iPhone/IPOD TOUCH MODS/JAILBREAK FAQ
I claim no originality for any of this information. I am simply posting it here so that it may be of use to those in this forum.
This is a FAQ/reference for all those who are new to modifying and unlocking the true potential of their iPod Touch/
iPhone.
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INTRODUCTION
You have an iPhone or iPod Touch. You’d like to hack it or unleash its full potential, but you’re not sure where to start. You’re not sure what’ll work with your computer, your device, and what won’t. Is Apple OK with this? Is it illegal? Will apple release a third party program system? After this FAQ list, you’ll be able to make a final decision on how to hack your unit or whether or not you’ll hack it at all.
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WHAT? AND WHY?
Why would I want to hack my iPod Touch or iPhone?
When Apple first released the
iPhone and then the iPod Touch, the company also released a method for third-parties to create applications for the devices. The apps wouldn’t run on the units themselves, but rather one would use Safari on the mobile device to access web sites that would perform basic functions such as simple games, dictionaries, etc. In the end, it wasn’t really software but rather simple web sites, or web apps, designed to work with the
iPhone and iPod Touch.
Users worldwide were not OK with this. They wanted to run other programs on the devices other than those supplied by Apple. They also wanted the convenience of not needing a wifi connection to access these 'softwares'. As a result, they figured out a way to install their own programs, allowing users to run programs like Instant Messaging clients, complex games, interactive fiction, and customization apps used to change the look and feel of the Springboard.
What is the SpringBoard?
The SpringBoard typically refers to the homescreen of your iPod Touch or
iPhone. More accurately, the SpringBoard is the program that allows you to launch applications from the homescreen.
Why would I not want to hack my iPod Touch or iPhone?
The main reason users choose not to hack their units is because they’re satisfied with their devices as they are. If you see no reason in hacking your unit, why go through the effort? Besides, Apple’s going to release an official third-party app delivery system (SDK) in June (but you may not be happy with the idea of paying for the various applications released through this system or even the restrictions Apple will place in the applications that are allowed to be released).
Is it illegal to hack the iPod Touch or iPhone?
Hacking the iPod Touch is not illegal. While Apple would like to make you think it is illegal, it is not, and it is impossible to get in any legal trouble for hacking it. You and Apple made an exchange. You gave Apple $400 and they gave you an iPod. It is officially yours and you can do whatever you want with it.
It is illegal to post copyrighted code, such as the operating system of the iPod Touch and the
iPhone, on the Internet. But you won’t be doing that if you choose to hack your device.
Will this void the iPod Touch / iPhone warranty?
Technically speaking, the warranty is void if you perform any modifications to your device, however, since a full restore through iTunes would erase all tracks of your modifications, Apple would not know whether you have performed any of these jailbreaking methods. In this sense, jailbreaking or modifying your device would not void your warrenty as long as you perform a full restore before sending your device back to an Apple store, etc.
You speak about the iPod Touch and iPhone as if they were the same device or at least very, very similar. What’s the deal with that?
The iPod Touch and the
iPhone are very, very similar. They use the same operating system and very similar software. As a result, the main differences between the two are the hardware differences. The iPod Touch is essentially a phone-less, Bluetooh-less,
iPhone.
Do the same hacks work with both the iPod Touch and the iPhone?
Yes, but not really. Some hacks have to be tweaked to work with on both devices. Since the
iPhone came out a few months before the iPod Touch, hacks existed for versions of earlier firmwares for the
iPhone. The latest and greatest
iPhone and iPod Touch hacks are all designed or have been upgraded to at least 1.1.1 firmware. As a result, should you choose to hack your unit, you should hold off on updating your device if Apple releases an update to another firmware. Once the firmware is tested with hacking community and it has been deemed safe to upgrade, then you can upgrade with a specific method provided.
So upgrades can mess up the hacks on my iPod Touch or iPhone?
Yes, they can. Although, if you stick to software hacks, anything you do to your unit is repairable through the iTunes firmware restore feature. iTunes, at any moment, can restore your iPod Touch or
iPhone to its factory state (however, losing all data saved on the device). As stated above, if you Apple releases an update for your device, hold off on updating until the latest firmware has been tested and approved by the hacking community.
Keep in mind, that when the term “hacks” is used, It is referring to unlocking services for the
iPhone or iPod touch. That is a separate issue that will be addressed somewhere down the list.
How can I restore my iPod Touch or iPhone should something go wrong?
