Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Best method to unlock my iPhone 3GS?

E

ExcelPremium

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 18, 2011
56
0
I bought an unlocked iPhone 16GB 3GS about 3 months ago, the seller told me the original carrier was Bell(he wasn't sure but it was unlocked at that moment). So everything was working perfectly, til I gave the phone to my cousin and she wiped out everything and restored it to factory setting. Therefore deleting Cydia and the unlock.

So right now the phone is locked and I was wondering, what would be the best way to unlock a 3GS? It's at the "Activating iPhone, this could take a few minutes" screen.

Would I have to find the carrier the phone is locked to before I do anything? If so, damn! That mean's I have to somehow find someone with a Bell SIM

And is there a way to find out which carrier the phone is locked to(via Apple) or anything? Or is it trial and error?

Thanks!
 
P

prostele

macrumors newbie
Mar 17, 2012
10
2
I just unlocked a iPhone 3GS yesterday using snowbreeze. I did not have to have a sim card in it. The jail breaking and unlocking software allows you to hacktivate the phone.
 
E

ExcelPremium

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 18, 2011
56
0
prostele said:
I just unlocked a iPhone 3GS yesterday using snowbreeze. I did not have to have a sim card in it. The jail breaking and unlocking software allows you to hacktivate the phone.
Click to expand...

:eek::eek:

Could you link me to the steps you followed or a tutorial of it?

Were you able to access your apps and what-not? I'm not able to do that cause it's not activated yet.
 
E

ExcelPremium

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 18, 2011
56
0
Do you have to have your 3GS activated first? I can't even access the menu's yet since it's "brand new" and fully restored.
 
E

ExcelPremium

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 18, 2011
56
0
lordofthereef said:
Did you go to the above link?
Click to expand...

Yes, but it doesn't say if I need to at least activate it(so I can see the apps) with a sim card first or I can do it right outta the box without putting a sim card in to activate first(before pulling it out)
 
Xenomorph

Xenomorph

macrumors 65816
Aug 6, 2008
1,397
829
St. Louis
Keep in mind that loading a 6.15.00 baseband from an iPad onto an iPhone 3GS may unlock it, but it also does the following:

- It is permanent. There is no "going back" after updating to 6.15.00. (No, there is no magic downgrade "right around the corner" from any iPhone hacker.)
- It breaks the update ability through iTunes (no more official updates). You will be stuck using 3rd-party tools any time you want to update.
- It breaks the GPS functionality of the device.
- It actually breaks other radio components in newer 3GS phones (such as WiFi).
- Did I mention it is permanent?

"Real" unlocked iPhone 3GS phones exist and are sold every day, and carriers will sometimes unlock them upon request if they are locked. I would consider an iPhone 3GS sold as "unlocked" when it in reality just had a *software* hack a scam.
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
ExcelPremium said:
Yes, but it doesn't say if I need to at least activate it(so I can see the apps) with a sim card first or I can do it right outta the box without putting a sim card in to activate first(before pulling it out)
Click to expand...

The link effectively shows you restoring the phone. Simply restoring the phone has not ever required the phone to be activated.
 
D

Danleywin

macrumors newbie
Feb 27, 2014
3
0
For all ATT folks

unlock ATT devices is a pain in the ass nowadays, the carrier only unlocks off-contract phones, and those are the old phones just been replaced, so if you want to unlock anything locked to ATT, no matter in or off contract, you might want to try attiphoneunlocking.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom