While there are applications offered at a low price, most of them are offered for free. Even though you can access those free apps anytime you like, it will take much of your time reinstalling all of them should your iPhone fails.

The point is, why should you spend a day of two trying to remember and figure out what the apps you previously used when you can have them back in few clicks?

I believe that most of us agree that backing up our iPhone data is one of the most important things we cannot afford to neglect.

I have written an article on how to manually back up your iPhone apps but a lot of people cannot seem to follow as it is a bit complicated especially for a new users. So, this article will walk you through on how to back up your Cydia apps using PkgBackup.

PkgBackup Overview

This iPhone app is offered at Cydia for $3.99. The price is just low enough considering that it offers a very good backup service for your apps. It is developed by Jibril Gueye of Pragmatix Consulting and sponsored by Big Boss.

PkgBackup Installation

The installation is straightforward and simple. It’s just like you are installing any other apps from Cydia only that you have to purchase this package before you do. I will perform a step-by-step installation so that new iPhone users may find it even easier.

Step One: Launch Cydia and tap on “Sections” tab located below your screen.

Step Two: Found inside Sections is the “Utilities” option, tap on it to open.

Step Three: There will be a list of packages under Utilities. Try to search for PkgBackup, and tap on it to open the package.

Step Four: As mentioned earlier, you have to purchase this package to continue using it. You can find a “Purchase” button at the top-right corner of the screen. Tap on it to continue with the purchase; currently, it is offered $3.99.

Step Five: After the purchase, the “Install” button appears in the location where you found “Purchase” button.

Step Six: And of course, every installation needs confirmation, so just tap on “Confirm” button to proceed with the process.

Step Seven: Now tap on “Return to Cydia” button.

Backing Up Your Cydia Applications

After you’re done installing PkgBackup, you will be able to see its icon from your Springboard. If you are ready, you can follow these steps to back you app packages up.

Step One: Launch PkgBackup from your Springboard.

Step Two: Once it’s opened it will automatically scan and detect all of the packages installed in your iPhone. It may take a little while depending on the number of apps installed.

You may tap on the small arrow to view the list of all active packages in your iPhone.

You can choose specific apps that you don’t want to include in the backup process from the list.

Upon choosing a specific app, you can toggle the ON/OFF button.

Step Three: If you are ready to proceed with the backup, you can go back to PkgBackup main screen and simply tap on “Backup” button. Moreover, should you want to keep your layout, toggle Include Layout button to ON. The backup process may also take a little while to complete depending on the number of packages installed in your iPhone.

Step Four: When the backup process is completed, you will be prompted with a reminder to sync with iTunes; you must do as advised. Tap on “OK” button and sync your iPhone with iTunes. Make sure that backup is completely performed during the syncing process as this is the only key you can restore your previous packages.

So far, that’s how backup is performed using PKGBackup. Supposing you have restored or upgraded your firmware and all of you Cydia apps are gone, you simply have to restore the backup you made with iTunes.

That’s your starting point in restoring all of your Cydia apps that you have backed up with PKGBackup.

Restoration of Cydia Apps

Of course, when all the data in your iPhone are wiped out, you’ve got to reinstall PKGBackup; just follow PKGBackup Installation guide at the beginning of this article. When everything is set and ready, please proceed to the steps below.

Step One: Launch PKGBackup to begin. It will automatically detect new packages installed in your iPhone as well as the previous apps that you’ve backed up.

You can tap on the small arrow to choose specific packages that you want to include or exclude during the restoration process.

Step Two: When everything is ready, tap on “Restore” button from the PKGBackup main screen to begin the restoration of your Cydia apps.

Step Three: It may take time downloading and installing all the Cydia apps, so you need a little patience. Let your iPhone do what it has to do and wait. When all the apps are restored, you will be prompted that it is done and that you need to reboot your iPhone. Do as instructed.

Once your iPhone is up, all of your Cydia apps are restored (except for those you’ve excluded).

I hope this tutorial can help you back your apps up. Don’t hesitate to leave your comments, reactions and suggestions.

Image credit: Yutaka Tsutano

Just like your computer, you can make a dual-boot iPhone, i.e. making it run on two operating systems alternatively. In this case, you will be using your iPhone 2G or 3G which may be lying around the corner not being attended by anyone. Just think of this guide as an experiment to see if iPhone can work using the OS of its biggest competitor, Android.

For those who wanted to check out some of the features of the Adroid system and have some access to iPhone 2G/3G, this is a great opportunity. You don’t even need a computer to do this tutorial, but we absolutely need a Cydia app for this one – Bootlace.

Article Map

To make it easier for you, I made an article map so that you can easily navigate this article without much of a trouble.

Part I: Overview of Bootlace

Part II: Pre-Installation Requirements

Part III: How to Add a Repository

Part IV: Bootlace Installation

Part V: Setting Up Bootlace

Overview of Bootlace

Basically, Bootlace is an iPhone app (jailbroken only) which enables you to install OpeniBoot and iDroid into your iPhone, 2G and 3G models only. You will also be able to configure OpeniBoot through its configuration page after the installation. Moreover, QuickBoot is also supported after Bootlace is successfully installed. QuickBoot is a feature which comes with Bootlace that will directly boot your iPhone to a selected OS without changing the default configuration settings.

