[Jeli]

Jailbreaking the iPhone 3GS

Hey everyone, I wanted to consolidate all the information regarding the iPhone and jailbreaking into
one place where I can keep things updated as they change. If you have any questions feel free to PM me or
ask in this thread.


DISCLAIMER

Any information used in this thread is at your own discretion. I will not be responsible if you mess
something up, brick your phone (not likely) or whatever else may happen. In this guide I will NOT cover
pirating Apps from the App store.

As of July 11th 2009 there are only two approved methods for jailbreaking the iPhone 3GS. The one
I will outline is the simplest of the two and the one I recommend for first time jailbreakers. If you take a
few minutes to browse the web about jailbreaking the 3GS you�ll come across a lot of names:

purplera1n

redsn0w


ultrasn0w

yellowsn0w

The list goes on depending on device, OS revision and who created it. We will only concern ourselves with
purplera1n. It was written by a guy named Ari Weinstein and he responsible for the original named ijailbreak.
If you�re really interested you can jump over to How I Spent My Summer: Hacking Into iPhones With Friends

Okay first let�s download purplera1n by clicking here purplera1n

Choose your operating system and download the appropriate file.

Once you have the purplera1n downloaded it�s time to connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes.

When you�re ready, run purplera1n and you�ll see a window similar to this:




Click the �Make it ra1n!� button and you will see this:



After a minute or so your iPhone screen will look like this:



At some point iTunes might tell you something like this:



Just click OK to proceed. When the jailbreak is complete you will get this window:



Your iPhone will now have a new icon on it's home screen:



Tap 'Freeze' and you'll get a window similar to this:



Tap 'Install Cydia' and you should see this:



Tap your 'Home button' to exit and then reboot.

You should now have an icon on your home screen named Cydia:



Open Cydia and after it loads you should see this on your initial run:

[Jeli]

Tap 'Complete Upgrade' and on the following screen tap 'Confirm'.

Something like this will appear on your screen after it's done upgrading:



Tap 'Close Cydia' and then reboot your iPhone.

After you reboot, open Cydia again and then tap the Search tab on the bottom.

Search for 'Mobile Substrate', like this:



Install 'Mobile Substrate' and then reboot your iPhone.


At this point your iPhone is now completely jailbroken. You use Cydia to search for Packages and
install them. Packages are released through repositories/sources that you can add to your iPhone
in the Manage section of Cydia. To find packages you can use the Search tab or the Sections tab
to see what is available on Cydia.

One thing I recommend doing is installing the Steffwiz repository. This repository will automatically
install all the readily known sources for Cydia at once so you don't have to manually do each one.

Open Cydia and tap the Sections tab:



Tap Repositories and navigate down to Steffwiz:



Install that package and then reboot your iPhone.

Navigate back to the Sections/Repositories tab and search for a new entry labeled 'All Sources':



Install this package and after it's complete reboot your iPhone.

You may encounter errors during this install, it's simply repositories that are no longer available.

Congratulations! You've successfully jailbroken and updated your iPhone. Browse through Cydia and
install your 3rd party Apps =) I recommend always reviewing the App from within the 'More Info' screen
to ensure that it's compatible with your device. Not everything is ready for the 3GS as it has only been
out a month and the jailbreak less then 2 weeks. Keep your eye on the changes tab within Cydia for updates.

Remember you can't backup jailbreak Apps through iTunes, only normal purchases. There is an App called
AppBackup (i think) that will let you backup your jailbreak stuff, which I recommend doing so you don't
have to manually install everything if you brick your phone by using a non-compatible package.

Good Luck!

[armedtank]

Nice post, should be a sticky.

[2909k]

Awesome post, and as always...thanks for your help.

[avt123]

Very nice. I agree this should be a sticky. It will definitely help out new users and users who are confused about how to jailbreak.

[cobra302]

we need one like this for the 3g!

[blopez24]

what does it mean when it says restart springboard?

[benzworm]

awesome walk-thru

[RY35AN]

Will this work for the 3G also?

Wait..nevermind

[Doc750]

thanks for posting this. The JB went through without a hitch. Although I couldn't really find the "all sources" package.

[Spdracer]

I also couldn't find the All sources

[lolstorm148]

Did you install the Steffwiz repo and reboot before looking for it?

Also might have to refresh/reload sources within Cydia.

I'm looking at it right now.

[sotapoppy]

I went through JB yesterday without a hitch. Then I unlocked my 3gs using ultrasn0w and had it running on Tmo on EDGE perfectly. Later on I couldn't locate my wifi and if I manually entered the info I couldn't connect. So I restored the iphone.

Today I tried again. The JB went ok but couldn't see the "all sources" Also when I was done with the JB I had no wifi again so this time I didn't bother unlocking. I also noticed there were no cellular network options under network like I think there were yesterday. So I restored again.

Anyone else have this problem?

[Doc750]

my phone is slower now, and it has actually locked up on me twice. I think I'm just going to restore it, and delete all this crap. I had a perfectly good working phone, and there was no need to mess with it.

Anyone have a link on how to restore it.

thanks

[lolstorm148]

what does it mean when it says restart springboard?

Restarting the Springboard is the same as a soft reset. It resets the 'home screen' of your iPhone.

[lolstorm148]

I went through JB yesterday without a hitch. Then I unlocked my 3gs using ultrasn0w and had it running on Tmo on EDGE perfectly. Later on I couldn't locate my wifi and if I manually entered the info I couldn't connect. So I restored the iphone.

Today I tried again. The JB went ok but couldn't see the "all sources" Also when I was done with the JB I had no wifi again so this time I didn't bother unlocking. I also noticed there were no cellular network options under network like I think there were yesterday. So I restored again.

Anyone else have this problem?

Ultrasn0w has bugs and stability issues, don't use it unless you absolutely need to. Haven't seen any of the problems you listed with jailbreaking. It's very important that you reboot after each step otherwise you might run into issues. Also don't ever restore from a backup, always start the phone as a new device when jailbreaking.

The availability of the 'All Sources' package is dependent on the repository being available. Sometimes it's down, so you just have to try again later.

[lolstorm148]

my phone is slower now, and it has actually locked up on me twice. I think I'm just going to restore it, and delete all this crap. I had a perfectly good working phone, and there was no need to mess with it.

Anyone have a link on how to restore it.

thanks

So then why did you bother jailbreaking if you had a perfectly good working phone and no need to mess with it? I have 2 3GS, 1 3G & an iTouch all sitting here jailbroken and loaded with 3rd party apps without any speed issues. You likely did something wrong, or a 3rd party app is affecting performance. It's recommended that you only jailbreak from a freshly restored phone before adding back all your applications and custom settings. Yes it's a lengthy process, but that's how it is.

Best method for jailbreaking/unlocking:

Backup phone in iTunes.

Restore phone to factory settings in iTunes.

Do not restore your backup, set it as a new phone.

Jailbreak exactly how it states in this guide, making sure you reboot where indicated.

Restore 3rd party Apps through iTunes or re-download through the App Store.

Do not restore from your user backup.

There is no performance hit because of jailbreaking, if you find that your phone is running slower, you did something wrong, start over.

To Unlock your phone, it depends on the carrier you're unlocking for right now. If you're unlocking to a non-3G carrier you have to disable 3G in your settings before unlocking it. There are only two current unlocks available; Ultrasn0w & Purplesn0w. Ultrasn0w is from the Dev-Team and is KNOWN to have performace/stability issues. I don't recommend using this unlock. Purplesn0w is from geohot; same dude who releases Purplera1n. It is working but it is not a complete unlock; you have to have an AT&T SIM card installed for the Unlock to work. You can switch it out after. A new version of Purplesn0w is expected soon according to gehot's twitter stream with fixes for this. No idea about updates to Ultrasn0w.

Guys/Gals Jailbreaking can be frustrating and can take some time to get everything working the way you want. It's recommended if you want to really utilize the power of your phone, but it takes work and sometimes you end up having to start completely over. Also don't forget that these jailbreaks are brand new. OS 3.0 and the iPhone 3GS have been out for about a month, expect to see more jailbreak/unlock methods as things change. Also, all the Apps that worked prior to OS 3.0 and the 3GS may not work on your phone any longer. Those developers have to update their software in a lot of instances. Head over to modmyiDOTcom or theiphoneblogDOTcom and you can find lists of apps that work with the current OS and 3GS.

If it sounds like too much work for you, it likely is and you should stick to your stock phone.

[Doc750]

So then why did you bother jailbreaking if you had a perfectly good working phone and no need to mess with it? .

Which is why I'm going to restore it. Duh!

I'll just wait a few months till everyone has everything sorted out for 3.0, 3.1 .. whatever. In the mean time this phone makes calls, connects to the internet, sends me my emails, and provides a bit of entertainment. I'm happy with it. It does everything it is suppose to without me tinkering with it, like I did with the storm.

Glad everything worked out for you on all of your devices.

[slinky#CB]

I'll just wait a few months till everyone has everything sorted out for 3.0, 3.1 .. whatever. In the mean time this phone makes calls, connects to the internet, sends me my emails, and provides a bit of entertainment. I'm happy with it. It does everything it is suppose to without me tinkering with it, like I did with the storm.

The more I have the iPhone the more I'm beyond frustrated with it. As I said in the other thread, I can't set it to do certain things without some serious hacking, e.g. add alert sounds (how ridiculous.) The built in ones are terrible. I also can't have a today screen so it's easy to see what i need to do at a glance. I REALLY need a comma key on the touch keyboard and at least the period (as stupid as it is on the Blackberry) is still able to be easily accessed by double tapping the space bar which works most of the time. For the most part, I even found the Blackberry able to be customized to my liking for most tasks.

