Unlock iPhone and Install Unofficial Apps

I LOVE my iPhone 3G, but despite its coolness factor the iPhone comes with way too many restrictions. You’re locked into AT&T serice, for starters. Ontop of that, Apple says that you must approve all your software before anyone can use the programs. But with this iPhone hack, you will be able to swap in a different SIM from another provider. In addition, you’ll have access to new software tools - such as one that will give you the ability to share the phones internet connection with a laptop, something that AT&T doesn’t permit.

You can hack both the original iPhone and the 3G to give them access to new software but with this hack, only the original iPhone will be able to accept other SIM cards. The hack requires a Mac in order to work. The process will void your warranty, and theres a small chance that you’ll damage the phone in a way that prevents you from restoring the handset from backup. At the very least, before you dive in, sync your iPhone with iTunes and then <ctrl>click the phone name to create a software backup.

Hold on, hold on, before you go doing any of this to your own phone, I must make it known that I am not responsible for any data loss on your phone, software errors or accidental hand burns caused by extreme excitement due to this awesome hack, I also did not write this document, I read it in some handy mag I and decided it was a must for my peeps to know.

Lets Get Started

A Progam call PwnageTool performs the hack. You’ll also need original firmware for the iPhone. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a recent version of it in Users/Username/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates. Otherwise click your phone and click the restore button in iTunes to download the latest file to that location.

Next, search online for “bl39.bin and bl46bin iPhone boot-loader download” and grab copies of those two files. Now verify that the .ipsw and .bin files you have downloaded will work, by checking the list on the PwnageTool Web Site.

Launch PwnageTool and select your iPhone. Click the right arrow for the next page. PwnageTool should find the .ipsw file automatically, if it doesn’t, well find it manually. Select the file and click the right arrow. It will ask for the bootloaders; click No to skip the search, and enter where they’re stored locally. The click Yes to creat the new iPhone .ipsw firmware file. You will be prompted for the admin password.

After the tool tells you to connect the phone, follow the on-screen instructions to turn it off, push the power button followed by the home button, and then release the buttons in that order.

Back in iTunes, hold the <option> key and click restore. Choose the new, PwnageTool made firmware on your desktop and click Open. After a few minutes, and acup of tea, iTunes will restart the phone and prompt you for the backup file to restore your data on the now hacked phone. Choose one if you want or skipidy doo to start afresh.

A utility called Cydia would have been installed on the iPhone. It downloads unapproved software directly to the handset, but you will still be able to buy programs through the App store. And remember, if you’ve hacked an original iPhone, you can now make calls on it with any active GSM SIM card.