: It’s always good for you to turn off auto-upgrade in iTunes) and are searching for ways to unlock iPhone. Here I try to show you a solution for that. But, before read on, please note that this solution does not fit for all iPhone 3G. It's specially for unjailbroken iPhone 3G and 2.2.1 firmware users only.

Let me remind you here, "unlock" word is refer to the process to open up your iPhone to accept all carriers. Unlocked iPhone allows you to use SIM card from all carriers. You are no longer bind to the official carrier (e.g. AT&T) approved by Apple. And for, "jailbreak" your iPhone means you are allowed to install 3rd party applications on iPhone. Its mean to say that, this guide only instruct to you about unlocking iPhone 3G 2.2.1 firmware.

Baseband Problem..

Presently, there is no easy way or software to unlock this version of firmware. To be exact, there is no unlock solution to tackle the baseband v2.30.03, which is upgraded together with firmware 2.2.1. The latest version of yellowsn0w, the iPhone 3G unlock solution, doesn’t support iPhone with baseband 2.30.03 or up.

The Solution..

Thanks to the jailbreak community. iPhone developers have created a simple tool called “3G Fuzzyband Downgrader” to downgrade the baseband from 2.30.03 to 2.28.00. By downgrading the baseband, you can then use Yellowsn0w to unlock the iPhone. However, there is a catch. The downgrade utility only supports iPhone with bootloader v5.8. Don’t worry if you do not know your bootloader version. The downgrader will handle the checking for you. But if you’re not using this bootloader version, I’m sorry that there is currently no software solution to unlock your iPhone 3G. You can either wait for iPhone Dev team to develop the solution or you can opt for SIM-card based unlock.

Step 1: Follow this step-by-step guide to jailbreak your iPhone 3G with firmware 2.2.1. Before your start to jailbreak backup you iPhone data synchronizing it with iTunes. You may see an instruction on how to backup your iPhone.

Step 2: After jailbreak, go to Cydia and download “3G Fuzzyband Downgrader”. You may read an instruction on how to downgrade iPhone 3G baseband using 3G Fuzzyband Downgrader.

Step 3: With the baseband downgrade completes successfully, you can use Yellowsn0w to unlock your iPhone 3G. The yellowsn0w can be downloaded freely via Cydia. For details, you can refer to my post on "Guide to unlock iPhone 3G (2.2) using Yellowsn0w". Bear in mind before your start to unlock using Yellowsn0w, please skip Step 1 and Step 2 , you should start to unlock at the step 3.

I hope this guide can benefit those who got the iPhone locked after firmware 2.2.1 upgrade. But let me emphasize again. The above instructions can only work for iPhone 3G with bootloader 5.8. Good luck!

Downgrade iPhone 3G Baseband To 2.28.00 Using 3G Fuzzyband Downgrader

cFor those who have accidentally upgraded your iPhone 3G to firmware 2.2.1, this is a great news for you. As you may know, by upgrading the iPhone 3G to firmware 2.2.1, Apple also updates the baseband version of iPhone to 2.30.00. Presently, this baseband version is not supported by yellowsn0w, the free unlock software for iPhone 3G. Thus, if you have accidentally upgrade to firmware 2.2.1, there is no software-based unlock problem to unlock your iPhone 3G. But today, here is an answer you’re searching for.

Today, the iPhone hacking community releases an easy-to-use baseband downgrade solution called 3G Fuzzyband Downgrader. By using this downgrader, you can downgrade any baseband version (2.30.00 - 4.26.08) back to 2.28.00. That means you can then use yellowsn0w to unlock iPhone 3G.

The 3G Fuzzyband Downgrader can be downloaded via Cydia (BigBoss source) and it is absolutely free. But make sure you’re using firmware 2.2.1, which is one of the requirements to use this downgrader. On top of that, the downgrader only supports Bootloader v5.8. Not sure what version of bootloader you’re running on? No worry. The downgrader application will automatically detect the baseband version for you.

The app is extremely simple and intuitive. What you have to do is to launch the downgrader and tap the “Downgrade” button. It’ll then verify your bootloader version and proceed with the downgrade.

Once you have the baseband downgraded, you can use Yellowsn0w to unlock your iPhone 3G 2,2,1 firmware. I still have to warn you: Use it at your own risk and make sure you only run the app on iPhone 2.2.1.

Yellowsn0w 0.9.6 BETA Is Available Now

iPhone Dev-Team posted the third update for this unlock application. Yellowsn0w 0.96 beta is just released! As mentioned by the Dev-team, the updated version provides even more bug fixes over the previous ones. If you fail to unlock your iPhone 3G previously, please download this latest version and try out the unlock again. This would probably work.

You can download or upgrade yellowsn0w via Cydia. For more about information about how to install yellowsn0w, you can check out guide to unlock iPhone 3G (2.2 firmware).