[lolstorm148]

The more I have the iPhone the more I'm beyond frustrated with it. As I said in the other thread, I can't set it to do certain things without some serious hacking, e.g. add alert sounds (how ridiculous.) The built in ones are terrible. I also can't have a today screen so it's easy to see what i need to do at a glance. I REALLY need a comma key on the touch keyboard and at least the period (as stupid as it is on the Blackberry) is still able to be easily accessed by double tapping the space bar which works most of the time. For the most part, I even found the Blackberry able to be customized to my liking for most tasks.

What does this post have to do with jailbreaking?

Alert Sounds ~ It's a jailbreak only feature as it would require the app to be running in the background to be able to play the sound. There are jailbreak apps that do this already. Jailbreaking is not serious 'hacking', it's 2-5 minutes of easiness.

Today Screens ~ Jailbreak only, also an app that requires running in conjunction with everything else. Quite a few of them available on Cydia or through RockYourPhone. So easy to install it's a joke. Again, no serious 'hacking'.

There is a comma key. Tap the symbols button to get to it. It's .. not hard.

Periods can be achieved by double tapping the space bar or through the symbols button. It's .. not hard.

Sounds like you wanted a Blackberry; I recommend the Bold.

[johnnylighton]

As the new owner of an iPhone, I can understand the frustration people have with the way Apple locks you into to doing things "their way." Most of the time, their way is the best way. But often, it's not. This is why I use a PC at home and at work and would not enjoy a Mac.

But as frustrated as I get with Apple, there's no way I would trade my iPhone for any other phone that's available. Overall, it's still awesome.

[lolstorm148]

As the new owner of an iPhone, I can understand the frustration people have with the way Apple locks you into to doing things "their way." Most of the time, their way is the best way. But often, it's not. This is why I use a PC at home and at work and would not enjoy a Mac.

But as frustrated as I get with Apple, there's no way I would trade my iPhone for any other phone that's available. Overall, it's still awesome.

How exactly are you locked into Apples way on a Mac? It offers more freedom then a PC ever will. Unix based OS that is stable and offers more utility and options. I was a PC user for 23 years, educated in IT/IS/MST; I work with PC's on a daily basis, and nothing brings me more pleasure then when I have a client that uses OSX, or when I come home and use my own.

As such I've even started on a career path switch in hopes of being an Apple developer, because their software is second to none. They may cost a bit more, but there's a reason for that. Not to mention the new line of Macbook's is extremely affordable.



[johnnylighton]

How exactly are you locked into Apples way on a Mac? It offers more freedom then a PC ever will. Unix based OS that is stable and offers more utility and options. I was a PC user for 23 years, educated in IT/IS/MST; I work with PC's on a daily basis, and nothing brings me more pleasure then when I have a client that uses OSX, or when I come home and use my own.

Here's a quick example: I suggested my parents buy an iMac. But they're old and I wanted large fonts. Guess what? No large fonts option - only a key combo for zooming in that they couldn't learn. And certain apps like Mail couldn't even be zoomed. Also, there was no way to lock down the dock. If they clicked on an icon and moved their mouse even a little up, the icon would be pulled off the dock and would disappear.

For far cheaper than a Mac, I replaced their iMac with a powerful Gateway tower and an HP 24" monitor running Vista, Firefox, Thunderbird, and Picasa, and they never looked back. They love it. It's completely stable and they can use it (and, especially, see it) more easily.

I will post more about my own use and being "locked in" to "their" way if I have time.

[lolstorm148]

Here's a quick example: I suggested my parents buy an iMac. But they're old and I wanted large fonts. Guess what? No large fonts option - only a key combo for zooming in that they couldn't learn. And certain apps like Mail couldn't even be zoomed. Also, there was no way to lock down the dock. If they clicked on an icon and moved their mouse even a little up, the icon would be pulled off the dock and would disappear.

For far cheaper than a Mac, I replaced their iMac with a powerful Gateway tower and an HP 24" monitor running Vista, Firefox, Thunderbird, and Picasa, and they never looked back. They love it. It's completely stable and they can use it (and, especially, see it) more easily.

I will post more about my own use and being "locked in" to "their" way if I have time.

So really what you're saying is you didn't know how to setup a Mac so you forced them into a less user-friendly experience =) The dock is lockable and you can scale the font in Mail quite easily. You can also set preferences for the dock and other options that even if changed, revert back after a logout; check 'Parental Controls' and 'Universal Access'. Not to mention Voice Over controls and the ability to have your mac read to you what's on the page. Half the time I have my Mac read me my emails while I'm in another space working on another project. You can also install Firefox, Thunderbird & Picasa on the Mac. Or you could use Safari, Mail & iPhoto.

[johnnylighton]

Perhaps I didn't try hard enough to make it work. But I did ask at the Apple store several times - this was two years ago, so maybe they've made additions to the interface since then?

In any case, I am loving the iPhone. =D