Some last questions before finally jailbreaking my iPhone 3GS ...

[mgpg89]

I decided I'm jailbreaking my iPhone 3GS after all, mainly for these reasons:

a) SBSettings ... I can't believe Apple hasn't included something like this themselves

b) Winterboard ... I'm a sucker for theming

and for now, that's basically all I'm intending to use the jailbreak for, but I have some last minute questions before actually doing so:


1) After jailbreaking my device, can I restore from a previous back-up again, so my app data isn't lost? (because I read somewhere it would be safer to 'start all over' again after a jailbreak ... or is this just BS?)
ANSWERED

2) I'm going to use my Mac (latest version of Leopard) to jailbreak my 3GS running 3.0.1 ... what's the best method to jailbreak? (I don't want an unlock, just a jailbreak ... since I bought my phone in Belgium, it's factory unlocked)
ANSWERED

3) I used to have an iPod touch when they first came out and I jailbroke it. Back then, the only 'app store' was Installer, but now I keep hearing about Cydia ... can anyone enlighten me on this and how the jailbreaking scene has changed since then? (just a few sentences to catch up quickly)
ANSWERED

4) Any reasons I should not jailbreak my 3GS ?

5) Anything else I should know about?

I'll post more questions as they come to mind.

Thanks in advance!

[Samuelllll]

Update to 3.0.1 (if you havent already)

Download redsn0w for mac.

download ipsw 3.0 for your 3GS ( i usually use http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/ )

run redsn0w and follow the instructions.

Easiest thing in the world to do.


Ermm, cydia, basically its a program that is installed onto your iphone, and theres loads of stuff on there, themes, applications, ringtones etc etc etc. and you simply go on it, and download what you like lol easy as that!

Need any more help or if something does wrong give us a shout :)

[mgpg89]

OK, I'll go with the redsn0w method then.
I just checked out the tutorial on iClarified and I saw this screenshot.

http://www.iClarified.com/images/tutorials/4448/16958/16958-500.png

What does 'Icy' do exactly?

[Tex-Twil]

OK, I'll go with the redsn0w method then.
I just checked out the tutorial on iClarified and I saw this screenshot.

http://www.iClarified.com/images/tutorials/4448/16958/16958-500.png

What does 'Icy' do exactly?
Icy is another app to browse repositories. It's an alternative to Cydia. You can install both an use both.

Tex

[mgpg89]

OK, thanks so far guys!

Edited the first post to reflect which questions have already been answered.

[Tex-Twil]

1) After jailbreaking my device, can I restore from a previous back-up again, so my app data isn't lost? (because I read somewhere it would be safer to 'start all over' again after a jailbreak ... or is this just BS?)

Even if a restore will work, it is better to set your iPhone "as a new iPhone". the dev-team is talking about this here (http://blog.iphone-dev.org/post/144907200/ultratips). Anyway, it is very easy to sync everything back once you set up your phone. Don't forget to copy your photos though. I don't know if it's possible to backup your stored SMS so you might Google for it if you really need to save them.


tex ;)

[mgpg89]

But starting as a new phone also deletes:

- my game high scores
- my Nike+ runs (although they are synced to Nikeplus.com)
- app preferences, etc ...

How often does Apple release an iPhone firmware update? (in other words: how often will I lose my data?)

[impulse462]

There really is no reason to NOT jailbreak your phone. If you feel that your phone is becoming sluggish it MAY be from installing mobilesubstrate but that most of it depends on the apps you install.

Another reason not to jailbreak it is if the phone encounters any physical damage and you take it to the apple store, they will not help you at all; you will have to restore to a stock firmware

Not much else there is you need to know...apple should just let us install 3rd party apps as we please

EDIT: to answer your other questions, apple does not usually release that many firmware updates, usually the .1's and .2's are anywhere from 3-6 months(estimating) all the updates which are x.0.1 or x.0.2 are just to fix current abnormalities such as 3.0.1 with the sms exploit.

And yes as other people have said it is better to always start as new phone not restore from backup especially if you were jailbroken before. A lot of problems can be retraced back to that.

[mgpg89]

There really is no reason to NOT jailbreak your phone. If you feel that your phone is becoming sluggish it MAY be from installing mobilesubstrate but that most of it depends on the apps you install.