Pre-Installation Requirements

Here are some of the things you should remember before performing this guide:

• It will work on iPhone 2G and 3G only.
• You must have jailbroken your iPhone using PwnageTool, Blackra1n and RedSnow. If your iPhone has been jailbroken using JailBreakMe and Spirit, it will not work as well.
• There were some conflicts between Backgrounder app and Bootlace, so it would be better to turn Backgrounder off when using the latter.

How to Add a Repository

This step is also very important so you cannot skip this one. What we will do here is to simply add a repository; if you’ve done something like this before, it would be much easier for you to understand this time.

Step 1. Launch Cydia and tap on ‘Manage‘ tab below the screen.

Step 2. There will be three options, tap on ‘Sources‘, then tap on ‘Edit‘ button located at the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 3. Now, tap on the ‘Add‘ button on the top-left corner, and enter the following in the field; ‘http://repo.neonkoala.co.uk‘ and tap ‘Add Source‘ button thereafter.

Step 4. After you add the address above, tap on ‘Return to Cydia‘ big button below your screen. Tap on ‘Done‘ button after that and you will be brought back to Sources list.

Basically, this is the whole process of adding a repository to make it easier for you to install any app from the developer you just added; in this case it’s Neonkoala.

Bootlace Installation

This is just a continuation of the previous steps so we will continue with the count.

Step 5. After doing step 4, you will be brought back to the page wherein you can select a Source. Tap on ‘Neonkoala.co.uk‘ then select ‘Bootlace‘ to open the package.

Step 6. Now you are ready to install Bootlace. Just tap on the ‘Install‘ button on the top-right corner, then ‘Confirm‘ your action.

Step 7. The installation will take only a short while, after which you will be presented with the following screen (please see screenshot). Tap on ‘Return to Cydia‘ button below to proceed.

The installation process will be smooth following these steps. Now we are ready to set up Bootlace.

Setting Up Bootlace

This is going to be different process so we will start our count from the first step onwards.

Step 1. After the installation, just press the ‘Home‘ button so that you’ll be brought back to the Springboard. From there, you will be able to find the Bootlace icon, tap on it to launch.

Step 2. Since it is your first time running Bootlace, it will automatically start downloading and patching the Kernel.

Step 3. The patching process is short, once done you will be prompted to reboot your iPhone. You don’t have much option but to tap on that ‘Reboot‘ button.

Step 4. After a reboot, launch Bootlace again. This time, there will be a welcome message, tap on ‘OK‘ button to proceed.

Step 5. This time, you need to install iDroid. Tap on the ‘iDroid‘ tab below your screen then tap on ‘Install‘ button thereafter.

Step 6. There will be a warning message. Just tap on ‘OK‘ button to proceed with the iDroid installation, and wait until it’s done.

Step 7. When the installation is complete, tap on ‘OpeniBoot‘ tab and then the ‘Install‘ button. We also need to install OpeniBoot.

Step 8. The installation will never take long enough; when it’s done, tap on ‘Configure‘ button.

Step 9. In this screen, you will be presented with options on how you would want your iPhone to boot; either boot with iOS or iDroid. Just don’t forget to tap on the ‘Save’ button located at the top-right corner of your screen.

Anyway, it is the Android OS 2.2.1 Froyo that you will be using here. Why don’t you take time navigating and discovering this OS with your iPhone?

As always, don’t hesitate to leave us comments, suggestions or questions.

Perhaps many of the iPhone users do not know what hactivation means. Others may think of it as jailbreak. But no, hactivation is not jailbreaking.

To hactivate is to open or unlock your iPhone for other mobile operators or carriers. For example, you bought your iPhone from O2, it follows that you will not be able to use SIM cards other than O2′s unless you will hactivate your iPhone; that’s the only time you will be able to use other carriers.

What does Subscriber Artificial Module (SAM) do?

SAM will trick iTunes and iPhone to create legitimate activation tickets despite the fact that it is unlocked by ultrasn0w. It simply means that you can enjoy the benefits of push applications. Aside from that, this will increase your iPhone’s battery life.

Note: you will have to jailbreak your iPhone first to be able to perform the following steps.

Part 1: Subscriber Artificial Module Installation

Step 1: Launch Cydia, tap on “Manage” tab at the bottom and tap on “Sources“.

Step 2: Upon tapping on the ‘Sources’, you can see an “Edit” button on the upper-right, tap on it to open. Press “Add” button on the upper-left, and enter the following address: http://repo.bingner.com.

Step 3: After entering the address above, you will be prompted with “Return to Cydia” button, tap on it to go back to Cydia list of sources. Select “Binger” and choose “SAM“.

Step 4: Once you open SAM, you are ready to install it by pressing the “Install” button located top-right.

Step 5: Since we will be installing two packages, we will queue them first. Tap on “Continue Queuing“, and press “Binger.com repo” button on the upper-left corner of the screen.

Step 6: Now, tap on “SAMPrefs” to open the package and press “Install” button, and “Confirm” your action. The installation will not be long.

Step 7: Once the installation is done, tap on “Restart Springboard” button.

Part 2: RedSn0w Installation and Firmware Restoration

Step 8: Now, download the latest version of RedSn0w (0.9.6b6) for Windows or Mac. Unzip the package when the download in complete, and launch the application when ready.

Step 9: When RedSn0w is opened, you will be prompted to browse for IPSW file.

Step 10: Click “Browse” button and navigate through the directory where you have downloaded/saved the IPSW file. If you have jailbroken your iPhone, you must have used such file.

Note: If you are using iPhone 3GS, RedSn0w will ask you about its bootroom. Click “Yes” if your iPhone uses new bootroom and “No” if it doesn’t. Check out this article if you don’t know how to check the bootroom version of your iPhone 3GS.

Step 11: If you’ve chosen the right IPSW file, redsn0w will prompt you that verification was successful. Click the “Next” button to continue; redsn0w will then prepare the jailbreak data.

Step 12: When you are doing the jailbreak process, you can choose whichever options you want. However, in this case, you just have to choose “Deactivate“, then click “Next” button to continue.

Step 13: Connect your iPhone to your computer, then turn it OFF; click “Next” button if ready.

Step 14: You will be guided to put your iPhone into DFU mode. Just follow the screenshots below.

Step 15: Your iPhone will reboot and redsn0w will start uploading new RAM Disk and Kernel. Once done, you just have to click on the “Finish” button.

Part 3: Subscriber Artificial Module (SAM) Settings

Step 16: Launch “Settings” app, tap on “SAM” to open and make sure “De-Activate iPhone” option is enabled.

Step 17: Now, launch iTunes and let your iPhone activate. There are times when iTunes prompts you that your SIM is invalid, if it happens, manually select the right carrier instead of using “Auto Detect” then click on SIMID. And, that’s it.

Basically, this guide is petty simple when you are doing it yourself. You won’t even find it hard to follow.

Your iPhone comes with its default browser — the mobile Safari. The problem is, not all of the iPhone users love this browser. There are several good browsers you can use with your iPhone to make your browsing experience a pleasant one. Among these browsers are Opera mini, Skyfire, 360 browser, VanillaSurf, etc…

You may have used one of these, but how can you make your favourite browser the default browser of your iPhone?

How to Change iPhone Default Browser

Here is the tutorial you can follow to change your default iPhone browser. But first, you should know that this guide is intended for jailbroken iPhones only. As of this writing, Apple only allows you to change the default search engine but not the default browser. So, we will be utilizing a hack called Browser Changer.

The First Way

Step 1. Launch Cydia from the Springboard and click on ‘Sections’ tab.

Step 2. Scroll down a bit and try to look for ‘Tweaks’ option. Once found, tap on it and you will be presented with a list of packages.

Step 3. Choose ‘Browser Changer’ among the packages. Tap on it to open the package.

Step 4. Tap on ‘Install’ button to the upper right corner of the screen.

Step 5. You have to ‘Confirm’ your last action.

Step 6. When installation is complete tap on ‘Restart Springboard’.

Step 7. Once you have restarted the springboard, launch ‘Settings’ app and tap ‘Browser Changer’.

Step 8. You will have plenty of options as to what browser you want make as default.

The Second Way

Step 1. Launch Cydia from your Springboard.

Step 2. Tap on the ‘Search’ tab and key in “browser changer”.

Step 3. Now, open the package and follow the rest of the steps above.

The next steps would be easier since you just have to follow the steps already mentioned in the first way of installing and configuring browser changer hack.

That’s it! You will be able to open emails or browse the net using your favourite browser. Please note that in Opera mini, the automatic page loading on start up is not supported. It may not be a compulsory on your part, however, if you want to break the boredom of using the same browser over and over again, this tutorial may be a great help.

All the SMS or text messages inside your iPhone are handled by a database. Jailbreaking your iPhone open the possibility of manipulating your SMS database and export all the data within. The CSV file can also be accessed using Microsoft Excel and equivalent program.

This tutorial will walk you through the process to backup and export your SMS as a CSV file to your Mac.

Download the Tools Needed

These are the tools you will need for this tutorial.

1. iPhone Explorer

2. SQLite Database Browser

These tools are available for Mac and Windows platform; make sure you download the correct version.

Backup SMS Database

Connect your iPhone to your Mac through USB.

1. Launch the iPhone Explorer and navigate through “/private/var/mobile/Library/SMS.“.

2. Look for the file SMS.db and download it to your Mac.

Export iPhone SMS

1. Launch SQLite Database Browser you have downloaded a while back.

2. Click “File -> Open Database“. You will then be asked to choose a file to open. Navigate through the directory where you have download SMS.db.

This is an example of the structure of iPhone SMS database.

3. When SMS.db is open, you can export it the way you want. Click on “File -> Export” and choose “Table as CSV File“.

4. You will be prompted to “Choose table to export as CSV text“. Choose table name as “Message” and click on the “Export” button thereafter.

5. You will then be asked for the location to save the CSV file. Locate the directory you want to save it to and give it a filename.

6. Try to open the CSV file with iWork’s Numbers or Microsoft Excel to manipulate the data inside. When you open it, you will see a few columns with corresponding values. You can actually edit those values and save the file as CSV, still.

The point of this tutorial is to help you backup, export and even import all your SMS data to your other devices. Or, you can also use this method to archive your text messages for future reference, that way, you will not be able to lose messages you treasure most.

What other way do you use to backup your iPhone’s SMS?

Image credit: Frank Spin

Fortunately, iPhone comes with an Internet tethering feature. It converts your device into a modem and shares your Internet connection with your other devices. The bad news is, not all carriers offer tethering option which is a good reason why you should jailbreak your iPhone to be able to share your connection.

I have used two apps which can turn your iPhone into a WiFi hotspot. To cut the story short, here they are:

TetherMe Installation

Sbingner and Cirdan developed this app which supports jailbroken iPhones only. It has been tested to work efficiently with iPhones running iOS 3.0 to 4.0.1. I was wondering if this app will also work with iOS 4.1, so I tried to search for reviews of TetherMe but I never found a clue. The good thing is, TetherMe is worth $1.99 only so everybody can afford it.

