Preparing the iPhone 3G S for jailbreaking/unlocking

Updated: August 9, 2009

Who is this guide for?

• 3G S iPhones on 3.0 or 3.0.1 firmware only!
• Those interested in jailbreaking and unlocking the iPhone 3G S.
• Make sure to Sync your iPhone prior to using this tutorial. This way your personal information, and any App Store applications will be preserved.
• Requires iTunes version 8.2.
• I used OS X 10.5.7.

The iPhone Dev Team made this post about how to prepare the iPhone 3G S for jailbreaking and unlocking. If you have already updated to 3.1 firmware then hope may be lost forever.

The downside to this process is the team says you have to go through the restore process twice (once in normal mode, once in DFU mode) to retrieve the files you need. Others have posted on the team's site stating that while normal mode produces only one file (the iBEC), DFU mode produces both files (iBEC and iBSS) needed, and that the iBEC file is identical from both restores. So you only need to perform the DFU mode restore. You can take that for what it's worth, I did it both ways.

Like you, I wish the iPhone Dev Team would just give us the necessary, and shortest steps to this process. I may update this to a proven easier method at some point. There is a terminal command "while sleep 1; do cp -R /tmp/PersonalizedRestoreBundle.* ~/Desktop; done" that can be used to copy the needed files off during the restore, so I will try that next.

Step 1.

Sync your iPhone with iTunes prior to performing anything else in this tutorial!

Step 2.

Click on your desktop so you see Finder in the tool bar at the top of your screen. Click the Go menu, then select Go to Folder...




In the pop up window that opens type in: /tmp   Then click Go.




Another window will open. You may or may not have files in here already. If you have things in your folder, click on the Date Modified header to place the most recent files at the top. This way the folder that we are looking to duplicate will appear at the top of the list so that it can be duplicated quickly.




Download the iPhone 3G S 3.0 firmware here. Next make a folder called iPhone 3G S jailbreak files (or whatever you want) and place the firmware file in it.




Launch iTunes with your iPhone plugged in. Press the Option key on your Mac, then click the Restore button in iTunes.




Now go to your iPhone 3G S jailbreak files folder. Select the 3.0 firmware, and click Open.




You will be warned that you are about to restore your iPhone. So if you forgot to sync in Step 1, maybe you should do it now? Otherwise, click Restore.




Various status messages will appear from iTunes while it restores the iPhone.




48 seconds (or so) after clicking restore, the folder we need should appear. It will be the first thing to appear in the folder as well. In this example its name is PersonalizedRestoreBundle.Ff8zLrBmIm.   Yours will be similar, except for the characters after the period. You have to copy this file quickly! It disappears in four seconds! Check out this video if you want to see how fast it appears and then disappears. The secret is be ready to click on it right away by positioning your cursor at the top of the window, then press and hold the Command key on your keyboard and press the D key. This will duplicate it in the tmp folder.




Within seconds, another PersonalizedRestoreBundle file appears (with different characters after the period). A third PersonalizedRestoreBundle file will appear after that. Duplicating either of these files will not help you, you must get the first file. Repeat this process if need be. Note: One reader has told me their files appeared in other bundles, and not the first one.

Once you have duplicated this bundle, look inside it to verify the presence of the iBEC.n88ap.RELEASE.dfu file.




Now drag this folder into your iPhone 3G S jailbreak files folder for safe keeping.

Step 3.

Meanwhile, back in iTunes, check the Restore from backup button and click Continue. Your backup will be restored in a few seconds.

Step 4.

Now we have to enter DFU mode and restore the iPhone again, to get the iBSS.n88ap.RELEASE.dfu file. With iTunes open, turn off the iPhone. Press and hold the Home and Power (sleep/wake) buttons.




Count to ten. Release the Power (sleep/wake) button.




Continue holding the Home button until a pop up message appears from iTunes




Press the Option key on your Mac, then click the Restore button.




Head back over to your iPhone 3G S jailbreak files folder, select the 3.0 firmware and click Open.




This time we are going to have even less time to grab the folder we need and duplicate it, so be ready! Check out this video if you want to see how fast it goes down this time. As soon as you see the folder appear, click it, then press and hold the Command key and the D key. It took me three tries to grab the folder this time.




Make sure you have the iBSS.n88ap.RELEASE.dfu file.




Now drag this folder into your iPhone 3G S jailbreak files folder for safe keeping.




Once again you can restore your phone from a backup. Then sync it, and just wait for 3.1 firmware to arrive along with the jailbreak and unlock.