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)
it says “the iphone ‘iphone’ could not be restored. and unknown error occurred (21).” what do i do?!?!
KOAS…Thank you so much!!!
I was with the same problem, and now I can dial on my phone!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
I am getting the same error as Tom in the very last step: the iphone “iphone” could not be restored. An unknown error occured (21).
I am on my company’s Exchange Server and don’t know if that would have any impact.
Does anyone know if I’ll lose all of my emails if I do a normal restore? My phone isn’t working at all right now, just has a USB cable with an arrow pointing to iTunes on the screen. It is imperative that I have my phone functioning before Monday but I also can afford to lose all of my emails by doing a factory restore. I just tried going through the entire process again but I’m still getting the same error message.
Any help would be appreciated.
“”error occured (21)”"
Are you using a new mac (i.e. one of the new ones from oct 2008)? I had this problem, and I tried it with my old G4 and it worked. I also used QuickPwn instead of Pwnage Tool.
KAOS,
Thanks, your fix for the dial pad worked like a charm. I was afraid I would have to redo everything and then reinstall all of my apps. for a second time. I may stay away from “Kate” this time.
Jason
….
Okay…
I go through the entire process, the program says I go into DFU mode at “9 seconds” then iTunes starts up and says there is an error and wants me to reconnect the iPhone.
At this point, the phone will not go into DFU mode unless I do a “hard reboot” where I hold Power and Home for 10 seconds.
So I do that and then it goes into DFU mode…
I then try to shift/click Restore and select the custom firmware this way and it does not work after the entire process completes and then sticks in DFU mode with the iTunes+Cord picture.
I don’t understand? Is the problem that iTunes starts up once the phone goes into DFU mode with Pwnage? I have iTunes off the entire time until this moment it automatically starts up.
“Your iPod has been detected but could not be identified properly… etc.. An unknown error occured. (2001)”
Nevermind this is obviously screwed up because my MBP is from October since they replaced it completely for me at the Apple store around this time.
I guess I am simply SOL on this one, however I will try it on my friends MacBook that may be from earlier in the year.
If not there is no Windows solutions is there as I heard you don’t want to use QuickPWN for future reference?
What exactly CAN I do in my situation?
Hello,
I did unlock as per the instructions. The iphone was unlocked successfully. I can make calls and receive calls, but cannot access internet. Can anyone help me out. I can see the ‘E’ beside the vodafoneIN, but cannot browse the internet.
i download the Download PwnageTool 2.2. I wont open up and i assume its not reconizing it. i also download QuickPWN. Is it because im using a PC, not a MAC?
Got two iPhones. Using T-Mobile. Jailbroke using pwnage 2.2.1. Installed latest version of yellowsn0w. One phone is working fine. The other cannot find the network. Both SIM cards work in the working phone…so it isn’t the SIM card. I jailbroke and unlocked the non-working phone three times. No change. Also rebooted, turned off 3G network, locations, and data roaming, turned on and off the airplane mode (on the working phone, when I do this it takes several seconds to find the network and connect. With the non-working phone, it looks for like a 1/4 of a second and just rests with a single dot. After a minute or two it shows “No Service.” Any thoughts anyone?
Very, very good, accurate walkthrough. Thanks a lot!
- iPhone 2G
- was neither unlocked or jailbroken
- did as described above in the tutorial
- works all fine except:
– mail is not working properly
– app store does not work, message: Cannot retrieve download info. Please connect with iTunes
– iTunes app (on iPhone) does not work
What do I have to do to make this work?
I update my iphone 3G to 2.2 by itunes then I jailbreak with quickpwn 2.2 but phone is still lock. I try to restore to 2.1 but when I connect to itunes its tell me wrong simcard pls contact provider or insert correct simcard. I cant even restore to original settings!!? Can you help me???
In all the articles I don’t read anything about the disadvantages of modifying the iPhone. So for example, if unlocked, can I still use mail, iTunes, mail etc. … is that all functional when I buy this GSM sim film that is getting sticked on the chip? By the way I have the iPhone 1st G.
alex u try to forget your network on your setting , wifi section and than retype your password hope this will work because mine after this done
i have the 3g best way i jaibreked it was to down load the pawng file to my desk top make sure you have the lates up grade for your phone do not upgrade 2.2.1 or you will lock out your phone you need to make sure your computer in newre iwas useing my older one it took for ever plug in your i phone to usb ope pawng let it run follow step by step if you have 1st gen phone you can upgrade to 2.2 os on that phone it will work i have done it for a lot of my friends it takes a litle longer but it works if your phone freezes just un plug start again do not do it this way it takes to long down load a free version of pawng by saurik
Hi. I just learned about jailbreaking after I upgraded to 2.2.1 firmware. Does anyone know if there is a software to either downgrade or jailbreak phone. Please let me know because I am dying. I need to turn my phone into “my phone.”
