About iPhone Unlocking
More and more people choose iPhone and iPod Touch to communicate. However both devices are officially distributed by Apple. This means that users have to buy all the programs through the App Store. Officially they are not allowed to download any third part applications to run on their iPhone and iPod Touch. With jailbreak you can change this situation and free yourself from the App Store. Users who are introduced to iPhone Unlocking and Jailbreaking soon understand that this process really helps them to bypass the App Store by running an unofficial code on iPhone. Maybe you wonder what unofficial installers will be available to you once your iPhone is jailbroken? They are Rock App, Installer, Cydia and Icy. Most of apps are still paid, but you get more options and a wider choice of different applications. At the same time you can continue using and updating those apps purchased from the App Store. There is one thing you need to understand before you learn more about the benefits of jailbreaking. Unlike SIM unlocking, jailbreak cannot be called an illegal process. At the same time it helps you to use cracked and pirated applications on your iPhone. And this is illegal! According to Apple, when you jailbreak your iPhone you void Apple’s warranty on your device. To change it you have to restore your device in iTunes.
Let’s find out why many iPod Touch and iPhone users want to jailbreak their devices. We will introduce you to the history of jailbreaking and unlocking, give you the necessary vocabulary to understand the whole process. We will also share many helpful tutorials that will make your life easier by explaining how you can unlock, repair and update your device apps by step by step process.
What is Jailbreaking and Unlocking?
iPhone Jailbreaking is used to define the process of your iPhone software modification. In another words, you can install all third part applications on your jailbroken device. By jailbreaking iPhone you free your devices from many restrictions created by Apple. Jailbroken iPhone and iPod Touch can get new wallpapers, cool looking icons, text message tones, different SIM cards, etc. The list of things you can do with jailbreaking is endless as you get millions of different options inaccessible in an official way. iPhone Jailbreaking is a not a permanent process. Once you restore your iPhoneto factory defaults it will be locked again. If you don’t restore your device it will remain jailbroken. Restoring cleans up all the traces of jailbreaking. This means that if you want to use your official Apple warranty, all you have to do is to restore your iPhone or iPod Touch.
Unlocking iPhone is another process that frees your iPhone by letting you using another wireless network to communicate. As you know, many wireless carriers lock their devices to prevent users from changing their provider. When you unlock your iPhone, you can put any SIM card into your device. This helps you to make cheap phones in any country of the world because you can choose a wireless carrier depending on their prices. Like Jailbreaking Unlocking is not a permanent process either. Once you restore your device to factory defaults, your iPhone will be locked back. Restoring cleans up all the traces of unlocking.
History of iPhone Unlocking and Jailbreaking
The first iPhone was introduced to the USA users in June 2007. At that time iPhone users didn’t even dream to jailbreak their devices and install third party programs and games. However, July 2007 has changed everything. The first jailbreaking method helped users to get custom ringtones. A month later iPhone and iPod Touch users could install the first third party game on their devices. Every other month brought a new method to jailbreak the iPhone. Hackers did everything to release new tools to frustrate Apple. Users were happy to jailbreak their iPhone and use new graphical interface or applications.
Every new generation of Apple iPhone immediately gets a jailbreak program to help users free from Apple. Of course, it’s up to you either you want to jailbreak your mobile device or prefer using official Apple applications and programs.
5 Reasons to Jailbreak iPhone
Even if you are introduced to the App Store you might consider jailbreaking your iPhone or iPod Touch. Why? We will give you 5 reasons to free your device for any third time application even with the App Store presence.
First Reason: Third Party iPhone Apps
Are you bored with the Apple applications you can get through the App Store? Jailbreaking iPhone and iPod Touch can help you to install any third party apps with the help of Installer and Cydia websites. Of course, the App Store gives you various applications to download, but some apps are banned by Apple and are not available on App Store. If you want to install a new video recorder, iPhone calendar, program that helps you to download and save YouTube videos, you need to jailbreak iPhone. Cydia and Installer also let you to connect your iPhone as modem to your laptop and play arcade games.
Second Reason: iPhone Camcorder
You iPhone camera won’t allow you video recording if you don’t jailbreak it. But if you use Cycorder or iPhone Video Recorder you will record any video you wish. Think wider and turn your iPhone into a mobile phone with a video recording function.
Third Reason: New Look
Sometimes iPhone and iPod Touch users get tired of standard icons but they don’t know how to change them. You can change the look of your iPhone by jailbreaking it. Make your mobile device cooler with Winterboard or other icons.
Forth Reason: Full Control
Get full control of the iPhone. Inside your iPhone is a Unix core, and this means that you can install Unix apps if you jailbreak your device. For example, you might want to install a version of http server or SSH daemon on your mobile phone. SSH helps to get and send different files from your iPhone. Do you want to send quick sms through your iPhone when you are playing an interesting game? With quickreply apps you don’t have to leave the game to respond. Play music while reading emails or sms with music control applications.
Fifth Reason: iPhone Unlock
Another reason why you would jailbreak iPhone is for unlocking it. It’s the most common reason many iPhone users dream of. If you truly want to unlock iPhone and connect to any wireless carrier you have to jailbreak iPhone first. Every iPhone Unlock Software support jailbreak and than unlock iPhone components.
SIM Unlock Methods and Utilities
As you already know users unlock their iPhones when they want to choose their wireless carrier on their own. There are 2 popular methods to unlock iPhone. Let’s take a closer look at each method to understand the whole process of unlocking iPhone.
The first method is using Bladox TurboSim. This method allows you spoofing your phone and making it think that inside is a valid AT&T SIM card. Still you are using your operator SIM card. You don’t have to disassemble the iPhone. All you have to do is jailbreak your device and installing the SSH. A special code will run on your iPhone and TurboSim adaptor. There is one problem in this method. It’s almost impossible to find TurboSim units. Bladox just can’t develop their products quickly enough to keep up with the huge customers demand. There is other cheap TurboSim units wtich you can find in any iphone Store.
The second method is based on JTAGs. It’s most common today. It requires you disassembling the iPhone and working on the circuits. This method is pretty advanced. You’ll need hacking firmware and different parts of software, and of course, useful information on how to use it.
iPhone Unlock Software and Utilities
Include: Yellowsn0w, Ultrasn0w and Blacksn0w.
- The first generation of unlock tool yellowsn0w can be freely downloaded via Cydia. Before installing this software you have to jailbreak your iPhone.
- The second generation (also developed by iPhone Dev team) replaces yellowsn0w. Ultrasn0w helps to unlock iPhone 3G and 2G once it’s jailbroken. It’s also free. And you can download it from Cydia.
- Blacksn0w is developed by George Hotz. This is an alternative tool to Ultrasn0w. Before you can install Blacksn0w on your iPhone, you have to jailbreak it with Blackra1n. This tool support iPhone 3.1.2 Firmware
iPhone Jailbreak Tools
- Every time Apple updates its iPhone firmware, hackers create new jailbreak methods. Hackers allow iPhone users to get wanted ringtones before Apple releases them on the App Store, cool pictures, new videos, games and other third party applications. Those who are new to iPhone jailbreak might wonder what tools exist to free your device from the App Store. Most common terms referred to iPhone Jailbreak are QuickPwn, Pwnage Tool, Redsn0w, and Blackra1n. All tools except for Blackra1n are developed by iPhone Dev team.
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QuickPwn is a jailbreak tool developed for iPhone 2G and 3G. With its help you can jailbreak your iPhone up to 2.2.1 firmware. Today you can find both Mac and Windows versions and download them from iPhone Dev team. This utility is replaced by Redsn0w nowadays.
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Pwnage Tool is designed for Mac only. With its help you can jailbreak iPhones 2G, 3G and 3GS up to 3.1.2 firmware. Both QuickPwn and Pwnage Tool provide you build-in options to unlock the iPhone 2G. How does Pwnage Tool work? It creates a custom firmware (like IPSW) to jailbreak your iPhone. This is a flexible jailbreak tool that directly modifies the firmware file.
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Redsn0w has replaced Yellowsn0w and Ultrasn0w. It helps to jailbreak iPhone 3.0 Firmware. This utility is developed for all iPhone models. Today you can download both Windows and Mac versions of this tool.
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Blackra1n is developed by George Hotz as an alternative jailbreak utility. It can be applied to iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G and 3GS to Unlock iPhone 3.1.2 Firmware only. Blackra1n tool is designed for both Mac and Windows.
Third Party Apps Installers
The most popular third party applications today are Installer, Cydia and Icy.
- Cydia is an application developed by Jay Freeman. It is installed by default when you are jailbreaking your iPhone. Most apps in Cydia are completely free that is why it is so popular among users. This app also supports all iPhone Firmwares and it offers paid applications via Cydia Store.
- Icy is an application developed by RipDev. It is an alternative for Cydia, and its developers claim that Icy offers better performance than Cydia. It is also said to be compatible with any Cydia package. Icy is installed during iPhone jailbreak process.
- Installer is an application that was popular before Cydia appeared. It supports firmware up to 2.2. Unlike Cydia and Icy, Installer can’t offer as many iPhone applications.
iPhone Vocabulary: Explanations of iPhone Words and Phrases
There are many words and phrases used by iPhone users. If you are new to iPhone, this vocabulary will help you to quickly understand common unlock and jailbreak terms and enjoy using your mobile device.
- Activation is a process that “awakes” your iPhone after it was purchased. Every new iPhone comes in an inactive state. You can use it for emergency calls but nothing more. Activation helps your iPhone operate fully. To activate your iPhone you need to connect it to the iTunes. Usually Apple verifies that you have activated your iPhone. However jailbreaking helps you to avoid Apple’s checks.
- Baseband helps to control all iPhone functions. It controls voice and data traffic, locks your iPhone to the official Apple network carrier. By unlocking your iPhone you modify the baseband and it allows you communicating through different wireless carriers.
- Bootloader is a hardware that helps to load iPhone software. You can get across two terms: baseband bootloader (3.9BL and 4.6BL) and ARM Core bootloader (for MACOS operating system). Hackers have released fake basebands that match any Apple firmware.
- DFU is a short form of Device Firmware Update. DFU Mode helps you to restore your iPhone when Recovery Mode cannot do anything. If you want to activate DFU Mode, you need to hold the Sleep/Wake and Home keys for about 10 seconds. You need to release the Sleep/Wake button before you see the Apple logo and continue holding the Home key until iTunes sets your iPhone in Recovery Mode. DFU Mode makes iPhone screen black.
- EDGE stands for Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution. This is the Broadband cell network. Its standard is 2.5G. This cell network is created for iPhone users. EDGE speed is up to 384 kbit/s.
- Emulators help you to run applications and games designed for different platforms on your iPhone/iPod Touch. Some examples of emulators you can play on your iPhone/iPod Touch are Playstation or Genesis.
- File System is iPhone and iPod Touch memory. There are two file systems: private files (about 300 Mb for system applications and files) and the rest of the memory (for videos, music, pictures and other data).
- Firmware is the iPhone operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux). The iPhone is now shipped with 3.1.2 firmware versions.
- GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications. This mobile phone standard is used by iPhones.
- Home Button is a round button situated at the front bottom of your iPhone.
- iPhone Dev Team is a hackers team who have developed different jailbreaking and unlocking apps for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Many iPhone users consider Dev Team releases to be the most reliable.
- Installer.app is a software based on UIKit designed for iPhones. It can be downloaded through Wi-Fi or EDGE. Alternatives to Installer.app are Cydia, Icy and Rock.
- Jailbreak is a process that helps to get access to iPhone’s file system and install third party apps or unlock your SIM-lock and activate your device. By jailbreaking you can install, uninstall and change applications and files in your iPhone. You can avoid the App Store and fully control your iPhone by the help of jailbreaking. Jailbreaking iPhone helps to avoid Apple’s restrictions on the applications used on your device.
- Power Button is a round button situated at the top of your iPhone.
- Recovery Mode helps to restore your iPhone system when your device doesn’t respond to you. In order to get into the Recovery mode you need to hold down the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons and wait until your iPhone reboots. When Apple logo appears, release the Sleep/Wake key but keep holding the Home button till iTunes logo appears on the screen. You can restore your operating system using iTunes.
- Rock, Cydia and Icy are third party apps that work like the App Store but are not controlled by Apple.
- SIM lock is a manufacturer limitation that locks your iPhone to one particular carrier. In the USA your iPhone SIM is locked to AT&T.
- Springboard is a default app for iPhone.
- SSH stands for Secure Shell. It runs on your device through port 22. Through ssh you can connect wirelessly to the Unix shell.
- Unlock is a process that helps to open the iPhone for different GSM SIM-cards. Apple works with particular wireless carriers and it has limited iPhone for a few selected carriers. If you want to unlock your SIM-card you need to first jailbreak your iPhone.
- Viruses are worms that can be harmful for your iPhone devices. The first iPhone worm was developed by an Australian student Ashley Towns. This happened in November 2009. This worm affects those users who are too lazy to change their iPhone default password when they jailbreak their iPhone. This first iPhone worm is harmless.
- Warning is a problem that can prevent your iPhone/iPod Touch from working because third party apps and tweaks sometimes aren’t reliable. To fix your iPhone from warnings you need to follow helpful tutorials that you can find on our website.
What We Suggest about iPhone Unlocking
If you are ready to jailbreak or unlock your iPhone, you have to find out what utilities are comparable to your iPhone firmware. Maybe you don’t have time to search the internet for information about iPhone Jailbreak and iPhone Unlock. Thus you can use our website to find necessary information, advice and support.
We suggest you to follow helpful iPhone Unlock Tutorials you can find on our website, they support iPhone Unlocking, iPhone Hacks and Tricks Tutorial, iPhone Repair tutorials, iPhone Most Troubleshooting Guides, Download iPhone Unlock Software for all iPhone Generations with all iPhone Firmware versions (up to the latest OS 3.1.2) and much more. We offer you a big choice of iPhone apps, games, wallpapers, ringtones and many more.
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Enjoy life with your updated iPhone!

About iPhone Unlocking