Another reason not to jailbreak it is if the phone encounters any physical damage and you take it to the apple store, they will not help you at all; you will have to restore to a stock firmware

Not much else there is you need to know...apple should just let us install 3rd party apps as we please

EDIT: to answer your other questions, apple does not usually release that many firmware updates, usually the .1's and .2's are anywhere from 3-6 months(estimating) all the updates which are x.0.1 or x.0.2 are just to fix current abnormalities such as 3.0.1 with the sms exploit.

And yes as other people have said it is better to always start as new phone not restore from backup especially if you were jailbroken before. A lot of problems can be retraced back to that.

What is this 'mobilesubstrate' you speak of?

Do the x.x.x updates require a new jailbreak and hereby deleting everything on the phone?

Why isn't there anything like SBSettings in the App Store? Is it against Apple's policy to allow apps to have access to system prefs?

[impulse462]

What is this 'mobilesubstrate' you speak of?

Do the x.x.x updates require a new jailbreak and hereby deleting everything on the phone?

Why isn't there anything like SBSettings in the App Store? Is it against Apple's policy to allow apps to have access to system prefs?

Every app that uses an extension of the springboard such as sbsettings,winterboard,backgrounder, lockscreen or intelliscreen(idk what they're called exactly) uses mobilesubstrate. Using anyof these apps without mobilesubstrate would crash the springboard.

so mobilesubstrate is basically a "failsafe" app that runs "behind" the springboard which allows these apps to run. Problem? it runs all the time, however(especially if you're on a 3gs) the slowdown is minimal and not that noticeable but it is only fair to warn you about it.

And yes every update requires you to rejailbreak (so far)

And why isnt there an app like sbsettings at the appstore? thats a question for stevey

[IBradMac]

What is this 'mobilesubstrate' you speak of?


Do the x.x.x updates require a new jailbreak and hereby deleting everything on the phone?

Why isn't there anything like SBSettings in the App Store? Is it against Apple's policy to allow apps to have access to system prefs?

Mobile substrate. (http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103583)


Whenever there is a new update and you choose to update yes you will have to rejailbreak.

I have no clue why SBsettings is a JB only application. My question is why can't we theme our phones to our liking? Seems like such a small thing to not allow. :confused:

[mgpg89]

Every app that uses an extension of the springboard such as sbsettings,winterboard,backgrounder, lockscreen or intelliscreen(idk what they're called exactly) uses mobilesubstrate. Using anyof these apps without mobilesubstrate would crash the springboard.

so mobilesubstrate is basically a "failsafe" app that runs "behind" the springboard which allows these apps to run. Problem? it runs all the time, however(especially if you're on a 3gs) the slowdown is minimal and not that noticeable but it is only fair to warn you about it.

And yes every update requires you to rejailbreak (so far)

And why isnt there an app like sbsettings at the appstore? thats a question for stevey

My spidey sense was tingling because of the underscored part.
What about impact on battery life? (because it's running all the time)

So everytime I jailbreak my phone again after an update, all my Rolando levels are locked again? :(

[impulse462]

My spidey sense was tingling because of the underscored part.
What about impact on battery life? (because it's running all the time)

So everytime I jailbreak my phone again after an update, all my Rolando levels are locked again? :(

Well not necessarily, all your game saves will be saved in your backup if you choose to restore from that. It's not recommended however.

But jailbreaking itself wont cause the games save files to be gone.

As for the battery life, I've seen people's whos battery life have suffered and people's whose battery life have stayed the same. As for me, it really depends how much I use the phone. I wanna say the battery life is decreased just a tiny bit from a normal stock phone, but it will have no where as near an impact as how much you use the phone each day.

[mgpg89]

Well not necessarily, all your game saves will be saved in your backup if you choose to restore from that. It's not recommended however.

But jailbreaking itself wont cause the games save files to be gone.

As for the battery life, I've seen people's whos battery life have suffered and people's whose battery life have stayed the same. As for me, it really depends how much I use the phone. I wanna say the battery life is decreased just a tiny bit from a normal stock phone, but it will have no where as near an impact as how much you use the phone each day.

The jailbreak itself won't cause the games save files to be gone, but a jailbreak requires an iPhone in recovery mode which deletes all files, right?
And restoring to a previous back-up isn't recommended, so eventually, all my saved games will be lost after a fresh jailbreak.

I don't know if all this is worth SBSettings and Winterboard anymore ...