I have the same question as Aja. What do I do?
where to download iPhone1,2_2.2.1_5H11_Custom_Restore.ipsw
anyone give me a currect link??>?
thanks.
You need to build it using the pwnage tool
my i phone has freazy amd is givin me some prombles and i dont kwn wat to do
Winpwn says Please wait while your Iphone/Ipod is being Jailbroken for like one hour.
On my iphone it shows the custom boot logo i put on there and its just sitting there with the circle with the white dashs. there not moving there frozen.
Someone help please!!1
I have upgrade with itune by mistake now i want to unlock how i can down grade to old baseband thanks pls help me
I accidentally updated my iphone 3g to 2.2.1 firmware when i was getting my phone unlocked officially by vodafone..
I have been hearing that if i attempt to jailbreak my iphone 3g with 2.2.1 firmware installed, my iphone will become permanently locked..
Is that true? what do i do now that i have 2.2.1 firmware and I want to jailbreak it?
what if you already installed 2.2.1 on iphone?
what step would i take?
just downgrade to 2.1?
download 2.2?
I had a few issues with my iphone when i tried to jailbreak it, but it’s actually really straightforward & this guide really does help a lot. if you’re jailbreaking your phone with no intention of unlocking it (which would be the case with me,since NZ iphones thankfully are already unlocked) feel free to upload your iphone software to 2.2.1. the key is getting the right firmware. just check out the names on the ipsw files. if it says “iPhone1,1_2.2.1″, then it’s referring to iphones that have already upgraded to 2.2.1. if it only says “iPhone1,1_2.2″, then that’s for the software using 2.2. i’ve already downloaded 2.2.1 on my iphone 3g but “iPhone1,1_2.2.1_5G77_Custom_Restore.ipsw” still worked for me. note that i used this because i initially had issues with finding a network on 5H11. Obviously, because i used 5G77 this meant that my iphone wasn’t on the latest software this just wasn’t good enough for me because i’m easily annoyed like that. So i just restored to the normal un-jailbroken 2.2.1 version using the restore function on itunes (though i often got heaps of error notes. just persevere! keep trying to restore to it in restore/dfu mode & you’ll eventually get it). i ran pwnage tool again, following the instructions on this guide to create another ipsw this time using 5H11. my jailbroken iphone now works perfectly! what i mean to say is that sometimes even the smallest errors can occur & completely throw things off. but with a little perseverance (& possibly going back to redo the steps again & again if you have to) you’ll get it in the end. oh! & don’t forget to back up!
Sorry, i meant “iPhone1,1_2.2_5G77_Custom_Restore.ipsw” still works. notice that this says “iPhone1,1_2.2″ rather than “iPhone1,1_2.2.1″. what this means is that when you jailbreak your iphone it will turn to the 2.2 software, even if you’ve already upgraded to 2.2.1. When you look on settings>general>about in your iphone you’ll see that under version it’ll say “2.2(5G77)”. If you want to keep 2.2.1 & you built iPhone1,1_2.2.1_5H11_Custom_Restore.ipsw it will say “2.2.1(5H11).
the main thing i found is that if anything seems to be not functioning properly, i just restore it to the unjailbroken version via itunes then start the process again, building a new ipsw because you don’t want to reuse an ipsw that’s already proven to be corrupted (hence the errors)
sorry again. these ipsw names are for 3g iphones. 2g iphones will vary, but the same principle still applies i’d imagine. from the guide, the only difference i see in ipsw names is the use of “custom” in 3g iphones. 2g iphones don’t use it in their ipsw names
few questions…DFU mode was successful using pwnage tool…so, i opened itunes as instructed…pressed option+restore…clicked that custom firmware file created by pwnage tool but there was an error 21 after extracting that software. what do you think is the problem? should i restore it again in itunes? i’m using OS 10.5.6…02.30.03 something…what should i do more?
What if a 3G phone has already been updated via itunes to baseband 02.30.00? Is it impossible to unlock? Is there no way to restore it to an older baseband version?
we have the same problem…got a 2.30.03…something…
@ Koas
THANK YOU!!!! haha that post is mad long ago but it helped me so much. it worked perfectly!!