Connect your device to your computer via the included USB cable. Open iTunes, click on the iPod or
iPhone icon on the left, and click the big restore button somewhere towards the middle of the application. After a short period of time, your device will return to its factory settings.
Unlocking services is a different thing altogether which can potentially cause changes in your
iPhone that a restore cannot reverse. As a result, when firmware updates disable the phone functions of an
iPhone, the hacking community can generally figure out a way to restore your
iPhone to its true factory state.
Note: Sometimes a firmware upgrade may prohibit you from restore to a previous firmware, in this case, you may need to turn your iPod Touch into recovery mode in which you can restore to any firmware (useful when downgrading) [see below].
What if the restore button within iTunes does not work or gives me some sort of error?
In some rare circumstances, the restore feature within iTunes may not be able to restore your iPod Touch in which case you will need to turn your iPod touch into recovery mode.
Recovery Mode:
- Connect your iPod touch into iTunes through the USB cable.
- Press and hold both the Hold and Home physical buttons simaltaneously until the screen turns off (black). (Your iPod touch also disappears from iTunes)
- Release the Hold button whilst still holding the Home button until your iPod touch pops back in iTunes.
iTunes will then detect your iPod touch in recovery mode and ask you to restore it (restore it as usual)
Does Apple purposely disable software hacks and unlocks with firmware updates?
That’s a good question, and a lot of us would like to know the answer to that. Apple has made statements saying they won’t purposefully disable hacks and unlocks with firmware updates, and the company has also warned users that hacks and unlocks will probably get disabled with future updates.
This is a very gray area as Apple has a partnership with AT&T and various carriers around the world to keep locked handsets in the wild. AT&T and others pay Apple for every
iPhone that is activated with their service, so it would make sense for Apple to try to stop unlockers from disrupting its revenue.
Apple has released an official software development kit for the
iPhone/Touch platform for third-party developers. Many are suspicious that Apple will force third-party developers into a closed system, requiring all third-party developers to get their apps approved by Apple. If Apple chooses to sell those apps through iTunes, it could see the free third-party apps out today as a threat to app sale revenue through iTunes. As a result, it would make sense for Apple to try to stop hacks in future updates.
So Apple is going to ditch the web app concept for true third-party apps?
It isn’t clear if Apple is going to ditch the use of web apps entirely.
Apple plans to distribute 3rd party apps through iTunes, and will retain a portion of the sale price. They have indicated that there will be an option for programmers to use iTunes to distribute their Apple-approved software for free, if they choose.
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JAILBREAKING
What exactly is jailbreaking?
Jailbreaking refers to breaking the iPod Touch and
iPhone free from the clutches of Apple. In other words, gaining read/write access to the devices in order to install your own programs.
What exactly is unlocking?
If you unlock your
iPhone, you can use the services of various GSM based carriers around the world.
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WHAT TO DO?
After having all my questions answered, I’d like to hack and/or unlock my unit. What do I have to do?
If you have a Mac or PC, the automated jailbreak methods for both the
iPhone and iPod Touch can easily be found on the net (just search) or you could scroll down this FAQ for a jailbreaking summary for each firmware.
Note: Scroll Down for a summary of all the jailbreaks available.
How do I unlock my iPhone?
To unlock your
iPhone, you currently have two options depending on your current firmware.
The paid version can be found easily by searching the terms "
iPhoneSIMFree". Since the code is not publicly published as its a private effort, Apple cannot easily examine the way it unlocks the
iPhone. Thus, it is less likely that your
iPhone will become temporarily unusable if a future update disables it. Even if you find your
iPhone disabled with a future update, the
iPhoneSIMFree people are pretty quick to update the unlock software at no cost to you.
The free alternative unlock software, anySIM, is more likely to malfunction after a future firmware update. This software isn’t as stable as
iPhoneSIMFree but it is free. You can learn more about it and download by searching the term "anySIM".
Typically, software unlocks require you to jailbreak your
iPhone first and some unlocks only support a specific firmware.
OK, I jailbreaked my device. Now what?
Now you can run unlock software on your
iPhone, and you can install and run third party apps.
If you went through with one of the automatic jailbreak methods above, you should see a program called “Installer” on your SpringBoard, AKA homescreen. Through Installer, you can choose to download and install various free programs, utilities, and games. Simply click on a program in Installer, and it’ll install it on your device. The next time you visit your homescreen, you should see an icon for the app you installed. Installer can also uninstall apps, update apps, and notify you when an update is available for an app you installed.