[impulse462]

The jailbreak itself won't cause the games save files to be gone, but a jailbreak requires an iPhone in recovery mode which deletes all files, right?
And restoring to a previous back-up isn't recommended, so eventually, all my saved games will be lost after a fresh jailbreak.

I don't know if all this is worth SBSettings and Winterboard anymore ...
Neither recovery nor DFU mode deletes any thing. Jailbreaking requires DFU not recovery btw.

What you can do is connect phone to itunes, back it up. Close itunes, run redsnow/purplerain and all your game files will be there plus the jailbreak.

If you want to restore, the steps are: Backup phone in itunes, restore phone, restore from backup, then jailbreak.

If you choose to restore and then jailbreak, but restore from backup, your phone will work. Will you experience problems? hard to say, but if you do, it can be retraced to the restore from backup

[mgpg89]

Neither recovery nor DFU mode deletes any thing. Jailbreaking requires DFU not recovery btw.

What you can do is connect phone to itunes, back it up. Close itunes, run redsnow/purplerain and all your game files will be there plus the jailbreak.

If you want to restore, the steps are: Backup phone in itunes, restore phone, restore from backup, then jailbreak.

If you choose to restore and then jailbreak, but restore from backup, your phone will work. Will you experience problems? hard to say, but if you do, it can be retraced to the restore from backup

Oh, I thought it was necessary to completely empty your phone before you could jailbreak ...


Can you still use iTunes to make back-ups of your iPhone when it's jailbroken?

[impulse462]

Oh, I thought it was necessary to completely empty your phone before you could jailbreak ...


Can you still use iTunes to make back-ups of your iPhone when it's jailbroken?

yessir

Jailbreaking doesnt prohit you from doing anything, just adds to the experience

[mgpg89]

yessir

Jailbreaking doesnt prohit you from doing anything, just adds to the experience

So, let me run over this one last time.

I have my iPhone 3GS, complete with saved games etc ...
I run redsn0w and jailbreak it.
Then I can use my freshly jailbroken iPhone like I would before? Meaning ... no empty phone?

If so, I'm definitely jailbreaking ...


Any other things you can recommend me besides Winterboard & SBSettings?

[jshelton]

Go for it!

You are sort of taking jailbreaking and "putting it on a pedestal" (if that makes sense). People make it a big deal and seem hesitant about doing it. With the new jailbreak processes, there is nothing to it. It takes 2 minutes, and if you don't like it, it takes another 2 minutes to restore it back to normal.

I can't imagine using my iPhone now without Backgrounder, SBSettings, Winterboard, etc.

Good luck :D

[impulse462]

So, let me run over this one last time.

I have my iPhone 3GS, complete with saved games etc ...
I run redsn0w and jailbreak it.
Then I can use my freshly jailbroken iPhone like I would before? Meaning ... no empty phone?

If so, I'm definitely jailbreaking ...


Any other things you can recommend me besides Winterboard & SBSettings?

Yeah everything you said was right

Some other things you can get are backgrounder(really nice because the 3gs has 2x more ram so the phone isnt slowed down much at all when you run apps in the background)

5-icon dock
PDAnet
mxtube(they now have yourtube which lets you download youtube videos in the youtube app itself but you have to pay for it, mxtube is free)
iFile(browse your iphone)
If you have a google voice account, you can even get the gv mobile app that was rejected by apple.

I don't have many things installed from the jailbreak, only a few, but I use the jailbroken apps all the time so.

The best thingyou can do is browse through cydia and see what different things to install. If you're a fan of classic games there is a gba, gameboy color, nes, and ps1 emulator you can install as well.

[mgpg89]

Go for it!

You are sort of taking jailbreaking and "putting it on a pedestal" (if that makes sense). People make it a big deal and seem hesitant about doing it. With the new jailbreak processes, there is nothing to it. It takes 2 minutes, and if you don't like it, it takes another 2 minutes to restore it back to normal.

I can't imagine using my iPhone now without Backgrounder, SBSettings, Winterboard, etc.

Good luck :D

I'm kinda hesitant because it was quite a hassle back when I jailbroke my iPod touch ... in the pre-App Store age

[impulse462]

I'm kinda hesitant because it was quite a hassle back when I jailbroke my iPod touch ... in the pre-App Store age

Icy is the "new" installer. Uses the same sources as cydia, but you'll just end up using cydia and not even touching icy since its just that much better.

save the 4kb of memory and dont install icy(its up to you though)

[mgpg89]

Alright, I'm jailbreaking it the moment I get it back from the Apple store (had a broken screen after performing the 3.0.1 update, probably some sort of heat problem ... but that's not the issue at hand here)

I was afraid I'd lose all my Rolando, Rolando 2, Edge, TapTap high scores etc ...