To install TetherMe to your iPhone, you just have to:

1. Launch Cydia and query “TetherMe.”

2. Purchase the App for $1.99 and install.

3. You have to reboot your iPhone after the installation to set TetherMe into effect.

4. Navigate through Settings -> General -> Network and set Internet Tethering to “On” to enjoy its function.

TetherMe works perfectly on iPhone 4 running iOS 4.1 jailbroken using Limera1n.

MyWi Installation

If TetherMe turns your iPhone into a modem, MyWi will turn it into a router allowing other devices to connect to the Internet simultaneously. Since it is also a Cydia app, only jailbroken iPhones would be able to enjoy its features. Moreover, it is stable and has been tested to work perfectly on iPhones running iOS 3.0 and up. Well, the bad news is, it is worth $9.99. It may sound so expensive but the price is just right if you want to turn your place into a WiFi hotspot using your iPhone. You can try out its trial version and see for yourself if it is worth your money. Without further adieu, here are the steps on how to install MyWi.

1. Launch Cydia app and query “Rock App“, then tap on “Install” button.

2. You will be able to find a Rock icon on your Springboard, tap on it to launch.

Note: If you have already installed the Rock App in your iPhone, proceed to the following steps without performing the first to steps. Otherwise, you have to create a new Rock account if it is your first time launching the application. Rock account is free so you don’t have to worry.

3. Once the app is open, you can see MyWi among the options, tap on it to start installation. Click on “Start Trial” if you want to test it out first. However, should you decide to purchase the app directly, click on “Purchase” button. In this case, we will try out the trial version.

4. Installation will take a while to complete. After which you will be prompted to soft-restart your iPhone, just proceed as instructed.

5. Look for MyWi icon and tap on it to launch. You will, then, be prompted with an agreement which you are entitled to accept to be able to use the app.

6. That’s pretty it. You will now be able to enjoy its features. To increase security of your connection, or to avoid others to use it without your knowledge, you can enable WEP security and choose your own WEP key.

7. Switch “WiFi Tethering” On and MyWi will automatically convert your iPhone into a WiFi hotspot.

So far, these are the best apps you can use to share your Internet connection from your iPhone to your other devices. It will not take so much of your time to complete the installation. But you have to remember that these apps work only on jailbroken iPhones; if you haven’t done so, try these tutorials here.

Image credit: Yutaka Tsutano

Now, follow these steps to upgrade to iOS 4.1 without updating to the latest baseband version.

Step 1: Download TinyUmbrella

You will have to use an application called TinyUmbrella. Now, you have to visit TinyUmbrella Official Website to download the application. After which, you have to download iOS 4.1 firmware here.

Step 2: Run TinyUmbrella

Launch this little program to start the process. Make sure you have switched off your firewall or allow your firewall to run this application. It is advisable that you run it as administrator if you are using Win Vista or Win 7.

Step 3: Connect iPhone

Make sure your iPhone is connected to your computer and that TinyUmbrella has detected it and its firmware.

You can click on ‘Save My SHSH‘ button to save a backup of your SHSH blobs should you need to downgrade your iPhone in the future.

Step 4: Start TSS Server

You may now click on ‘Start TSS Server‘ button so that TinyUmbrella can start killing iTunes. By doing so, you will be able to see ‘Running’ status just below the button.

Step 5: Launch iTunes

While TSS server is running, launch iTunes to restore iOS 4.1 firmware.

Step 6: Restore Firmware

Select your iPhone among the list of devices in iTunes. Press and hold the ‘Shift‘ key then click on the ‘Restore‘ button. This will let you navigate through the directory where you have download the iO 4.1 firmware a while ago. Be sure to look for iPhone3,1_4.1_8B117_Restore.ipsw.

Step 7: iTunes Error Prompt

Sit back and wait for the process to be done. An iTunes error 1004 will be your sign that the whole process is complete. This error simply means that your iPhone is running iOS 4.1 and has preserved its baseband version. Thus, you can use UltraSn0w to unlock it and use other carriers.

Step 8: Kick Device Out of Recovery Mode

Now, go back to TinyUmbrella and click on the ‘Kick Device Out of Recovery‘ button to conclude this process. But make sure you still have your device connected to your computer. By clicking that button, your iPhone will automatically reboot.

After the reboot, your iPhone should be running iOS 4.1 with the same baseband version, 01.59.00.

This month, there are two jailbreaking tools released for jailbreakers – limera1n and greenpois0n. Having this baseband version, you can use limera1n to jailbreak your iPhone and use UltraSn0w to unlock it.

One thing you can enjoy when you have your iPhone 4 jailbroken is the capability to use FaceTime Video Calling even if you are using a 3G network. FaceTime is one of the coolest features of iPhone 4 which enables you to do video calls to your friends and families. However, you must be in a WiFi zone to be able to utilize such feature… but not anymore.

A Cydia app called My3G makes it possible for you to use apps which require WiFi connection to run even over a 3G network. So, you don’t have to find WiFi zones every time you use FaceTime video calling. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to install and run My3G on your jailbroken iPhone 4.

Installation

Step 1. Launch Cydia from your iPhone’s springboard and tap on the “Sections” tab located at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2. Look for “System” and tap on it to open a list of system packages.  Then look for “My3G” and tap to open the package.

