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The iOS 4 Upgrade, Jailbreak, and Unlock FAQ [Updated 8/2 - Updated Flow Chart]

thelatinist

thelatinist

macrumors 603
Original poster
Aug 15, 2009
5,937
51
Connecticut, USA
With the release of the new JailbreakMe.com 2.0 (Star) Jailbreak, it is now possible to upgrade any iDevice that supports it to iOS 4.0.1 and then jailbreak simply by visiting JailbreakMe.com in MobileSafari and sliding to jailbreak. The iPhone 3G and 3GS can be unlocked with ultrasn0w 0.93. The iPhone 4 unlock will be released in a day or two.

Please Note: It is still advisable for old-bootrom 3GS users with 3.1.2 or lower SHSH on file to use PwnageTool to upgrade so that they can remain "on the jailbreak train," ensuring their ability to upgrade to future versions while preserving the ability to unlock. I have updated the Decision Tree to reflect this:

Correction: the updated version of ultrasn0w for iPhone 4 mentioned in this chart has not yet been released, but is expected very soon.

treewe.png



Now that iOS 4.0 has been released, this board is being flooded with questions about the proper way to upgrade while preserving your ability to jailbreak and unlock. I have created this guide to answer those questions and provide a pre-emptive warning to people looking to upgrade to 4.0.

1. Where can I find reliable information on how and when to upgrade?

There are only three sources I would trust for reliable information on how and when to upgrade:

MuscleNerd's Twitter: This will be the first source of information on whether it is safe to upgrade to the release version of 4.0 and/or iTunes 9.2. He may also give specific warnings for users who require unlocks, etc.

The Dev-Team's Twitter: this will have official release information for new Dev-Team tools.

The Dev-Team Blog: This will have the official announcement of any tool the Dev-Team releases to jailbreak or unlock the iPhone.

These sites will always have the first information. Any information on other sites not derived from one of these sources should be treated with great suspicion.

2. When will I be able to JAILBREAK my phone on 4.0?

That depends on what device you have and, if 3GS what bootrom you have:

3G - The Dev-Team has now posted links to Redsn0w 0.9.5-5 beta, which now supports 4.0 jailbreak and hacktivation of the iPhone 3G. The 3GS is still not supported in this beta.

3GS ("old" 359.3 bootrom) - PwnageTool 4.0 has now been released. It allows owners of old-bootrom 3GS phones to do a "jailbreak train" upgrade to 4.0 by creating a custom pre-jailbroken firmware. To use this tool, you must be already have an untethered jailbreak by a method other than Spirit. Do not upgrade directly to 4.0 official; restore only to a custom firmware..

3GS ("new" 359.3.2 bootrom) - JailbreakMe.com is now live, with the ability to jailbreak the iPhone 3GS.

iPhone 4 - JailbreakMe.com is now live, with the ability to jailbreak the iPhone 3GS.

3. When will I be able to UNLOCK my phone?

3G, 3GS - Now! With the release of ultrasn0w 0.93: it is now possible to unlock any baseband released since iPhone OS 3.0, i.e., basebands 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.12.01, and 05.13.04. This means that if your iPhone can be jailbroken at 3.0+, you can unlock it by adding the repo http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com/ to Cydia and installing ultrasn0w.

iPhone 4 - Soon. The Dev-Team is in the final stages of testing the iPhone 4 unlock. It should be available within a couple of days.

4. What if Apple releases an update? How will I know whether it is safe to upgrade to iOS 4.x and/or iTunes 9.x?

I cannot stress this point enough: wait for official information from the Dev-Team. If you wait for their official go-ahead it is almost certain that you will eventually be able to jailbreak and unlock your phone...or at least to maintain your jailbreak. But you must be patient! Prematurely upgrading can endanger your ability to jailbreak or unlock indefinitely.
 