[mgpg89]

Icy is the "new" installer. Uses the same sources as cydia, but you'll just end up using cydia and not even touching icy since its just that much better.

save the 4kb of memory and dont install icy(its up to you though)

4kb of RAM memory or actual disk space?

[impulse462]

4kb of RAM memory or actual disk space?

Disk space i believe

[mgpg89]

Disk space i believe

I guess I'll just install it along with Cydia when I jailbreak my iPhone for the first time ... I can just leave it out if I don't like it as another software update comes along and I have to re-jailbreak, right?

[impulse462]

I guess I'll just install it along with Cydia when I jailbreak my iPhone for the first time ... I can just leave it out if I don't like it as another software update comes along and I have to re-jailbreak, right?

As long as you don't select the option to install it when you jailbreak in the future you'll be fine, doesnt really do any harm when you install it tbh

[mgpg89]

Another thing I heard about that looks like I would use it a lot is 'Categories' ... any experiences with that?

If so, how have you set it up?

Springboard page 1: all your frequently used apps
Springboard page 2: all your categories
something like that?

And can you change the categories icons if I choose to use it? (because the categories screenshots I've seen are reaaally ugly)

[STEVESKI07]

Another thing I heard about that looks like I would use it a lot is 'Categories' ... any experiences with that?

If so, how have you set it up?

Springboard page 1: all your frequently used apps
Springboard page 2: all your categories
something like that?

And can you change the categories icons if I choose to use it? (because the categories screenshots I've seen are reaaally ugly)

You can set up the categories however you'd like. I just use 2 categories. One for games and one for rarely used apps. That way it cuts me down from 8 home screens down to 3 home screens. They give you quite a few icons to choose from when you create a category, but I'm not sure if you can make your own. I assume you could through SSH if you can find the right file.

[mgpg89]

You can set up the categories however you'd like. I just use 2 categories. One for games and one for rarely used apps. That way it cuts me down from 8 home screens down to 3 home screens. They give you quite a few icons to choose from when you create a category, but I'm not sure if you can make your own. I assume you could through SSH if you can find the right file.

I'll take that question to MacThemes then, thanks anyway!

Another question ... does a jailbreak allow you to use BluePhoneElite with the iPhone? Or any other similar software that allows you to send text messages from your Mac using bluetooth?

[IBradMac]

Alright, I'm jailbreaking it the moment I get it back from the Apple store (had a broken screen after performing the 3.0.1 update, probably some sort of heat problem ... but that's not the issue at hand here)

I was afraid I'd lose all my Rolando, Rolando 2, Edge, TapTap high scores etc ...

Good luck! You will love it afterwards. I often wonder why I didn't JB ages ago. :)

[STEVESKI07]

I'll take that question to MacThemes then, thanks anyway!

Another question ... does a jailbreak allow you to use BluePhoneElite with the iPhone? Or any other similar software that allows you to send text messages from your Mac using bluetooth?

I'm a PC user so I wouldn't really know. I did look on their site though and it said it is not able to send text messages through the iPhone. There may be a hack out there for it, just search on Google.

[mgpg89]

What are the problems that people generally get from jailbreaking without starting over with a clean phone?

If I can't keep my data after jailbreaking without any problems, I'm not sure I'm going through with it.

[STEVESKI07]

What are the problems that people generally get from jailbreaking without starting over with a clean phone?

If I can't keep my data after jailbreaking without any problems, I'm not sure I'm going through with it.

Why would you start over with a clean phone? The other threads about affecting battery life are when people who just bought a 3GS saying that they shouldn't restore from a 2G or 3G backup.

You don't need to do any type of restore. You just plug in your phone, let it sync, and then run the jailbreak and that's it. It doesn't take long. No need to do a restore.

[mgpg89]

Why would you start over with a clean phone? The other threads about affecting battery life are when people who just bought a 3GS saying that they shouldn't restore from a 2G or 3G backup.

You don't need to do any type of restore. You just plug in your phone, let it sync, and then run the jailbreak and that's it. It doesn't take long. No need to do a restore.

Oh, great.
I was under the impression that every time I do a jailbreak, I had to start over with a clean phone to avoid battery problems.