Does this updated version work for your carrier? Feel free to leave comment and let us know your result. Also, you can report the unlock result to iPhone Dev Team directly via this link.

iPhone 3G Unlock Report

Does Yellowsn0w works for your carrier?

Before you try out guide to unlock iPhone 3G (2.2 firmware) using Yellowsn0w, you probably want to know whether yellowsn0w works for your carrier. iPhone Dev team has published an iPhone 3G unlock report. The report shows the general results of iPhone 3G unlock for different carriers, ranging from carrier in Australia to carrier in Vietnam.

By the time I write this post, based on the user-submitted report, the success rate of iPhone 3G unlock is around 60%. I believe the success rate will be increasing as some users reported that the latest version (v0.9.5) of yellowsn0w works with their choices of carriers, which previously did not work on the older version.

So, in case you fail to unlock the iPhone 3G previously, try out Yellowsn0w 0.95 BETA and check out the iPhone 3G unlock report.

Guide To Unlock iPhone 3G (2.2) using YellowSn0w

The unlock solution (codename “yellowsn0w”) of iPhone 3G has been released right now with great news and a big start for 2009. iPhone Dev Team has already made the unlock simple by using Cydia. This guide just re-organizes all the important hints/stuffs and procedures, so perhaps any novice and beginner can handle it very well.

Let me remind you here, "unlock" word is refer to the process to open up your iPhone to accept all carriers. Unlocked iPhone allows you to use SIM card from all carriers. You are no longer bind to the official carrier (e.g. AT&T) approved by Apple. And for, "jailbreak" your iPhone means you are allowed to install 3rd party applications on iPhone. This applies to all version of firmwares.

As the unlock application only works on baseband 2.28.00 and jailbroken iPhone, there are a couple of things you get to prepare before going ahead to download yellowsn0w. Before start to unlock, Please read this post first about qouted from iPhone Dev Team about baseband 2.28.00.

Preparation

Step 1: Make sure you have to upgraded to iTunes 8.0.2 and backup your iPhone data by synchronizing it with iTunes 8.0.2. You may see instruction on how to backup your iPhone data.

Step 2: You have to jailbreak your iPhone 3G first. The unlock application “yellowsn0w” can only work on jailbroken iPhone as you’ll need to use Cydia to download the unlock application. And the unlock can only work with firmware 2.2 baseband. If you haven’t done that, please follow this jailbreak guide (using QuickPwn 2.2).

Note: For Mac user: Even if you have jailbroken your iPhone using PwnageTool 2.2, please do use QuickPwn 2.2 for Mac to jailbreak again. The reason for a 2nd jailbreak is that PwnageTool 2.2 doesn’t upgrade the baseband to 2.28.00. Please follow this jailbreak guide (using QuickPwn 2.2).

Step 3: Check your iPhone 3G baseband: Go To Setting > General > About > and look for "Modem Firmware" version. You should notice your Modem firmware is 2.28.00.

Note: Disable PIN Sim Card: Please disable any PIN on your SIM card in case you have any before using yellowsn0w.

Unlock iPhone 3G using Yellowsn0w via Cydia

Note: Before you go ahead to download yellowsn0w and unlock iPhone 3G, let me put it straight. You’d use the unlock application at your own risk. As mentioned by iPhone Dev team, the unlock application v0.95 is in beta and it’s impossible to test the unlock with all SIM cards & carriers. So, there’s a chance the unlock solution does not work for you.

Step 4: You’ll have to add iPhone Dev-Team sources to download yellowsn0w. Launch Cydia > Manage > Sources > tap "Edit" button > tap "Add" button Then type “http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com”. Plase note that its a zero 0 not an o in "sn0w" spelling. Next, tap “Add Source” button. Wait until Cydia prompts you the complete message and tap “Return to Cydia”. If you not sure to add sources you can check out my post on how to add sources for Cydia.

Step 5: Next, tap “Done” and then tap “apt9.yellowsn0w.com” from the list of sources. You’ll then find the “yellowsn0w” application for download. Tap on it and then tap “Install”. Then tap “Confirm” to start download. (Note: The latest version of yellowsn0w is 0.95 beta). Alternatively, you can find "yellowsn0w" by go to Cydia > Sections > Utilities > yellowsn0w and tap it to install.

Step 6: Once the installation is complete, tap “Return to Cydia”. And then press “Home” Button to go back to the home screen.

Step 7: Press the “Power Off” button and hold it off until you see the “slide to power off” message. Then slide to switch off the iPhone.

Step 8: Wait until your iPhone completely shutdown. Insert your desired SIM card in iPhone and turn on your iPhone. If you do not know how to remove SIM card, you can refer to this article from Apple support for details.

Step 9: Once your iPhone boots up and you see the “Slide to Unlock” screen, wait for around 15 seconds (may be more its around 1 minute) and your iPhone will pick up the signal of the carrier.

