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UPDATE: This method DOES NOT work for iPhone 2G after all. Please check the method outlined in my post here to Unlock your iPhone 2G. Thanks!
The Blacksn0w unlock has just been released by iPhone hacker GeoHotz to go along with the Jailbreak tool Blackra1n. A software unlock allows you to unlock your iPhone for use on any carriers network, breaking you free from the clutches of AT&T’s network. Read on for instructions on how to unlock your iPhone using Blacksn0w.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this section of the site is for educational purposes only. If you do use any of the tutorials presented on this site, you do so at your own risk and theiphoneguru.net takes no responsibility whatsoever for injury to your iPhone, person or household furnishings that may occur in the process of undertaking them. Proceeding farther indicates that you have read and understood this paragraph. Thanks, I’m sure you all read that thouroughly. Just to make sure…rubber baby buggy bumpers! There, didn’t expect that did you?
This tutorial is for iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, the steps are identical.
NOTE: This tutorial will Unlock your iPhone, NOT Jailbreak it. To Jailbreak your iPhone check out our Jailbreaking Using Blackra1n Guide here.
First of all, here’s what you need to get started on this guide:
- iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS that has been Jailbroken using our Guide here.
- Blackra1n Jailbreak tool Get it here
1. Launch the Blackra1n app from your iPhone’s springboard.
2. If you’re upgrading form an older version of Blackra1n, do that now.
3. To do that just tap on the ra1n icon and hit Install. Wait for your iPhone to respring.
4. Then relaunch the Blackra1n app and hit the Sn0w icon and tap install.
5. You’ll see this notice from GeoHot, warning you about Blackra1n being a free tool, and not for sale. Tap close and wait for your iPhone to respring.
That’s it! Your iPhone is now unlocked for use on any carrier, ciao AT&T!
28 Responses
I unlocked my iphone, my wireless internet is not working anymore. This happened to my collegue also. I can use another carrier though. my firmware was 05.11.07 and version 3.1
Are you using version 3.1.2? My phone is Unlocked as well and I am using WiFi right now. I’ll keep an eye out to see if this is a common issue. Thanks!
hi! my wifi is working but whenever I restart the phone, it asks me to connect to Itunes each time, have you restarted your phone yet? Do you know a way around this problem?
Interesting issue, I have restarted my phone without any issues. It doesn’t ask me to attach it to iTunes. I would try doing a restore and jailbreaking it again. Some users are finding that this fixes some issues.
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May I ask my Iphone was jailbreaking with prwntool but I just updated to 3.1.2 from Itune and now i am in Emergency Mode No Sim Card after updated my iphone to 3.1.2. What should I do now now? I dont have the original sim card. Can I use the new blacksnow tool to jailbreak again and ulock after? please help……Thank you
By the way, Can I just use blacksnow app to ulock my iphone with version 3.1 baseband 5.11 instead of 3.1.2 .
Yes you can use Blacksn0w to unlock 5.11 baseband phones. As far as the no sim mode, it probably has to do with the fact that the 3.1.2 update also updates the baseband. You should try re-Jailbreaking with the Blackra1n RC3 tool. You can find a tutorial here on the site.
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kevin:
u might be able to still use it not sure,,
what i do is i download the firmware 3.1.2 to my desktop, then do a normal restore holding shift and clicking on restore on itunes with my mac book , then the home screen of the iphone loads up with no sim and no problem (but it wont be activated just hactivated) …. then i just use blackra1n to jailbreak and then u can use black snow to unlock its very simple
http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/
where u can download the firmware..
hope it works i do quite a few iphones this way
Kevin, I agree with Mr ex. Downloading the firmware manually, re-updating then re-Jailbreaking your phone should do the trick. After the Jailbreak, use Blacksn0w to hacktivate your phone. Let me know if this method works for you!
All of the iPhone firmware can also be downloaded via our iPhone Downloads page here as well:
http://www.theiphoneguru.net/iphone-downloads/
restoring iphone with blackra1 in this firmware i lose all my data and aplications?
If you restore your iPhone you shouldn’t lose anything if you’ve done a backup recently. You don’t actually have to restore your iPhone to use blackra1n, just update it to the new firmware. Updating does not erase your data and applications. Thanks!
I have a 2g , after following the steps , i dont get the blacksnow icon after loading the blackrain, just cydia and rock!
subbing for notifacation
lxsmith2: it does not work for iPhone 2G, that was my mistake. Check out this method to unlock your iPhone 2G. Thanks!
http://www.theiphoneguru.net/2009/10/14/unlock-iphone-2g-iphone-3g-or-iphone-3gs-on-os-3-1-2/
its my understanding that if i have already installed 3.1.2 from apple, and tried blackrain, will there then be no way back to use older methods?
Right now there isn’t another way to Jailbreak a fully updated 3.1.2 version iPhone besides Blackra1n if you didn’t put your iPhone on file with Cydia before you updated to 3.1.2.
How do you jailbreak your ipod touch using blackra1n??
hey how do i make it work….wen ever i restart my iphone it ses i have n incompatible SIM card…PLZ tell me how dis blacksnow work…more precisely make it work!
Unfortunately I am not the creator of Blacksn0w so I can not “make it work” but you might try taking the phone back to stock 3.1.2 firmware and then re-doing the Blackra1n Jailbreak and then the Blacksn0w unlock to see if that works. Other than that I would need more information about which phone and method you used to do the Jailbreak, thanks!
how do i restore and update my iphone 3g with blackrain? and then download blacksnow?
Restore and update your iPhone as normal using iTunes, then follow the jailbreak guide here: http://www.theiphoneguru.net/2009/11/03/guruguide-jailbreak-iphone-2g-3g-and-3gs-using-blackra1n-rc3/
I used blackra1n/blacksn0w to jailbreak/unlock my phone. It seem to have gone well. My phone seems to be LOSING it’s signal and going into “no service” ofter. It does come back and find Tmobile. It’s a 3g with 3.1.2 an d5.11.07. Anyone has a fix for this. Please help: modsec2@hotmail.com
It’s hard to say whether it’s a phone issue or a T-Mobile compatibility issue. I would try the solutions in our common problems post here: http://www.theiphoneguru.net/2009/11/05/fix-for-common-iphone-problems-and-issues-after-blackra1n-jailbreak/
I followed the steps to jailbreak my phone.. I uninstalled it too. Everything was successful. Now I’m trying to unlock my phone and I need the Blackra1n program to do it which requires it to be installed back into my phone again.However, the icon is no longer showing up. Help?
So is your iPhone currently Jailbroken or not? I’m a little confused. If you Jailbroke it then uninstalled the Blackra1n app, then all you have to do is go on Cydia and reinstall it from there. Then you can use Blacksn0w to unlock it.
How long should it take to unlock the iPhone using blackra1n? I successfully jailbroke the phone with RC3 (software version 3.1.2), but it has been running for ~40 minutes and th e “Post install log” screen is still blank. Can this application time out and fail to install?
It can, normally it takes no longer than 15 minutes. I’d recommend you try to Jailbreak it again using the PwnageTool method.
I do need help.
I locked up my phone by using another iTune than the regular. Now, when using the blackra1n it doesnt work, because the blackra1n needs to use iTunes to recover my phone, and everytime it uses iTunes it keeps on locking it self.. If I erase iTunes the Blackra1n wont work at all. Any suggestions??
Would really appreciate it
It’s hard to say what you’ve got going on but I would suggest a full restore to the 3.1.2 firmware and then re-jailbreak it using pwnagetool