Step 3. There should be an “Install” button found on the upper-right of the screen, tap on it. You will, then, be asked to confirm your last action; just tap on the “Confirm” button to initiate the installation.

Step 4. Congratulations! Your My3G installation is done. Just tap on the “Reload Springboard” button located at the bottom. It is impossible to miss it because it’s large enough to catch your attention.

Running My3G

Upon the completion of the installation, the springboard will be refreshed and you will be able to see a new icon–My3G.

Step 1. Tap on My3G icon to launch the app. You will then be asked to sign in using your RockID. If you have one, then you are good to go and ready to tap on “Sign In” button. Otherwise, tap “Create New RockID” button.

Step 1.1. Creating a new RockID will not take a minute of your time. What you need is your Name, Email address and Password. Enter them into their respective fields and tap “Create New RockID” button if done. After which, you are ready to sign in using your newly created RockID.

Step 2. If you were able to log into My3G, you will be notified that the trial will expire in 9 days. Nonetheless, you can use the full functionality of this app even if you are under a trial period.

Step 3. Tap the “Home” button then open “Contacts” tab to select a contact who also uses FaceTime. Once you have selected the contact, simply tap on “FaceTime” button to start using FaceTime Video Calling over 3G network. Enjoy!

Don’t forget that the trial version will expire in 9 days. During this time, you can evaluate if you really need to use video calling with FaceTime. If so, then you have to purchase or pay for the app once trial expires; as of this writing, FaceTime costs $3.99. The price is all worth it if you really need to use this feature.

I have discovered two ways on how to download files directly to your iPhone;

• By using an app called aDownloader
• By installing a Safari Download Plugin

Out of curiosity, I tried to use both and it seems to me that they serve the same purpose in almost the same way.

Note: The software mentioned here requires you to jailbreak your iPhone. If you have not done so (and wish to do so), here’s the tutorial.

aDownloader

aDownloader package will install its own browser which you can easily use to browse through the sites you want to download files from. You can save the downloaded files into your iPhone and open it anytime you want. And like other download managers which you may have been able to use in your desktop, you can simultaneously download multiple files; you can pause and resume the download process as well.

It supports the following file format: PDF, doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, mp3, m4a, wav, mpeg, 3gp, mov, flv, jpg, png, gif, bmp, txt, html, xml, RAR, Zip.

Step 1: Launch Cydia and key in “aDownloader” to locate the package. Once found, just install it so that you can use it immediately.

Step 2: Once installation is done, just tap on aDownloader icon to launch it. Don’t be surprised because aDownloader will serve as another browser on your iPhone.

Step 3: When visiting a site where you want to download, just tap on the download link and the process will then be started by the app.

To view the status of your download, click on the “Downloads” tab on the lower portion of your iPhone screen and you will be presented with related information about your current downloads.

Step 4: When the download is completed, you can view the downloaded document by clicking on “Documents” tab just beside “Downloads“.

Safari Download Plugin

The Safari download plugin simply add another plug-in to your existing browser to enable downloads. This plugin is written by hanchu and is made handy for the built-in browser of your iPhone.

The supported files are: zip, rar, gz, lzh, hqx, dmg, dat, exe, tar, torrent, pdf, wma, wmv, avi, dll, db, flv, ppt, pps, msi, asf, iso, img, bin, rtf, 3gp, ipsw, mp3, mp4, mpeg, mpg, swa.

The very first thing you will do is to add a new source where we can download the plugin from.

Step 1: Launch “Installer” from the Springboard and click on the “Sources” tab below.

Step 2: Tap on the “Edit” button, then the “Add” button to add new source.

Step 3: Now type in http://installer.iClarified.com in the field and tap on “OK” button. After which, tap the “Done” button to the upper right-hand corner of your iPhone screen.

Step 4: Tap on the “Install” tab to find and select the package from the source you just added. Select iClarified among the categories.

Step 5: You will be presented with different packages but the one that we are looking for is the Safari Download Plugin. Select and install it. There will be confirmation prompts; simply confirm your installation to continue.

Step 6: You need to reboot your iPhone to integrate the plug-in to the built-in Safari browser. Once your iPhone is up, you will be ready to download any supported files from any websites.

Step 7: Just launch your Safari and navigate through the websites you want to download files from. To download, just click on the download link(s).

Step 8: A window will then appear which contains two buttons: “Download” and “Change Filename” buttons. You’re good to go!

While this tutorial may not be new to you, I assure you that it will be helpful especially when you are fond of browsing the net using your iPhone. There are always time when you need to download something from the web and your iPhone is the only thing you have.

To download Youtube videos, you have to follow the tutorial here. After you have downloaded the files, you may also want to learn how to transfer from/to your iPhone.

Use Volume Buttons to Take Photos

I used to have a Sony Ericsson phone because I love their trademarked Cybershot feature. Thus, I was used to taking photos using a shutter on the side of the phone itself. However, iPhone does not offer the same functionality because you have to use the little touch button. With SnapTap, you can easily turn the volume buttons into a shutter for your own convenience.

SnapTap will only work in a jailbroken iPhone. Just recently, it has been updated to become compatible with iOS 4 and iPhone 4. Thus, if you want to break the monotony of using your iPhone, then jailbreak it and follow the steps below to use the volume buttons as a shutter.

Step 1. Launch Cydia and perform a search. Just key in the name of the hack itself (SnapTap) to find it.

Step 2. Locate the SnapTap package and purchase it.

Note: SnapTap is not offered for free. It costs $1.49 but it is all worth it. If you have promo code, you can use it to get it for free.

