wnageTool 3.1.5 has been released by the iPhone Dev Team. It is for use with all models of iPhone. It will allow you to install the (essentially worthless) 3.1.3 firmware update and maintain your unlock. I will post tutorials as soon as I can. I'm hosting Pwnage Tool 3.1.5 here. You can also download this from the iPhone Dev Team from their latest blog entry here.

Update: The 2G jailbreak/unlock tutorial is here. It will be at least a day before I get to the other tutorials.

Update 2: The 3G jailbreak/unlock tutorial is here.


-- February 7, 2010 15:04 MST







Apple has released iPhone firmware 3.1.3 today. If you value having a jailbroken and unlocked phone, then DO NOT UPDATE! It's as simple as that. iTunes does NOT force updates on the iPhone, so there is NO excuse for mistakenly updating. When the iPhone Dev Team figures out the jailbreak, I'll update the tutorials as usual. As always, my firmware download links, with detailed info on the update are here.




-- February 2, 2010 12:17 MST



edsn0w 0.9 has been released by the iPhone Dev Team earlier today. Since it has been AGES (last July) since redsn0w has been updated, you may have forgotten the purpose of this program.

This program is only for iPhone users who are already on the firmware that they want to have jailbroken. redsn0w will jailbreak your iPhone as it is (and leave all your personalizations, and data intact). Redsn0w does not create a custom ipsw that you can save to your Mac for use later. Because of this fact, your iPhone will already have the correct modem firmware (baseband) for the firmware you are running. What does that mean? It means if you have an iPhone 3G or a 3G S, then you will be using blacksn0w to unlock since you will be forced to have 5.11.07 modem firmware and ultrasn0w can not unlock this version. Remember, blacksn0w seems to cause loss of Wi-Fi issues for people, so use at your own risk. Ultrasn0w only unlocks the iPhone up to 4.26.08 modem firmware. So if you are still running 4.26.08 modem firmware, then use PwnageTool to create a custom ipsw so that you can keep your modem firmware untouched and still have the ability to install the newer 3.1.2 firmware.

If you want to read more about redsn0w, the team posted a new wiki entry on it here. You can download redsn0w from the team here, or from me here.

I will be making a tutorial for how to use redsn0w 0.9 for the 2G iPhone, I however can not make tutorials for the 3G or the 3G S. Why? Because my 3G and my 3G S are both unlocked and on 4.26.08 modem firmware and I'm not going to potentially screw them up by updating to 3.1.2 (and 5.11.07) and then having to trust that blacksn0w will not mess up my Wi-Fi when trying to unlock 5.11.07. I may be able to make simulated tutorials of how the process should work. I'm not a fan of simulated tutorials, but they may be beneficial to some. Check back here or my Twitter feed for when the tutorials are posted.

Update: I can't get this program to work with 2G or 3G firmware. Tested it also on my PPC Mac, which the program says it runs on, but the program does not run on PPC. 3G S firmware seems to be working. The only thing I can do for now is make a simulated 3G S tutorial.

Update 2: The simulated 3G/3G S tutorial is posted here.

Update 3: The team has updated redsn0w to fix the bugs with 2G and 3G firmware not working. I'll post the other tutorial up in the next day or so.

Update 4: The 2G tutorial has been posted here.

Update 5: The team has updated redsn0w 0.9.x THREE TIMES in the last 24 hours (as of February 1st, 2010). I've updated my download links in the tutorials so that you can download the latest STABLE release (there's a beta 0.9.3 that I won't even talk about) which is 0.9.2. I however do not have the time to update my tutorials three times in 24 hours so that all the screen shots match the program interface, and document any other changes. I'll check back in a few weeks, and if the dust has finally settled on this program, then I'll update my two tutorials.


-- January 31, 2010 9:04 MST



eoHot has released an unlock for 5.11.07 modem firmware! He is calling this unlock blacksn0w and it will be part of the blackra1n program, and also released individually on Cydia - for those who are already jailbroken. It will work on the 2G (jailbreak only) 3G and the 3G S. I will have a tutorial up for using blackra1n and blacksn0w together, and one for those who just need the unlock using blacksn0w from Cydia. I will be testing all this on a 3G that is on 3.0.1/4.26.08 and is already unlocked to prove it works. I will also update the PwnageTool guides to include the Cydia version of blacksn0w. These tutorials will be posted as fast as I can make them today.

Update: Here's the 3G and 3G S tutorial for jailbreaking and unlocking on 3.1.2 firmware with 5.11.07 modem firmware: http://www.hackthatphone.com/3x/b_3_1_2_3g.html

Update 2: I have updated the PwnageTool guides for the 3G and 3G S to include blacksn0w unlocking instructions. I have also updated the blackra1n tutorial above to include blacksn0w installation instructions using Cydia.


-- November 3, 2009 10:37 MST



The iPhone Dev Team has just released PwnageTool 3.1.4. You can read their post on this here. Details to follow.

You can download PwnageTool 3.1.4 direct from me here.

Update: The 2G jailbreak and unlock guide is posted here.

Update 2: The 3G jailbreak and unlock guide is posted here.

Update 3: The 3G S jailbreak and unlock guide is posted here.


-- October 13, 2009 00:49 MST



s of the first of November I'll no longer be able to create any tutorials unique to having AT&T service. My employment situation, being what it is, has forced me to cancel my official iPhone plan. I can no longer justify the expense of their service plan anymore. This should only affect a couple tutorials relating to MMS, visual voicemail, and 3G service.


-- October 6, 2009 15:22 MST



recent post at the Chronic-Dev blog lists some of the details of their upcoming greenpois0n program. The most notable feature is: "The first revision will support OTB [out of the box] iPhone 3G[s] devices, or ones that have been upgraded without an ECID backup. On firmware 3.1 (build 7C144)". This program will appear to operate as simply as purplera1n did. You won't need to download the official ipsw, or compile it. Everything will be done on the fly on the iPhone itself.


-- October 6, 2009 05:20 MST



have added a tutorial (which will be completed when the jailbreak for 3.1 firmware has been made public) for 3G S users that will help you locally create, store, and validate your ECID SHSH here. This tutorial is based on the programs Umbrella and TinyTSS.

I also hear iTunes 9.0.1 is safe and does not hamper the jailbreaking process.


-- September 23, 2009 05:15 MST



ou might want to consider getting your ECID SHSH on file with Cydia as soon as possible. Here is my scenario: iPhone 3G S, jailbroken and unlocked on 3.0.1 firmware. I did not have the opportunity last time to get my ECID SHSH on file with Cydia. Today I launched Cydia and was presented with a new opportunity! I pressed the reconsider button, then the make my life easier button, waited about one minute, and then received the message that my 3.1 ECID SHSH was on file with Cydia. I want to point out that I did NOT edit my hosts file as Saurik has discussed earlier. So get this done now, it's a no brainer. If Apple should release a new firmware on Friday of this week, like some are speculating they will, then you will not be able to get Apple to sign your 3.1 firmware any more.




-- September 22, 2009 12:13 MST



he iPhone Dev Team posted today to further clarify the jailbreaking and unlocking requirements for the iPhone 3G S. You can read their full article here. They did NOT release a jailbreak for 3.1 at this time.

In short they said:

• "We fully recommend redirecting your iTunes signing process through saurik’s “on file” server to future-proof your 3GS jailbreak through all future updates." This is done by editing your hosts file. See my tutorial here.
• "AFTER ADJUSTING YOUR ITUNES SETUP, YOU SHOULD STILL AVOID DOING AN ACTUAL FIRMWARE UPDATE."
• "If you update your 3GS (or 3G) to 3.1, you will lose your carrier unlock, possibly forever. Even if you downgrade from 3.1 to 3.0, you will have lost your carrier unlock." That is because basebands have never downgraded in tandem with the main firmware.
• "You’ll soon be able to create custom 3.1 IPSWs using PwnageTool that let you pre-hack your 3.1 update in a way that preserves the carrier unlock."

-- September 15, 2009 10:07 MST



aurik has posted a very lengthy article which will concern those of you lucky people (I was not one of them) with the iPhone 3G S that were able to get their ECID on file with Cydia. You can read that post here. Since I could not perform this process, I can't write about it either. No tutorial for this one. Unfortunately this special through Cydia was available for such a short, and unannounced period of time, that most of us didn't know it existed. You would only have known if you opened Cydia around the time 3.1 firmware came out. Saurik's method will allow those of you with your ECID on file to restore back to 3.0 firmware, and for even fewer people, back to 3.0.1 firmware.