I thank you for making this FAQ. It seems more and more uneducated users are posting the same questions over and over. And it seems that only a handful of us users answer these questions. Mainly: myself, pixelated, -aggie-, labman, SFStateStudent, thelatinist, Applejuiced, and dhlizard. (Sorry if I missed anybody, this is just from observing new threads)
The number of new threads is overwhelming. Hopefully this will answer many questions.
 
benflick said:
I thank you for making this FAQ. It seems more and more uneducated users are posting the same questions over and over. And it seems that only a handful of us users answer these questions. Mainly: myself, thelatinist, Applejuiced, dhlizard. (Sorry if I missed anybody, this is just from observing new threads)
The number of new threads is overwhelming. Hopefully this will answer many questions.
Click to expand...

Dont forget Aggie and labman :)
 
Sticky for sure gets my vote.

I have been a avid viewer of this site for a couple of weeks now and am definitely fed up with repeat answers and untrustworthy knowledge.
Yes I am a newbie. The whole unlock, jailbreak and tethering talk is a minefield to me.
I am ashamed to admit that I got caught out by one of these pay for your unlock sites that offer 100% money-back guarantees, great customer service 24/7 and they unlock any iphone, totally misleading to people that have not the knowledge.
I appreciate all you guys n girls that keep us informed of relevant information pertaining to our problems and can completely understand your tiredness in answering the same old questions.
So yes to the sticky one place to go to find the info need during this time of confusion to most in the similar situation to I stuck with a unusable phone on
3.1.3 and 05.12.01 or similar.
Keep up the good work everyone be it known someone appreciates your good intent as well as all the developers of the different hacks and cracks.
 
-aggie- said:
It would be nice, but they never stickied thelatinist’s jailbreak guide either. Besides, I don’t think newbies read posts right below new posts they make, so they won’t see the stickies anyway.
Click to expand...

I also think some of these should be stickied (at least while they are hot topics). Seems that rarely happens.

@thelatinist - good job, as usual.
 
dhlizard said:
I also think some of these should be stickied (at least while they are hot topics). Seems that rarely happens.

@thelatinist - good job, as usual.
Click to expand...

Thanks, everyone. I think if you want something stickied you really need to use the report button to contact the mods; I'm not sure any Mod actually reads this forum on a regular basis...
 
Great thread dude! I agree completely that it needs to be a sticky!!!! I search these forums daily at the moment for information regarding the possibility to unlock my 3GS, and having all the info in one thread instead of having to read all the noob threads would be amazing!

When can i unlock my 3GS?




...i'm just kidding
 
Apple will push iOS 4 final version tomorrow on June 21st so I decided to write this article about the Final Version of iOS 4 for iPhone and iPod Touch, In this article I will be covering everything you need to know before updating to iOS 4 including Jailbreak, Device Support, Compatible Apps, iTunes, and More!

​
iTunes Update?
Apple has already pushed iTunes 9.2 for public for both Windows and Mac users, But the iPhone Dev Team advised us not to update iTunes to iTunes 9.2 version because you may can't jailbreak after the update but msf.guy already showed how to Jailbreak using PwangeTool Bundles, more Details posted here.

Jailbreak?
Don't Update if you got a Jailbroken iPhone using Spirit, comex the developer of untethered Spirit Jailbreak tool for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad has tweeted advicing people not to Update to iTunes 9.2 (This means not to update iOS 4) if you already have a jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch.
DO NOT UPDATE TO ITUNES 9.2 IF YOU ARE USING SPIRIT until I learn what's going on.​
But Don't forget that Dev Team will release Redsn0w 0.9.5 final version to Jailbreak iOS 4 tomorrow when it got released by Apple so I advice you not to update till they Release Redsn0w, You can stay tuned on Twitter or on Facebook.

Unlock?
Oh, forgot about the Unlock, MuscleNerd a trusted person in the iPhone Dev Team has confirmed that iOS 4 on both baseband 05.12 and 05.13 will be unlockable and probably on iPhone 4 Also! Just Keep around for the Guide about the Unlock whenever it's released.