Note: Some system software has to be installed first such as BSD subsystem in order for most applications to run and/or work.
In order to see more apps, make sure you install “Community Resources”. Resources provide Installer.app with information of databases of third-party apps. Currently, Community Resources is the only resource that I know about that isn’t installed automatically when you jailbreak your device.
Furthermore, some apps require certain components in order to work. Apollo IM, arguably the best instant messaging client for the two devices, requires BSD Subystem to be installed (as stated above).
Installer.app was just updated to version 3.0 final. It now features a better user interface and various other upgrades (such as the ability to build queues). Although most apps in Installer will work on both devices, some are targeted at specific firmwares, and some won’t work at all on the iPod Touch due to hardware limitations such as a phone antenna.
iPodTouchMaster05 Youtube video guides is an excellent source for all sorts of tutorials for modding the iPod Touch / iPhone. You can find the list of guides here.
How can I connect to my jailbroken iPod touch / iPhone and access its files (e.g. disk mode)?
Since the iPod touch and
iPhone flash memory is formated to a different filesystem format, Apple has essentially prevented users to access these device's files. Nevertheless, there are still two methods by which you can access your device's filesystem and make changes.
WINDOWS AND MAC COMPATIBLE
If you have installed SSH on your iPod Touch /
iPhone, then you can use a SSH client such as WinSCP to access its filesystem or input commands through a terminal. However, this requires you to connect to your device through wifi which means you need to have a local wifi connection that is connected to your computer.
More details...
WINDOWS ONLY
If you do not have a wifi connection available, you can still edit/access the filesystem through the USB cable provided by apple, (however, you will not be able to input commands). Currently these two softwares do the job pretty well.
~ Total Commander with t-pot plugin. (requires iTunes 7.4 or higher installed and only has a one month free trial after which you have to pay for a full license.) Currently fastest client to transfer through USB (up to 4GB tranfer at a time).
More Details...
~
iPhonebrowser. (Free software, requires NET framework 2.0 installed) Significantly slower transfer speeds compared to t-pot.
More details...
~
iPhoneList. (Free software, requires NET framework 2.0 installed)
Significantly slower transfer speeds compared to t-pot.
More details...
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FURTHER QUESTIONS
I have more questions about hacking my mobile Apple product. Where can I get answers?
Search the forums, most of the time someone else has already asked that question and most likely that question has already been answered.
Otherwise, Search it on Google - it's a wonderful tool.
Or... if you still can't find answers, posting a question in the right section may also work.
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IPOD TOUCH / iPhone TERMINOLOGY
- Chmod: refers to changing the permission of a file (e.g. to 755).
- SSH: SSH stands for Secure Shell. It allows you to connect to your iPod Touch over a WiFi connection using a SSH client such as Putty. Through SSH, you can access your iPod Touch's file system or input commands through a terminal.
List In progress (Any suggestions are welcome)
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CURRENT JAILBREAKING METHODS SUMMARY
Firmware 1.1.1 - Visit "jailbreakme.com' on safari for an automated jailbreak.
Firmware 1.1.2 - In order to jailbreak 1.1.2 you need to downgrade to 1.1.1 and jailbreak using the "jailbreakme.com" method then installing "oktoprep" in installer.
Then you can hold <shift> and press the update button (NOT restore) within iTunes and choose the 1.1.2 firmware.
After you have updated your firmware to 1.1.2, make sure your iPod touch /
iPhone is still connected to your computer. Make sure you end all processors that are related to iTunes such as "appledevice..." (this will ensure a successful jailbreak that will work will even work with iTunes 7.6).
Finally, download the following zip file
here and unzip it to a folder on your desktop. For Windows users, run the .bat cmd file which will start the jailbreak.jar file and start the process.
More details...
Firmware 1.1.3 -
Works for all memory capacities of the
iPhone and iPod Touch.
Download Z
iPhone and jailbreak through the application.
More details...
Firmware 1.1.4 -
Works for all memory capacities of the
iPhone and iPod Touch.
Download Z
iPhone and jailbreak through the application.
More details...
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Credits for the majority of this thread goes to DANNY MENDEZ
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DISCLAIMER:
This article is for educational purposes only!
It is posted here for the sole purpose of informing the larger ipod touch/
iPhone mod community.
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REPOSITORIES:
List of all Installer sources in
this thread.
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