So I can just keep on jailbreaking after every update without ever having to start with a clean phone again?
(Because that would be ideal)

[STEVESKI07]

So I can just keep on jailbreaking after every update without ever having to start with a clean phone again?
(Because that would be ideal)


Correct.

[mgpg89]

Alright, thanks a lot to everyone who has helped me out so far ...

If anyone has got anything to add to this thread, please do.

[impulse462]

Correct.

Don't you have to restore for every firmware update and rejailbreak?

even if you just update the phone, you will have to back up from restore and then re-jailbreak.

[STEVESKI07]

Don't you have to restore for every firmware update and rejailbreak?

even if you just update the phone, you will have to back up from restore and then re-jailbreak.

Putting it into DFU mode is different then a restore. When you restore, your entire device is cleared and you have to sit there and wait for iTunes to load up all your contacts, music, movies, etc. again (took me 2 hours last time I did it). This is not the case when you jailbreak or install new firmware. It just installs the new operating system, but keeps all your files and configurations in tact.

[darngooddesign]

...4) Any reasons I should not jailbreak my 3GS ?

Sorry man, but that's the dumbest part of your post.

Don't JB if you don't want the things that JBing offers. We'll help you, but we're not going to make up your mind for you.

[mgpg89]

Sorry man, but that's the dumbest part of your post.

Don't JB if you don't want the things that JBing offers. We'll help you, but we're not going to make up your mind for you.

I don't see what's so dumb about it really.

I've read reports of people saying their iPhones got less responsive, battery life deteriorating dramatically and more software glitches/issues overall after jailbreaking their phones.

Just trying to weigh the pros and cons and make my decision based on that.

[darngooddesign]

If I can't keep my data after jailbreaking without any problems, I'm not sure I'm going through with it.

Your data is on your computer, so even if you start with a clean phone you just sync the data back over.

[darngooddesign]

I don't see what's so dumb about it really.

I've read reports of people saying their iPhones got less responsive, battery life deteriorating dramatically and more software glitches/issues overall after jailbreaking their phones.

Just trying to weigh the pros and cons and make my decision based on that.

Well, if you read those threads why would we have to add that info?

Most of the whining is about slowdown, which you said you don't care about.

Yes battery life decreases, try it and if you don't like it just restore back to stock. Or if you do buy a battery pack.

[mgpg89]

Your data is on your computer, so even if you start with a clean phone you just sync the data back over.

With data, I meant saved games and app settings etc ... not music / photos etc ... you can't sync that back over, right?

[mgpg89]

Well, if you read those threads why would we have to add that info?

Most of the whining is about slowdown, which you said you don't care about.

Yes battery life decreases, try it and if you don't like it just restore back to stock. Or if you do buy a battery pack.

Because I wanted to know if those claims were valid and the majority of the jailbreakers were experiencing this as well.

Where did I say I don't care about slowdown?

[darngooddesign]

With data, I meant saved games and app settings etc ... not music / photos etc ... you can't sync that back over, right?

There's a Cydia App called AppBackup (not AptBackup) which will archive that stuff. Run it, copy that backup off the phone. Restore and JB, copy that info back to the phone and restore from it.

[darngooddesign]

Where did I say I don't care about slowdown?


Sorry, thought you said you had a 3GS so you weren't concerned about it.

Its really simple.

JB, and if you don't like it just restore.

FYI, my 3GS is powerful enough to where I don't notice anything.

[STEVESKI07]

There's a Cydia App called AppBackup (not AptBackup) which will archive that stuff. Run it, copy that backup off the phone. Restore and JB, copy that info back to the phone and restore from it.

Except it doesn't work if you have certain apps installed (don't know which ones). Any by doesnt work I mean it really messes up your phone and you have to do a full restore just to get the thing to turn back on. It took me over 3 hours total to do the full restore and then do the jailbreak and then manually add all my JB apps back. If I didn't use AptBackup, I could have just manually added all my JB apps and it would have taken 30 mins.

[darngooddesign]

Except it doesn't work if you have certain apps installed (don't know which ones). Any by doesnt work I mean it really messes up your phone and you have to do a full restore just to get the thing to turn back on. It took me over 3 hours total to do the full restore and then do the jailbreak and then manually add all my JB apps back. If I didn't use AptBackup, I could have just manually added all my JB apps and it would have taken 30 mins.

I think you're confusing the two.

