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Need quick unlocking guide for 3GS

S

Shag88

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 9, 2008
45
1
Long story short, just found out the wife is going to Europe for a bit, and wants to use her 3GS over there. I've had a jailbroken iphone for a couple years now, but never looked into unlocking. Unfortunately, she's leaving in just a couple days, and I wont have much time to research, as I normally would. Is there an easy how-to on unlocking?

The phone is currently running 3.1.2. It can stay at that version, or upgraded to 4.x, if needed.

Thanks!
 
Shag88 said:
Long story short, just found out the wife is going to Europe for a bit, and wants to use her 3GS over there. I've had a jailbroken iphone for a couple years now, but never looked into unlocking. Unfortunately, she's leaving in just a couple days, and I wont have much time to research, as I normally would. Is there an easy how-to on unlocking?

The phone is currently running 3.1.2. It can stay at that version, or upgraded to 4.x, if needed.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Up to you on whether or not you want to update. If you do, use PwnageTool to keep you on the train.

As far as the unlock, just download and install "ultrasn0w" from Cydia.

You're unlocked.

Easy, right?
 
If you dont have any SHSH's on file the only version you can upgrade or restore to is 4.0.2 and that cannot be unlocked.
If you stay on 3.1.2 you can use blackrain or Spirit.
If you're on the new bootrom 3GS then you'd be stuck with a tethered JB. If you run Spirit it will be an untethered JB no matter what bootrom you got.
Then open cydia and install ultrasnow to unlock.
 
Thanks for the info! This is a launch day 3GS, so is it safe to assume it's not the new bootrom? How can i confirm?

This phone has never been jailbroken, so no SHSH on file, so it sounds like 4.x is out for now. Can I just use jailbreakme.com and then install ultrasn0w, or do I have to use spirit or blackrain?
 
As AppleJuced said stick with you current OS do not upgrade right now. if you never Jailbroke it you won't have any SHSH saved and you will screw yourself out of a jailbreak. Iclarified has good full guides for everything. if it's a launch day od it's old bootrom but there but eiyher way it can be jailbroken just stay 3.1.2
 
labman said:
As AppleJuced said stick with you current OS do not upgrade right now. if you never Jailbroke it you won't have any SHSH saved and you will screw yourself out of a jailbreak. Iclarified has good full guides for everything. if it's a launch day od it's old bootrom but there but eiyher way it can be jailbroken just stay 3.1.2
Click to expand...

I'll definitely keep the phone at 3.1.2. Looking at iClarified now, but can I use jailbreakme.com site for the JB, or do I have to use spirit or blackrain?
 
Shag88 said:
I'll definitely keep the phone at 3.1.2. Looking at iClarified now, but can I use jailbreakme.com site for the JB, or do I have to use spirit or blackrain?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it's blackra1n or spirit. I used redsn0w 0.9.2 on mine. Old bootrom 3GS. If you use redsn0w or blackra1n you will leave the option open to upgrade to a custom
IPSW for iOs 4.0 using pwnage tool preserving your baseband keeping your unlock open. You can't do that with spirit.
 
gixxerfool said:
I'm pretty sure it's blackra1n or spirit. I used redsn0w 0.9.2 on mine. Old bootrom 3GS. If you use redsn0w or blackra1n you will leave the option open to upgrade to a custom
IPSW for iOs 4.0 using pwnage tool preserving your baseband keeping your unlock open. You can't do that with spirit.
Click to expand...

So, blackrain is a better option than spirit? If I use spirit now, is there any reason i couldn't restore and re-JB with blackrain if needed? Forgive my ignorance - just trying to make sure I understand...
 
Shag88 said:
So, blackrain is a better option than spirit? If I use spirit now, is there any reason i couldn't restore and re-JB with blackrain if needed? Forgive my ignorance - just trying to make sure I understand...
Click to expand...

You will not be able to restore your phone to anything but the latest 4.0.2
So don't mess it up or you'd be stuck on official firmware that cannot be jb or unlocked.
Just go to blackra1n.com and download the jb tool. Run it and install Cydia. Don't install blacksnow. Open cydia and install ultraslow to unlock. That's it.
 
So, I attempted to JB with blackra1n, and it seems to have failed. It reported as success, but the phone is stuck on the activation screen (iTunes icon and USB plug). How do I fix this?
 
Shag88 said:
So, I attempted to JB with blackra1n, and it seems to have failed. It reported as success, but the phone is stuck on the activation screen (iTunes icon and USB plug). How do I fix this?
Click to expand...

Nevermind. I re-ran blackra1n, and it seemed to work...
 
You have a tethered JB.
Now you will need to run blackrain each time you have to reboot your phone.
Or incase your battery dies and you need to charge it in order for it to start up again you will need to run blackrain.
 
Okay, trouble again. When I reboot the phone, I always land back at the activate screen. Did I somehow end up with a tethered JB???
 
Applejuiced said:
You have a tethered JB.
Now you will need to run blackrain each time you have to reboot your phone.
Or incase your battery dies and you need to charge it in order for it to start up again you will need to run blackrain.
Click to expand...

Ugh, that's no good. Can I restore my backup, and JB with Spirit? Tethered is going to be a no-go with the wife...
 
Shag88 said:
Ugh, that's no good. Can I restore my backup, and JB with Spirit? Tethered is going to be a no-go with the wife...
Click to expand...

Nope, nothing you can do now.
Backup wont do anything, you need to restore the iphone. And with no SHSH's you can only restore to 4.0.2
I thought you said this was launch day 3GS model. If it really was it shouldnt have the new bootrom. Unless you got it replaced or bought it a month or so after it first came out.
 
Applejuiced said:
Nope, nothing you can do now.
Backup wont do anything, you need to restore the iphone. And with no SHSH's you can only restore to 4.0.2
I thought you said this was launch day 3GS model. If it really was it shouldnt have the new bootrom. Unless you got it replaced or bought it a month or so after it first came out.
Click to expand...

Can't I upload my SHSH to Cydia before restoring? I don't really understand the SHSH stuff, so that's probably a dumb question...
 
Shag88 said:
Can't I upload my SHSH to Cydia before restoring?
Click to expand...

SHSH's are not stored on the phone.
They can only be retrieved from Apples servers. And apple stopped releasing 3.1.2 SHSH's a very long time ago.
As soon as a new firmware is out they stop giving out shsh's for the previous firmware built etc...
So the only shsh's you can grab now and restore to now is 4.0.2
 
Applejuiced said:
SHSH's are not stored on the phone.
They can only be retrieved from Apples servers. And apple stopped releasing 3.1.2 SHSH's a very long time ago.
As soon as a new firmware is out they stop giving out shsh's for the previous firmware built etc...
So the only shsh's you can grab now and restore to now is 4.0.2
Click to expand...

Ugh. Well, this whole thing became a cluster****. I guess no unlock for her, which she'll be happy about... :(
 
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