iPhone and iPhone 3G jailbreak and unlock guide – Pwnage Tool 2.2 jailbreaks and unlocks iPhone 2.2 OS!
By Will Park on Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 at 1:39 PM PST In Announcements, Apple, Applications, Developer, iPhone, iPhone OS
The iPhone 2.2.1 OS has been jailbroken via PwnageTool 2.2.5 and QuickPWN 2.2! But, you have to update your iPhone 3G using Pwnage Tool if you plan to someday unlock your iPhone 3G.
And, with the release of the iPhone 3G unlocking software, dubbed yellowsn0w, the iPhone 3G can now be unlocked to work with any GSM network in the world.
The iPhone 2.21 OS had gone live mere days before the venerable and always reliable iPhone Dev Team released their iPhone 2.2.1 OS jailbreak solution. The Pwnage Tool jailbreak utility, which has been at the forefront of the iPhone jailbreak scene since its release, is now compatible with the iPhone 2.2.1 OS.
That means Joe iPhoneUser can now update their iPhone or iPhone 3G with a jailbroken version of the new iPhone OS. This is important because the PwnageTool-based iPhone 2.2 OS jailbreak is the only way to preserve your iPhone’s older baseband firmware.
The iPhone’s baseband firmware lies at the heart of the battle for a viable iPhone 3G software unlock solution. The iPhone Dev Team is working hard to discover an iPhone 3G soft-unlock solution, but be warned – you must update to iPhone 2.2.1 OS using PwnageTool if you ever plan to unlock your iPhone 3G. Of course, if you have and original iPhone, don’t care about unlocking your iPhone 3G, or have a Windows machine and don’t care about unlocking your iPhone 3G, you can easily jailbreak iPhone 2.2 OS using QuickPWN.
[Update 3]
iPhone 2.2.1 OS has been released and the iPhone Dev Team has countered with a new PwnageTool release. PwnageTool 2.2.5 is now officially available to jailbreak any iPhone or iPhone 3G. Even better, PwnageTool 2.2.5 preserves the 02.28.00 baseband firmware that is required for “yellowsn0w” to work. You MUST update to iPhone 2.2.1 OS using PwnageTool 2.2.5 if you ever hope to unlock your iPhone 3G.
This guide has been edited to reflect the release of the iPhone 2.2.1 OS and PwnageTool 2.2.5.
[Update 2]
With the release of the yellowsn0w utility from the iPhone Dev Team, iPhone 3G users no longer have to preserve their older baseband in order to unlock their handset for use on any GSM network. In fact, the iPhone 3G software unlock will only work with the newer baseband that comes bundled with the iPhone 2.2 OS.
This guide has been edited to reflect the release of the yellowsn0w iPhone 3G unlocking utility.
[Update 1]
Please note that PwnageTool is a Mac-only utility. PwnageTool 2.2 will jailbreak your iPhone and iPhone 3G to whatever iPhone OS version you choose.
New MacBook and MacBook Pros are reportedly blocking first-time jailbreak attempts, but should work fine with already-jailbroken iPhones.
Follow this iPhone 2.2 OS jailbreak guide to ensure that your iPhone 3G’s baseband firmware is preserved for any future iPhone 3G software unlock solutions (First-generation iPhones can be unlocked regardless of iPhone OS version, this guide can be applied to iPhone 2Gs): to jailreak your iPhone or iPhone 3G.
If you’re looking to unlock your iPhone 3G for use on any GSM network, find our iPhone 3G unlock tutorial at the end of this jailbreak-guide:
- Download the iPhone 2.2 OS firmware through iTunes
- Connect your iPhone to your computer
- Check for updates to your iPhone
- Download the latest iPhone firmware ONLY – DO NOT INSTALL it!
- Download PwnageTool 2.2
- PwnageTool 2.2.5 – Mac OS X torrent file
- PwnageTool 2.2.5 – Mac OS X direct download
- Fire up Pwnage Tool 2.2.5
- Select “Expert Mode”
- Select your iPhone version (iPhone 3G or iPhone)
- Click “Next”
- Allow Pwnage Tool 2.2.5 to find the iPhone 2.2 OS firmware that you downloaded via iTunes
- Select the iPhone 2.2.1 OS firmware
- iPhone firmware filename – iPhone1,1_2.2.1_5H11_Restore
- iPhone 3G firmware filename – iPhone1,2_2.2.1_5H11_Restore
- Click “Next”
- Select the “General” category
- Click “Next”
- General Settings:
- If you have a legitimate iPhone contract with your carrier (for instance, and iPhone contract with AT&T (NYSE: T)), you will need to uncheck the box next to “Activate”
- If you don’t have a legitimate iPhone contract with your carrier, you will need to ensure that the box next to “Activate” is checked – this will “Hacktivate” your iPhone or iPhone 3G for use on an official iPhone-carrier’s network (note, this is not the same as unlocking the handset for use with un-sanctioned GSM networks)
- Change Root Partition size to 1000MB
- Click “Next” (Keep clicking “Next” until you get back to the “Build” screen)
- Select “Build”
- Click “Next”
- Save the custom restore file to your desktop
- The iPhone file should be named – iPhone1,1_2.2.1_5H11_Restore.ipsw
- The iPhone 3G should be named – iPhone1,1_2.2.1_5H11_Custom_Restore.ipsw
- Wait for PwnageTool 2.2.5 to build your custom iPhone 2.2 OS firmware file
- When asked if the iPhone has been Pwned before, choose the appropriate option
- iPhone 3G:
- “NO”
- iPhone (never Pwned – No pineapple logo):
- “NO”
- iPhone (previously Pwned – Has pineapple logo):
- “YES”
- iPhone 3G:
- Connect your iPhone
- Follow directions to enter “Restore Mode” - (If you’re already running a “Pwned” iPhone, just skip ahead to the iTunes restore sequence)
- Hint: Press the “Power” button slightly before pressing the “Home” button. Remember, press “Power” just a tick before pressing “Home”
- Hint: Press the “Power” button slightly before pressing the “Home” button. Remember, press “Power” just a tick before pressing “Home”
- If you followed the directions correctly, you will be rewarded with a blue window exclaiming your success – this is a good thing
- Click “OK”
- You will see “I Can Haz Success”
- Quit Pwnage Tool 2.2.5
- Fire up iTunes
- You will be told your iPhone needs to be restored
- Click “OK”
- Option+Click Restore (VERY IMPORTANT) – iTunes restore sequence
- Make sure you hold down the “Option” key on the keyboard while clicking on “Restore”
- Choose the “iPhone1,1_2.2.1_5H11_Custom_Restore.ipsw” from your desktop
- Click “Open”
- Wait
- Wait some more
- After some more waiting, you will be told that your iPhone that your iPhone has been restored
- Click “OK”
- Disconnect iPhone AFTER iTunes recognizes it
- Restore backup of iPhone data
- Start enjoying your jailbroken iPhone or iPhone 3G running iPhone 2.2 OS!
- (Hit the below link to unlock your newly jailbroken iPhone 3G)
Last – 7th step:
Choose the “iPhone1,2_2.1_5F136_Custom_Restore.ipsw” from your desktop
doesn’t matter whether I am using 2G or 3G?
There is no use for the generated file (at least I don’t see it used anywhere)?
So far I couldn’t get this working with my iPhone 2G.
i cant dial numbers or cal anyone who is not on my contact list. How can i fix this?
Same thing happened to me as with kika. I want my emoji….
doesn’t work the 2.2….
it can’t make the file……
Peter:
The filename is an example (in this case for the iPhone 3G). Pwnage Tool will create a new .ipsw file with the “custom_restore” filename. It should be saved to your desktop.
kika:
Try restoring again with custom restore file (custom_restore). You might want to try making a new firmware file (start from the beginning of this guide).
I hope this helps!
i get this error message when i try to build:
“No Bootloader v3.9 file found! Would you like to search the web for this file?”
i hit “yes,” but browsing to the file i downloaded gave me this error message:
“Sorry, but that doesn’t appear to be the proper file.”
stuck!
“Option+Click Restore (VERY IMPORTANT)
Make sure you hold down the “Option” key on the keyboard while clicking on “Restore”
Choose the “iPhone1,2_2.1_5F136_Custom_Restore.ipsw” from your desktop
Click “Open”
That’s pretty stupid to post an erroneous instruction like that to confuse people. That is the firmware for 2.1!!
iPhone1,1_2.2_5G77_Custom_Restore.ipsw is the firmware you will be choosing.
Like there isn’t enough confusion on the net…..
Will this process unlock a 2G iPhone for use with T-Mobile?