Step 3. After the purchase, you can install and run it to enable its features. The installation will automatically enables you to use the volume buttons to take pictures.

Note: To disable it, simply go to Settings and tap SnapTap.

By having this hack on your iPhone, you can also use the volume buttons of your headset to capture still shots or videos.

Use Volume Buttons to Unlock iPhone Screen

Apple was recently awarded for their “Slide to Unlock” patent which is one of the latest technological innovations in 21st century. However, not all iPhone users love this feature. The fact is, there were developers who introduced the “Tap to Unlock” hack to make it even easier. I am not really against the “Slide to Unlock” feature of iPhone, but I find it amusing to use the volume buttons to alter such function.

With the use of VUnlock, a single press on the volume buttons will unlock the iPhone screen. One good thing about this hack is that it is offered free in Cydia. However, only the jailbroken iPhones will be able to use this. Here are the pretty simple steps…

Step 1. Launch Cydia and perform a search for “VUnlock.”

Step 2. Locate the package, once found, tap on it then install. The installation is pretty quick.

Step 3. Tap on “Respring” button and that’s it!

I hope this tutorial will be able to help you. If you got other ideas on how to optimize the use of your iPhone’s volume keys, don’t hesitate to let us know. Feel free to leave comments or suggestions below.

• Backup your iPhone before doing the jailbreak. Restoring the data is easier to do after the jailbreak process.
• Jailbreaking may void the warranty of your iPhone; you should know that after doing the following steps, you cannot just go to Apple stores and proclaim your iPhone is not working.
• You must be responsible for securing your iPhone after the jailbreak.
• This tutorial is for Mac users only.
• RedSn0w, the tool used in this tutorial to jailbreak your iPhone, is NOT used to UNLOCK your iPhone.
• Make sure your iPhone 3G runs on iTunes 9.2 before you proceed.
• RedSn0w will never work on iPhone 3Gs and iPhone 4.

Here are the steps you should follow to jailbreak iOS 4.0.2 for your iPhone 3G.

Step 1. Download the following files:

• A. Latest release of RedSn0w for Mac OS. Click Here to download.
• B. Latest iOS 4.0.2 firmware or iPhone1,2_4.0.2_8A400_Restore.ipsw
• C. iOS 4 firmware file or iPhone1,2_4.0_8A293_Restore.ipsw

Step 2. Extract RedSn0w and put it in a directory you can easily access; you should know that the RedSn0w is provided to you in a zip file. Here are the files you must be seeing when you unzip the file;

Step 3. Connect your iPhone 3G to your computer – it will automatically launch iTunes. On the left side, under “Devices” select the iPhone 3G device. Press on the option key and click on “Restore” button. Please see screenshot for your guide.

Step 4. Now, browse through the directory where you have unzipped the redsn0w file and select the firmware file for iOS 4.0.2 (iPhone1,2_4.0.2_8A400_Restore.ipsw) and click on “Choose” button to let iTunes update your iPhone for the required firmware.

Step 5. Go back to the directory where you unzipped the redsn0w application. Launch redsn0w and you will be asked to choose the correct IPSW file. Choose the iOS 4 firmware (iPhone1,2_4.0_8A293_Restore.ipsw). Choosing the iOS 4.0.2 firmware will lead to an error message: “Unable to recognize specified IPSW.”

Step 6. Redsn0w will verify the IPSW or the firmware file you chose and will notify you if it is successful. When you click on “Next” redsn0w will start preparing the data for jailbreaking.

Step 7. The next step will prompt you to choose among the options given for your iPhone 3G and there are four checkboxes that are already selected by default. I advice you to use the default settings.

Step 8. Click “Next” to continue with the jailbreak. The next screen will prompt you to turn off your iPhone 3G. If you are ready, click “Next.”

Step 9. To complete the jailbreak, you should put your iPhone into DFU mode. Redsn0w will take you step-by-step on how to do it. Follow the screenshots;

Step 10. Once the process is done, your iPhone 3G will reboot and redsn0w will upload new RAM disk and kernel.

Step 11. You will soon be notified that the jailbreaking is done. Simply click on “Finish” button to close the redsn0w.

Step 12. Lastly, your iPhone 3G will reboot longer than usual. After which, you can see the Cydia application on your iPhone 3G’s home screen. That means, everything is successful.

Windows users, don’t forget to check out our previous article on how to jailbreak iOS 4.0.2 for iPhone 3G in WinOS.

Before you carry out the jailbreak, go through these notes and see if you are ready to perform the process;

• Be sure to backup your iPhone to ensure all your files can be restored after the jailbreak.
• Jailbreak will void the warranty; so, you are on your own right after you touch the firmware of your gadget.
• Make sure your computer is running iTunes 9.2 or later to perform this process successfully.
• After jailbreak, make your iPhone secure as jailbreaking does not only open the limitless possibilities but also make it less secure.
• You should know that RedSn0w will not unlock iPhone 3G, but UltraSn0w does. Furthermore, you cannot use it for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.

First Things First

There are three files you should download before you can proceed.

redsn0w_win_0.9.5b5-5.zip – this is the main application that you will be using to jailbreak iOS 4.0.2 on your iPhone 3G. Click here to download RedSn0w; it is a .zip file which contains four files namely: credits.txt, license.txt, README.txt and the main application redSn0w.exe. You have to unzip it first before you can run the program.

iPhone1,2_4.0.2_8A400_Restore.ipsw – latest iOS 4.0.2 firmware file, 305.4MB. You can download it HERE.

iPhone1,2_4.0_8A293_Restore.ipsw – iOS 4 firmware file, 292MB. Click here to download.