AppBackup just saves AppStore game and app settigns/info. AptBackup is the one that's supposed to download all your Cydia apps in one go.

[mgpg89]

There's a Cydia App called AppBackup (not AptBackup) which will archive that stuff. Run it, copy that backup off the phone. Restore and JB, copy that info back to the phone and restore from it.

Nice, didn't know that! Thanks!
Does this work for all apps ... games in particular?

[STEVESKI07]

I think you're confusing the two.

AppBackup just saves AppStore game and app settigns/info. AptBackup is the one that's supposed to download all your Cydia apps in one go.

You're right. Sorry about that, I was reading too fast.

[darngooddesign]

Nice, didn't know that! Thanks!
Does this work for all apps ... games in particular?

Well it worked for mine. I think I had some Rolando levels. I feel your pain because without it I lost all my Zen Bound levels.

[mgpg89]

Well it worked for mine. I think I had some Rolando levels. I feel your pain because without it I lost all my Zen Bound levels.

Exactly what I'm trying to avoid ;) thanks!

[impulse462]

I already know restoring wipes your phone clean to whoever said that(too lazy to go back and quote)
But when you update you still have to restore from a backup am I right? I've only updated once so idk

[STEVESKI07]

I already know restoring wipes your phone clean to whoever said that(too lazy to go back and quote)
But when you update you still have to restore from a backup am I right? I've only updated once so idk

If you read through the thread you would see that this was already answered. Good thing everyone in the world isn't as lazy as you.

Why would you start over with a clean phone? The other threads about affecting battery life are when people who just bought a 3GS saying that they shouldn't restore from a 2G or 3G backup.

You don't need to do any type of restore. You just plug in your phone, let it sync, and then run the jailbreak and that's it. It doesn't take long. No need to do a restore.

[redman042]

As a recent jailbreaker (3GS), here's my question. I've got OS 3.0 which I jailbroke using purplera1n. Worked flawlessly. Now, my question is, when Apple releases 3.1, and when purplera1n for 3.1 comes out (assuming it does), what's the easiest way to update and rejailbreak? I'm asking for people's past experience with previous OS updates.

Is it as simple as applying the Apple OS update (which un-jailbreaks the phone), then running purplera1n again, and thats it?

Or do you typically install the new OS as a new phone, then run purplera1n, then sync and restore from backup to get your app data, then run Cydia and reinstall all your j/b apps?

Like others, I'm looking to retain my app data. I actually used SSH recently to manually locate all my app save files in the iPhone file system and copy them to my desktop just to be doubly sure they are saved, but would be faster and more reliable if I didn't have to do this.

[impulse462]

I would upgrade to 3.1, jailbreak with purplerain, then sync with itunes, then install jb apps

[STEVESKI07]

Is it as simple as applying the Apple OS update (which un-jailbreaks the phone), then running purplera1n again, and thats it?


Yes it is. It works the same way as your last jailbreak, except this time you just install the newest firmware first. No need to load all your music, apps, etc. all over again.

[Redwood]

Update to 3.0.1 (if you havent already)

Download redsn0w for mac.

download ipsw 3.0 for your 3GS ( i usually use http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/ )

run redsn0w and follow the instructions.

Easiest thing in the world to do.


Ermm, cydia, basically its a program that is installed onto your iphone, and theres loads of stuff on there, themes, applications, ringtones etc etc etc. and you simply go on it, and download what you like lol easy as that!

Need any more help or if something does wrong give us a shout :)

My iphone is already up to date with 3.0.1. Do I download the ipsw 3.0 or ipsw 3.0.1 to install with redsnow?

[tctuner7]

4) Any reasons I should not jailbreak my 3GS ?

I don't know what kind of answer you really want, but this is mine. The only reason to not jail break your phone is that if something goes wrong you can't fix it or you start losing contacts, photos, apps, or whatever because of not backing up. Personally I think that everyone who is curious to try it and knows enough about computers should do it, and if they don't like it they can restore their phone. I mean look at how many people who have successfully jail broken their phone, so why not give it a try what's their to lose? (besides contacts and settings if you screw up lol.)

Well best of luck, if you decide to.

[Tex-Twil]

I would upgrade to 3.1, jailbreak with purplerain, then sync with itunes, then install jb apps
Can you explain waht you mean here ?!