Be sure to download the correct .ipsw:
1,2_2.2 Means iPhone second generation (3G), firmware 2.2
1,1_2.2 is the one for EDGE iPhones (1st gen)
“The PwnageTool-based iPhone 2.2 OS jailbreak is the only way to preserve your iPhone’s older baseband firmware”
Is this absolutely irreversible? Because by mistake I updated to iPhone 2.2 OS using iTunes and not PwnageTool… The new baseband firmware blocks it from working with my SIM cards (Vodafone Spain and unlocking one) but I still had access to the other iPhone functions and Apps this morning. Then I tried to jailbreak it with QuickPwn and now I can’t even get iTunes to recognize my iPhone. I know I screwed up but I hope if theres a way to fix what I’ve done and to unlock it? Thanks for any help.
If after the jailbreak you can’t make dial calls because the phone dialer freezes and goes back to the main menu, try this:
1- Uninstall Kate from Installer: this is what everyone recommends, seems to work for a lot of people but didn’t work for me.
2- Then go to Installer again and uninstall these apps:
A) Mobile enhancer
B) RIP DEV preferences
3- Reboot your iPhone.
That’s what I did and got my dial pad back again.
Hope this helps someone, I spent like three hours searching for a solution…
Hi Koas. I had the same issue and I did what you said and didn’t work for me. Is that for the firmware 2.2.1?
I have a 2G Iphone which i bough in China. If I download the Iphone jail break or Iphone 2.2 OS will it work with the China Iphone?
Besides I don’t have a Mac. I only have a PC.
BTW my Iphone is already unlocked.
thanks man, it worked for me
Gday – I tried to update a 1st Gen iPhone from 1.1 to 2.0.2 and 2.1 and 2.2
Nothing would work – Pwnage 1.1 said it wasn’t compatible with my iphone – the Pwnage 2.2 kept giving me the error ‘“No Bootloader v3.9 file found! Would you like to search the web for this file?”i hit “yes,” but browsing to the file i downloaded gave me this error message:
“Sorry, but that doesn’t appear to be the proper file.”
I tried with all kinds of files including the correct one. I got fed up of trying & used restore in iTunes (OH NO!!)
Now I’m really stuck. Is there a way to get my iPhone back to an older software version?
I managed to update my iPhone 3g to 2.1 easily with Quickpwn – thought it would be easier for the 1st gen phone. It is now updated to 2.2 but I can’t activate it as I was using it unlocked & don’t have the SIM to unlock it (hence the jailbreak).
Any help would be appreciated – Would be a shame to bin this phone – I planned to use the 1st gen & get rid of the 3g as I don’t need the 3g
I got my iphone 3G 2.2 to work but it can’t see my carrier or get a signal. What can I do to make it work?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I followed directions (I have a pwned Iphone 3G) and successfully upgraded to 2.2 preserving the 2.1 baseband. Everything looks fine but I cannot get any signal on my phone. I redid everything twice and its still not working. Any ideas?
Same here. No signal. I restored to 2.1 and went to ATT, who quickly activated it and got the signal recognized. I went home and repeated the jailbreak steps. I’m now back to having no signal.
Used Pwnge Tool 2.2.1. on my 3g Iphone, followed directions, did it three times and
still same results, I lose my camera and photo widgets everything else is there, including installer and cydia.
DW the problem is because you download the wrong firmware…. make sure you download the proper restore firmware for iphone 2g or iphone 3g
DW I did download the correct firmware.
After reading the previous comments I have to conclude that this process is risky. So many people are having issues! I have a jailbroken iPhone 3g, and would like to get the 2.2 firmware. But, I haven’t really heard anything about 2.2 that is that cool. Why not just stick with 2.1? Please advise this “Joe Iphone” user.
After upgrading my 2G iphone to 2.2, I used QuickPwn (mac version). Seemed to work fine but …. I had trouble with this until I worked from a windows machine!! Had to install iTunes too, of course. The mac version of QuickPwn did not work– I had a locked SIM.
Dropping signals after upgrade in every 5 minutes how to fix please let me know any body?
Worked perfectly, much thanks to you brother
this software doens`t working in windows!!!
Though I would update for any having the dramas I was (no 3.9 Bin file). Make a folder on your desktop – and put the application and the firmware in that folder before running the app. Then it asks for Bin 4.6 – so download that into the folder & it will all work.
Hi I had no probs installing and don’t seem to have any problems other than iTunes no longer verifying cracked apps that worked in the 2.1 jailbreak. Has anyone else had this problem and are there any ways of fixing it?
i bought a 3g iphone like 3 months ago so when i bought it i told the lady it was for a gift but she said that in orde for me to get for 200.00 bucks in my upgrade i would have to choose there plan witch was an extra 30 bucks for the internet so i told ok well then i take my phone home and jailbrake it running version 2.0 put in the simcard from my old phone and it worked fine i just didnt have internet but i had wifi…. 2 weeks after that i call costumer support and tell them i dont have the iphone3g anymore so they took the 30 bucks off my bill so i have a working jailbroken iphone with my normal plan i had before….. now i see version 2.2 out and i have been asking around if i can update to 2.2 and then jailbrake it and there not sure if it will work with me keeping my normal plan of not paying the 30 extra bucks so can anybody help me and confirm this?