Koas you are a star, I’d had problems with the dialer stalling before, had to go through a whole restore process again until I found your solution. Thanks for taking the time to post it
Any info on how to use another sim with baseband 02.30.00? Please help, my phone is locked.
So I tried jailbreaking my iPhone 3G. It says it’s been successfully pwned, BUT there is no evidence it has transferred to my phone…I have no new logos or apps showing up…
I was able to jailbreak a 3G iPhone with 2.2.1 using the new aluminum MacBook with no modifications. I couldn’t enter DFU mode with the iPhone connected directly to the MacBook which is the problem that most people are experiencing, but it works perfectly when connected through a cheap usb hub that I had laying around.
I have the same problems with Murray and QR..i used pwnage tool…DFU mode was successful…went to itunes…pressed option+restore…but the custom bundle firmware can’t be opened…it was error 21…iphone could not be restored…i don’t know the problem…i’m using OS 10.5.6 does it have something to do with that? please let me know…it’s an exciting discovery..hope i won’t run out of patience…HELP!
will this delete my apps?
Thank you so much. I have been unable to use my iphone since christmas!! This did it!!
I’ve tried using this guide to unlock my iPhone 3G but now I can’t get any signal on T-Mobile, anyone else had this problem or know how to fix?
i resently jailbroke my iphone 3g , and working fine
thanks bro i un- installed kate and got my dialer pad back u saved me lol thx
how about the newest version?
I have an Iphone 2g and have dont all the step corectly I upgraded my pwnage tools to the latest and I am using a 2.2.15h11. once I create the new custome I follow the steps to put it in Dfu mode once in the mode there is an error and my mac wont recognize the phone. So I did it by using restore mode and it all seems like it is going to work until it suddenly comes up with anyone error. I cant understand what is wrong I have done these directions 3 times and I tried using the older guide as well but no luck. Does anyone have a clue how to jail break my phone?
I jailbroke my 2G with no problem. Now I want to Jailbreak my 3G. My 3G has firmware 02.30.03 , 2.2.1 (5H11). Will I be able to jailbreak my IPhone 3G?
My question refers to:
[Update 1]
….
New MacBook and MacBook Pros are reportedly blocking first-time jailbreak attempts, but should work fine with already-jailbroken iPhones.
I have a MacBook Pro that I purchased in april 2008 (details are: Model Name: MacBook Pro, Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1, Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo, Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz) and my I-phone (3G with 2.2 firmware) has never been jailbroken. With these conditions, does the procedure described in
http://www.intomobile.com/2008/11/23/iphone-dev-team-does-it-again-pwnage-tool-22-jailbreaks-iphone-22-os.html
work ?
I have an iPhone 3g 2.2.1 and a 13-inch macbook,
did exactly as detailed here on this tutorial
and everything worked great
thanks for the tutorial
hello pros ,
i have a iphone 3G from AT&T. i JB with 2.2.1 and install the quickpwn 2.25. then i realize that there is no signal. the carrier was AT&T.
then i read some comand regarding JB which says that yellowsnow 9.8 cannot work on 2.2.1 firmare.
then i down grade to 2.2 firm ware, and JB. I install yellowsnow9.8.
yet i still do not have any signal. i tried to switch off and on, take out SIM card whatever, it just does not work.
now i am running on 2.2(5G77) version with 2.30.03 modem firmware.
Pleassssssssse,,,,,some guru …
get me some solution,,,,,it takes your a second and save my IPhone 3G’s life.
deeply appriciate..
—-GUNIT
Followed these instructions in extreme detail just to see if they worked. Everything worked fine. Just a rather lengthy procedure, that’s all.
My iPhone 3G is not working after i have updated it from itune. it’s keep on giving me message like “update from iTune” and neither it is copying and deletign anything on the memory. Help please………urgent
I have unlocked/jailboken my IPhone entered my Sim Card and Unlock Chip. The phone connects to my service provider (vodaphone) for about 30 secs then looses the connection and gives a message of either No Service or No Sim Card installed. Is the unlock chip faulty or is the unlock/jailbreak incomplete. I have all the apps and wireless connection (conected through home Broadband) working fine apart from the phone??
hi… i dont know what happend to my iphone 16gb.. when i turn it on…there only comes pine apple logo….it stops there…nothing else appear…can any one help me plz…what to do..??