Apps?
iOS 4 got a new amazing Feature which is Multitasking between Apps, So developers have to update their Apps for iOS 4 compatibility. If you are going to update to iOS 4 tomorrow then Make sure to update your Apps too.
Update: Just added a list of Apps ready for iOS 4 with Multitasking features, Check the List posted here.

Backup and Save SHSH
You decided to update, then don't forget to back up SHSH Blobs as Apple prevents you from downgrading unless you’ve got a backup of your personalized SHSH blobs. I already posted Full Step by Step guide to Save SHSH of iPhone 3.1.3 for Windows and Mac users, Guide posted here.
Backup: Download iTunes 9.2 and run a manual backup (right click on your phone in iTunes, hit backup)

Device Compatibility
iOS 4 will be fully compatible with iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 3G but iPhone 3G and iPod touch 2G won't get multitasking, custom wallpaper, and Bluetooth keyboard support as Apple maintains the hardware isn’t capable. But comex is working on making iOS 4 available on iPhone 3G and 2G Also! But bad new for iPad users, iOS 4 will not be compatible with iPad!!

Missed Something?
Hope that I didn't miss anything and I covered all you need to Know before updating to iOS 4, But if I missed something Hope you let me know by the comment section below :)
 
Wicked Work!!!!

gr8 work guys!!!! I really appreciate d trouble u went thru to create this thread...
i follow dis forum everyday for some updates on the new OS jailbreak and unlock front...
dis does sum up everything nd helps a lotta ppl stop askin same repetitive questions...
keep up d good work and do let us know when the new jailbreak and unlock tools r released...
 
Thanks! Sounds like a reason to keep my 16gb 3GS on 3.1.2 for a little longer...I'm looking forward to it.
 
SocialMedia said:
DO NOT UPDATE TO ITUNES 9.2 IF YOU ARE USING SPIRIT until I learn what's going on.​
)
Click to expand...

I am 3.1.3 jailbroken with Spirit and I'm using iTunes 9.2 just fine thank you. Maybe you should really learn what's going on before giving this kind of advise? :)
 
globalist said:
I am 3.1.3 jailbroken with Spirit and I'm using iTunes 9.2 just fine thank you. Maybe you should really learn what's going on before giving this kind of advise? :)
Click to expand...

That is a direct quote from the maker of Spirit. Until we hear from Comex, I would say it's still good advice, whatever anecdotal evidence you might have to offer.
 
thelatinist said:
That is a direct quote from the maker of Spirit. Until we hear from Comex, I would say it's still good advice, whatever anecdotal evidence you might have to offer.
Click to expand...

I think the only reason to not upgrade if you jailbroke with spirit is if you are planning to restore and rejailbreak with spirit.....thats what Ive heard that if you already have jailbroken with spirit that you can update, but if you plan to jailbreak with spirit, then dont update
 
ACardAttack said:
I think the only reason to not upgrade if you jailbroke with spirit is if you are planning to restore and rejailbreak with spirit.....thats what Ive heard that if you already have jailbroken with spirit that you can update, but if you plan to jailbreak with spirit, then dont update
Click to expand...

Yes, I read the same thing so I updated iTunes. Do not plan to rejailbreak.
 
taran420 said:
im soo lost, i should read up. Do i have to wait till iOS 4 is released or can i use the GM version?
Click to expand...

Some people have already upgraded to custom 4.0 GM firmware using a hacked version of PwnageTools. Those people are able to install the updated version of ultrasn0w to unlock their phones (assuming they still have the 04.26.08 baseband). Anyone who upgrades to 4.0 official will upgrade their baseband to 05.13.04 and will have to wait for an even newer update to ultrasn0w.
 
thelatinist said:
Some people have already upgraded to custom 4.0 GM firmware using a hacked version of PwnageTools. Those people are able to install the updated version of ultrasn0w to unlock their phones (assuming they still have the 04.26.08 baseband). Anyone who upgrades to 4.0 official will upgrade their baseband to 05.13.04 and will have to wait for an even newer update to ultrasn0w.
Click to expand...

ok cool, im gonna read up and try to upgrade to the GM version. Still on 3.0.1 :p
 
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