So you cant use windows it has to be mac?
Followed the steps as described and i’m getting a 1600 error. I’ve tried a few times, rebuild ipsw, but nothing
What to do?
Thanks for any assistance!
rgds EYE
btw i’m on a mac (osx 10.5.5)
the comments here aren’t so positive about the walkthrough but i wanted to give it a shot anyway.
after trying it, i must say that it is an excellent walkthrough! despite that i’ve encountered 2 errors at the beginning part where it said cannot DFU mode correctly, i click okay to retry (twice) and everything went smoothly and successfully.
i’m using iPhone 3G with carrier and i updated my firmware on iTunes to the latest 2 (drats! i read that i shouldn’t cos’ there is a new unlock that is coming out in NYE) before i installed pwnage tool 2.2.
my osx version is 10.4.11.
thanks for the walkthrough, Will Park!
i want to jailbrake my iphone 3g i updated it to 2.2 using itunes. i need a noobs guide please help.
I jailbroke my iPhone yesterday from 2.1 to 2.2, but keeping the old baseband using Pwnage Tool on the Mac, and last night, I noticed that pictures I was downloading onto my camera from email was coming up all fuzzy in the Camera Roll. The weird thing is that it is coming up fine in the text of the email itself, but when I save it onto the phone’s memory, it comes up out of focus when I look at it in the Camera Roll (kind of like when you flick through pictures and it takes a second to focus, but it never does).
Another strange thing is that this is happening to all pictures that I have downloaded from email to the iPhone previously, even though before it was working fine.
Also, I downloaded the pictures onto my computer and then synced it onto the phone, and when I view those pictures on the iPhone, they come up fine. So it’s just in the Camera Roll that this problem exists. This tells me that it isn’t the file itself, but the way the iPhone is displaying the files in the Camera Roll that is the problem.
Does anyone know why and how I can fix this?
Thanks.
I just went through the directions and finished the jailbreak but nothing changed on my phone. I restored the phone and then there is no cydia icon or anything to enjoy the changes.
Any help would be appreciated.
When i downlaod the firmware and unarchive it automatically turns the ipsw file into a a file structure (showing contents) and hence cannot be chosen by pwnage application… Any help?
Koas – thanks, it worked… Now I can use the dial pad.
PIP
My phone died! i could not power on after the DFU. Anyone, help!!!
Hi! when i run itunes and i click restore with the control key, it say something about an error (21), can u help me?
Koas thank you!
I completed the pwnagetool2.2 for my iphone and sent it into dfu mode correctly. However, when Itunes popped up, I accidently canceled all the notes Itunes popped up for me and I think one of them was to restore the iphone. Now my iphone 3g is in dfu mode and i can’t get it out because I do not know how to restore it because of my mistake. Plz help. thankyou
I figured out my problem so no need to answer. Sorry for the trouble.
So i got the same error message as murray, what do we do about this problem?? error 21
if you need help unlocking and iphone or iphone 3g please add me to you msn and ill explain all the way!!
leo_torres32@hotmail.com
see ya soon
thanks a lot for your information, I hope it work to my phone
Its worked. It kept searching for my mobile provider but I restarted the phone and it picked it up – Thanks
When I downloaded the firmware file I got a lot of small files, dfu file, etc and there’s no .ipsw file……..
what should I do to get the firmware file from this?
i resently jailbroke my iphone 3g but while going through the prosses i did not click on the installer package durring the quickPwn set up, would it be okay if i just pluged my phone back in and re-did it or no? please help
NOU !!! CEA MAI SIMPLA MODALITATE DE DECODARE A UNUI IPHONE 3G ! ( 2.0 ; 2.1 si 2.2 !!!) X-SIM Model 2009 special pt Iphone 3g 2.2 ! NU PIERZI GARANTIA ! NU AFECTEAZA TELEFONUL CU NIMIC !!!! COMPATIBIL CU ORICE CARTELA SI ORICE RETEA INTERNATIONALA !!! 3G-ul si Roaming-ul ACTIV !!! UNIC IN ROMANIA ! DETALII PE : http://GSM.BaRLadUL.Ro