If you have these files on your PC, then you are set.

Jailbreak iOS 4.0.2 using RedSn0w

Step 1. Connect your iPhone 3G to your PC or computer; doing so will automatically launch iTunes (If it does not launch iTunes automatically, start your iTunes manually).

Step 2. Select your iPhone 3G on the “Devices” section of iTunes. Hold the Shift Key while you click on the “Restore” button.

Step 3. Now, go through the folder where you downloaded the latest iOS 4.0.2 firmware (iPhone1,2_4.0.2_8A400_Restore.ipsw). Click on the “Choose” button and let iTunes update your iPhone 3G with the latest firmware required.

Step 4. Now it’s time to launch the RedSn0w application. Try to go through the folder where you have unzipped the RedSn0w zip file you downloaded (redsn0w_win_0.9.5b5-5.zip).

Step 5. You will now be asked to choose for the right IPSW file. Simply click the “Browse” button and navigate through the folder where you’ve downloaded the iOS 4 firmware file (iPhone1,2_4.0_8A293_Restore.ipsw).

Note: Choosing the iOS 4.0.2 firmware will result to the following error message: “Unable to recognize specified IPSW.”

Step 6. RedSn0w will verify the IPSW or firmware file. Once it can detect you’ve chosen the right one, it will tell you that IPSW is successfully identified. You just need to click “Next” to proceed. After which, RedSn0w will now prepare the required jailbreak data.

Step 7. The next window will let you choose the features you want included after the jailbreak process. You will be given 7 options and 4 of which are already checked by default. They are as follows;

• Install Cydia
• Enable Multitasking
• Enable homescreen wallpaper
• Enable battery percentage

• Verbose Boot – it provides more detailed information to iPhone users, however, this may not be necessary for ordinary users.
• Custom Boot Logo – as what the name denotes, you can use your own boot logo if you choose this option. You should remember to use .png either in grayscale or RGB bearing 320×480 resolutions.
• Custom Recovery Logo – it should have the same properties as with custom boot logo.

Step 8. By clicking on the “Next” button, you will be prompted to turn your iPhone 3G Off and plug it into your PC. Just follow the instructions and, once again, click on “Next” button to proceed.

Step 9. The next step will tell you to put your iPhone into DFU mode. Fortunately, redSn0w is also designed to guide you through this process; just follow the screenshots below…

Step 10. Your iPhone 3G should reboot. After which, RedSn0w will now begin the jailbreaking process.

Step 11. A window below will appear once the jailbreak is done. Clicking on “Finish” button will exit the RedSn0w; it will also reboot your iPhone 3G which may take up to 5 minutes. Once your gadget is up, you will be seeing a Cydia app on the home screen which means the jailbreak is successful.

This guide is for Windows users only. I am now working on the step-by-step guide in jailbreaking iPhone 3G for Mac users. I hope this one will work for you as it did for me. Anyway, feel free to leave comments or suggestions below.

Loss of signal when the phone is held in a certain way

Until now, you should have known that this is related to Apple Antennagate issue, not with the jailbreaking. Anyway, the method to resolve this is to apply for the free bumper given out by Apple.

1. Apple launch an app for their customers to qualify for their Free iPhone 4 Case. Download the iPhone 4 Case Program app from the app store.

2. Launch the app with your iPhone 4 and sign in using your Apple ID or your iTunes Store account.

3. Now select a bumper or case that you like.

Note: For those who have previously purchased cases or bumpers, Apple also do a full refund. Terms and Conditions apply. You may visit Apple.com for more details.

Fixing the “Purple Screen” problem while using JailbreakMe

If you are stuck in a purple screen and your iPhone hung while jailbreaking, try to reboot it first before looking for other ways to resolve the problem. I tell you, there are hundreds of things that a reboot can do to get you out of trouble. However, if things don’t go the way you expect them to be, here are the steps on how to get out of this purple screen problem.

1. You must be seeing this screen and have waited about two minutes before you can say that your iPhone 4 hung.

2. You need to clear the cache, browsing history and cookies on your iPhone to fix this problem.

3. Go to Settings -> Safari

4. You should see three options on your screen i.e. Clear History, Clear Cookies and Clear Cache.

5. Tap on Clear History, and you have to confirm the action to proceed.

Remember to Clear Cookies and Cache as well by doing the same process. This will somehow get rid of the first problem you may experience while you are jailbreaking your iPhone 4 using JailbreakMe.

Note: Do not do this if everything is doing fine during the process.

Fixing “Different SIM Detected” error after jailbreak

The second problem I have encountered was the “Different SIM Detected” message. Trust me, with this, you can never use your iPhone without fixing it first. Thanks to PushFix because this problem can be resolved in a minute by using their “Hacktivation Patch.”

Note: This patch will only function on iPhone 3G/3GS which runs on iOS 4.0.1, 4.0, 3.1.3 and 3.1.2, and iPhone 4 on iOS 4.0.1 and 4.0.

1. You need to add a new repository first. I assume you have done this process so many times before. Open the Cydia app. Tap on Manage -> Sources -> Edit -> Add. You will be presented with a text field where you can enter the address or the URL of the repository.

2. Now, enter this URL into the field:

http://cydia.pushfix.info

and tap on Add Source.