Saurik has said that ModMyi.com has created a forum section specifically for questions pertaining to ECIDs that are on file with Cydia. So definitely stop by and ask all your questions here.

I think I will make a simulated tutorial for this. I don't have a messed up 3G S iPhone to put through the wringer here, but I can show you how to do this. I'm not a fan of simulations as I like to see things actually work right before my eyes. But there really isn't much to this. I've already heard of people having success with Saurik's method. I've also heard people on 3.1 have been able to go back to 3.0, of course their baseband was not downgraded so they have no carrier signal.

Update: I have posted a tutorial here. I welcome input to improve it.


-- September 14, 2009 18:13 MST



f anyone out there with an iPhone 3G S has updated to 3.1 firmware, I would like to know if you are able to determine your ECID and obtain your iBEC and iBSS files.

Here is my ECID tutorial. The step where you place your number into GeoHot's webpage will not function anymore.

Here is my iBEC iBSS tutorial.


-- September 11, 2009 11:10 MST







have renamed the Forums navigation menu to News feeds. I think this became especially important right now. We are all waiting for the jailbreak for 3.1 firmware. There are issues with anyone on a 3G S that has not already obtained their ECID, or iBEC or iBSS. Many people are working on different things simultaneously, and many are posting on their individual sites about this. I created this section to link to what I feel are the best Twitter accounts and blogs of various Dev Team members, and to forums that contain iPhone news and hacking information. These are the sites I stay up on, and you may want to read as well. If I'm missing someone let me know, but I think I have everyone. I did not list all of the Dev Team's various Twitter pages as only some members actively tweet. I've even created my own Twitter page, as I see this site has been buckling under the strain today.


-- September 10, 2009 13:35 MST



Apple has released 3.1 firmware and iTunes 9 today. I would not update to either of these if you value your iPhone being jailbroken and/or unlocked. Wait until the iPhone Dev Team has said that it is ok (in the case of iTunes), or has released updated versions of PwnageTool and redsn0w/ultrasn0w. As always, the links to the new firmware files are posted on my Firmware Updates page here.



Update: I've read those with already jailbroken iPhones have no issues using iTunes 9. MuscleNerd states that the unlock exploit is closed as Apple has shrunk the AT (attention) command set by 52%, eliminating the command needed by ultrsn0w to function.

Update 2: MuscleNerd states that it is okay to use iTunes for iPhones that are already jailbroken and unlocked. I would imagine if you are not already jailbroken or unlocked then it could be a problem for you.


-- September 9, 2009 12:36 MST



f you are like me and have way too many applications on your iPhone (and like to orgranize them) then you already know what a chore it is to position them just so. Movement to the rescue! Jeff Stieler created this application to save you a lot of time moving your icons around the various pages of your iPhone or iPod Touch. Yes, it works with jailbroken iPhones too! This program is in beta, but it's also free, for now. I gave it a try and it's super easy to use. You can add extra pages, remove pages, and easily move icons anywhere you need to. It has a couple bugs, like a redrawing issue. All you need to do is minimize and maximize the application and that will solve it. Here's a screenshot of the program.




Here's Jeff's demo video.




You can download Movement here. There are support forums here. Last but not least, here's Jeff's blog.


-- August 24, 2009 10:54 MST



ver the last few days there has been a bit of discussion on several sites about a few companies, some developers, and their ability to track your geographical location through time (and who knows what else), then upload that data. The data would be used by companies like Flurry, Medialets, Mobclix, or Pinch Media. These data mining programs are placed within other programs you download from Apple's App Store to better understand how the customers uses the product. For some, this is invasive, and up until now there hasn't been a way to opt out of this monitoring, save for not using the program. You can read more about this at the iPhone Dev Team's site (which links to other investigative blogs) here.

Pinch Media contacted Saurik (the creator of Cydia) about this issue who was then able to create an opt out program for such tracking programs. It is called PrivaCy and is for jailbroken iPhones only. I guess the ability to create nice little pie charts, like the one from my previous post, will be impacted by these measures.




-- August 21, 2009 11:00 MST



inch Media, who provides detailed information about the emerging mobile application ecosystem, has published statistics regarding jailbroken iPhones. They claim 8.6% of the more than 30 million iPhones now in the world are jailbroken. I'm surprised the percentage isn't larger, but it seems to be growing rapidly from week to week. Read more here. These numbers remind me of the Mac versus PC battle.




-- August 14, 2009 11:00 MST