Because :
- 3.1 is not yet out
- 3.1 will probably not be JBable at all
- purplerain can JB 3.0 only .. not even 3.0.1. According to the blog (http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/2009/08/purplera1n-and-301.html), there will be no other versions of purplerain in the near future.

[mgpg89]

4) Any reasons I should not jailbreak my 3GS ?

I don't know what kind of answer you really want, but this is mine. The only reason to not jail break your phone is that if something goes wrong you can't fix it or you start losing contacts, photos, apps, or whatever because of not backing up. Personally I think that everyone who is curious to try it and knows enough about computers should do it, and if they don't like it they can restore their phone. I mean look at how many people who have successfully jail broken their phone, so why not give it a try what's their to lose? (besides contacts and settings if you screw up lol.)

Well best of luck, if you decide to.

How do you mean, 'because of not backing up' ... The back-up is an automated process by iTunes everytime you connect your iPhone, right?

[STEVESKI07]

4) Any reasons I should not jailbreak my 3GS ?

I don't know what kind of answer you really want, but this is mine. The only reason to not jail break your phone is that if something goes wrong you can't fix it or you start losing contacts, photos, apps, or whatever because of not backing up. Personally I think that everyone who is curious to try it and knows enough about computers should do it, and if they don't like it they can restore their phone. I mean look at how many people who have successfully jail broken their phone, so why not give it a try what's their to lose? (besides contacts and settings if you screw up lol.)

Well best of luck, if you decide to.

I think that is a smart post and very valid. A friend of mine has an iPhone but is completely oblivious to what the phone can do, unlike me. He was like "WOAH, How'd you get 5 icons on your bottom row thingy!?!?!" I told him I did the jailbreak on my phone. That confused him even more. Then he asked me if I could do it to his phone, but I told him that I wouldn't recommend it since he wouldn't really know what to do with it and could easily mess up all his stuff.

Moral of the story: If you know what you're doing (ex. search forums before doing ANYTHING) then you will be fine. If you're going to just free roam and not be careful with what you are doing, then don't jailbreak. Apple put those restrictions on our phones so average Joe can't mess up his phone. The people that are smart about what they are doing can mod their phones and the phone will still be fine.

How do you mean, 'because of not backing up' ... The back-up is an automated process by iTunes everytime you connect your iPhone, right?

Not sure by what he meant in his post. Yes, all your contacts and normal Apple system settings will be backed up every time you sync. These will not be lost. Anything on the JB side of things will be lost. I try to sync with itunes every day or every other day just to back up all my stuff (messages, contacts, etc.) in case something happens and a restore is necessary. When you JB, you do run a higher chance of your phone getting screwed up and needing to restore, so backing up often would be a smart idea.

[mgpg89]

Not sure by what he meant in his post. Yes, all your contacts and normal Apple system settings will be backed up every time you sync. These will not be lost. Anything on the JB side of things will be lost. I try to sync with itunes every day or every other day just to back up all my stuff (messages, contacts, etc.) in case something happens and a restore is necessary. When you JB, you do run a higher chance of your phone getting screwed up and needing to restore, so backing up often would be a smart idea.

Answered my question perfectly! Thanks.

[impulse462]

Can you explain waht you mean here ?!

Because :
- 3.1 is not yet out
- 3.1 will probably not be JBable at all
- purplerain can JB 3.0 only .. not even 3.0.1. According to the blog (http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/2009/08/purplera1n-and-301.html), there will be no other versions of purplerain in the near future.

My mistake, what I really should have typed was "use a program that jailbreaks"

And I was directing the post to someone who asked when 3.1 came out what would the order of things be.

and 3.1 will be very jailbreakable which is why the dev team had us retreive our iBEC and iBSS files if you're on a 3GS. 3g and 1st gen are completely fine here too

[rembot]

Im going to jailbreak for the first time this weekend. (im getting my 1st iphone tonight). I must say, this thread has answer a LOT of my questions/insecurities about jailbreaking my phone. I think its a must read for who ever is scared of losing is data, and that it should be a sticky.

Anyway, thanks to all of you who gave their inputs, hopefully wont hear from me. (which mean everything went well). :D

[fizzbitt]

I must say, this thread has answer a LOT of my questions/insecurities about jailbreaking my phone. I think its a must read for who ever is scared of losing is data, and that it should be a sticky.

Anyway, thanks to all of you who gave their inputs, hopefully wont hear from me. (which mean everything went well). :D

Can i just echo this mans statement! :D

Many thanks.
Fizz