Step 10: If there is no signal pop up, try to pull out the SIM card and re-insert it. Wait for another 15 seconds and see if this works. You should now be able to make calls with your desired carrier.

Trouble Shooting While Unlocking

• After you go through all the steps and it still doesn’t work, try to toggle “Airplane Mode”. You can go to “Settings” -> Turn ON "Airplane Mode". Wait for 5 seconds, then switch it off again. This may help to pickup the carrier signal.
• Also, sometimes, a network reset will make the thing works. You can go to “Settings” -> “General” -> “Reset” -> “Reset Network Settings” to reset the settings. After that take out the SIM and re-insert it, see if this works.
• If you’re in US and using T-mobile, you’ll need to turn off “3G” in Settings to make the unlock work. Also if you are good with the command line, you can make it much easier by adding the line -q right after the /usr/bin/yellowsn0w line in /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.iphone-dev.yellowsn0w.plist (that’s and advanced tip, hopefully someone will make a boosprefs type of tool for it).
• No PIN support. Please disable any PIN on your SIM card in case you have any before using yellowsn0w or unlock.
• The unlock will silently quit on anything other than baseband 02.28.00. It detects the wrong version and just quits to avoid any damage. Please double check your Modem Firmware setting in Settings->General->About-> and look for Modem Firmware version.

What else you can do if its still does not work?

Don't be frustrated. Please accept that yellowsn0w is still in beta and it’s not an easy task for iPhone Dev Team to make it work for all SIM cards and carriers in the world. iPhone Dev Team is working very hard to fix bugs and releasing update to make the software work for you.

1. At the mean time, you may uninstall yellowsn0w from Cydia and use back the SIM card from the official carrier. And wait for the next update of yellowsn0w. I’ll always keep you informed once the update is available.
2. OR, you won’t give up and want to have a 2nd trial. You can always try to pull out the SIM card and re-insert it again for any number of times. That won’t harm.
3. Finally, you can ask for help. You can consult the iPhone Dev-Team blog for help.
   

iPhone 3G Unlock Update: yellowsn0w 0.95 BETA is released!

iPhone Dev Team is working deligently and now yellowsn0w 0.95 beta, the unlock solution for iPhone 3G, is just released. The new update fixes a number of issues including some SIM Toolkit (STK) issues.

Also, I recommend you to submit any issue to iPhone Dev Team directly in case your unlock is not a success. You can report your issue here.

iPhone 3G Unlock Solution With Latest Baseband (2.28.00)

iPhone Dev Team has released iPhone 3G Unlock solution (code name “yellowsn0w”). As are mentioned in its blog, the unlock solution is now only work with baseband 2.28.00 (the most recent baseband). That means the yellowsn0w 3G unlock solution is now for everyone!

Quoted from iPhone Dev Blog, a few notes about the unlock application:

• There is a known issue with SIM cards that have STK (SIM Toolkit) application menus. These menus are usually items such as “top up” “get credit” “lotto numbers” etc. These menu items confuse the application sometimes. Removing and reinserting the SIM once after reboot (give it about 10 secs after you see the slide to unlock widget) fixes this issue. We’re working on a better fix.
• For those of you using SIM cards without STK menus, the application has some optional arguments that will make the unlock much faster for you. So either experiment on your own (use “yellowsn0w -h” for usage) or wait for a customization writeup.
• After you install yellowsn0w via Cydia, you should return to the Cydia main menu then reboot your iPhone with the 3rd party SIM installed. Wait for the slide to unlock screen, then wait 10 or 15 secs more. If you don’t see your carrier name pop up, then remove your SIM, reinsert it, and wait 10 secs more. This is the step we’ll be working on eliminating next.

You should aware that the unlock application is still in BETA. There is a chance that it may not work for some SIM cards and carriers. And a special note for T-Mobile User: To make your unlock a success, you should first turn off the 3G switch in Settings.

Before you can use the unlock solution, you should first jailbreak the iPhone 3G and upgrade to the latest baseband (2.28.00). That’s important. Otherwise, you will not be able to use the unlock. For more information about jailbreak firmware 2.2, you can check out this jailbreak guide.

The 3G unlock solution is now available via Cydia and Installer. You can download it by adding its Cydia source (http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com/) or Installer source (http://i.yellowsn0w.com/). You can check out my post on how to add Cydia's sources.


The unlock application is actually a small program with no GUI that is launched on boot. It injects the payload at boot and also whenever there is a baseband reset. The process is automatic, so you won’t notice anything about it and you should expect the iPhone 3G is unlocked after reboot.


Note: You should ensure you’re using baseband 2.28.00. You can check your baseband version by tapping “Settings” -> “General” -> “About” -> Modem Firmware

For details about the unlock instructions, please check out the official release note at iPhone Dev Blog. And do remember to leave comment and let us know if the unlock works or not!