3. After adding the source of the repository, click Done and Search for Hacktivation Patch.

4. Reboot your iPhone 4 to activate the patch. That’s it.

Not everyone will face the above problem when jailbreaking your iPhone. For those who have such issues, it is good to know that there are simple fix for it. Try out the fix above and let us know if it works for you. Feel free to leave comments or questions below.

Why should we jailbreak and unlock iPhones, anyway? That is exactly what my friend asked me before we did the processes. It seems to me that there are still a lot of people who do not know the very purpose why we jailbreak our iPhones. Therefore, before we proceed with the jailbreak, allow me to cite some reasons why majority of iPhone users have jailbroken and unlocked their gadgets.

• You can use Swirly MMS and xGPS on Jailbroken iPhones
• You will have plenty of custom notifications and sounds you can use
• You can play PlayStation, NES, and Game Boy games if you like to
• You can stream and record live videos
• You can watch television shows without a charge
• Etc…

The point is, there are hundreds of possibilities how you can use your iPhone if it is jailbroken; it feels as if you are freed from being hindered or limited with how you use your gadget. To cut the chase, let’s proceed with the jailbreaking and unlocking process.

iPhone 4 Jailbreak Process

The first you need to do is to jailbreak your iPhone as preparation for the unlocking. I want to introduce to you the tool I used; JailbreakMe, developed by iPhone Dev Team. Here is how to jailbreak your iPhone 4;

1. Launch the mobile Safari on your iPhone and open http://www.jailbreakme.com. It is a browser-based tool and we do not need to download and install something. If the previous URL does not work, try going to http://jailbreakme.modmyi.com.

2. To start the process, simply slide the “Slide to Jailbreak” slider.

3. You should know, especially if you haven’t done this before, that jailbreak process takes several minutes to complete. After which, you will be notified that Cydia is available on your iPhone; it means the jailbreaking process is successful.

4. That’s it! Your phone is already jailbroken.

After these steps, you will be ready for the next one – unlocking.

iPhone 4 Unlocking Process

The JailbreakMe has become so popular overnight because of its simplicity yet effectiveness in jailbreaking iPhone 4 and other devices. However, the iPhone Dev Team found it necessary to upgrade their tool to unlock the UltraSn0w.

The updated version of UltraSn0w will enable your iPhone 4 to use other or any carrier without a problem. The basebands 01.59.00, 05.11.07,  04.26.08, 05.12.01 and 05.13.04 are the ones which UltraSn0w supports. Other than these, you should not pursue the process.

1. First off, launch Cydia.

2. Tap on the “Search” option and type “ultrasn0w” in the field.

3. Once the search results are displayed, you can tap on “Install” to activate the app.

4. Reboot your iPhone after the installation, and that’s it! Your iPhone 4 is unlocked and you can use any carrier you like.

What if I cannot Find the Package?

Here’s what you should do if things like these happen;

1. Launch Cydia then tap on “Manage” and go to “Sources.”

2. Tap the “Edit” button then on the “App” button.

3. In the field, type this URL: http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com and tap “Add Source.” Cydia will automatically verify it and register the repository URL. After that, just tap on “Return to Cydia.”

4. Once the URL is registered, tap “Done” and you will now be able to find the package to install.

I have tested this process on a new iPhone 4 and everything will work fine as long as you follow the steps.

It was iOS 4 that gave light to the people especially to the non-techie ones. It was June, this year, that Apple formally released the iOS 4 for everyone. Of course, people were amazed with its notable feature that most of the technical population have been waiting for; it technically took four generations of iPhone OS before Apple made the greatest decision to include such feature together with a hundred others.

But you know what, long before iOS 4 has been released, I have been enjoying with such feature in my iPhone 3G.  Although, multi-tasking is intentionally disabled by Apple in 3G because of its slower CPU and limited memory, there were still a lot of people (including me) who have gone beyond the limitations of the iPhone 3G. Now, I want to tell you the trick on how to enable the multitasking feature in your third generation iPhone.

I have known two iPhone hacks to enable this feature: zToggle and Features. But first, you should know that these tricks will only work for jailbroken iPhone 3G running on iOS 4.

Cydia’s zToggle Hack

1. Everything starts with the installation of zToggle hack.

2. Once the installation is successful, try to launch it. You will be presented with options and the very first one is the Multitasking feature.

3. Obviously, you will need to flip the Multitasking feature to ON. Now, you will need to respring your iPhone to activate the feature.

It’s as easy as that!

Cydia’s Features Hack

The second is the “Features” hack which you can also find from cydia for free. Features comes with multitasking theme called Winterboard which you need to enable to activate the said feature.  You just have to do a little search in cydia to locate the package and install it. After which, you are done. It is even easier that zToggle.

Multitasking is very important for everyone especially for those who are busy enough to wait. This feature is just what you need add more efficiency to your iPhone 3G.The most important thing you should know (again) is that this feature runs only on jailbroken iPhone 3G which runs on iOS 4. If you have OS 3.1 or even lower, never ever try this hack because it will never work. I did this test to my own iPhone and it worked for me. In fact, it is still working right now.

Important Note:: If you used PwnageTool or RedSnow to jailbreak your iPhone and have already selected the multitasking option, DO NOT install these hacks.

There are so many advantages which come when you jailbreak your iPhone. Some of them include the use of Twidget which enables you to view your tweets on lock screen and the use of Winterboard to let you manage the themes in your iPhone. Additionally, jailbreaking your iPhone will give you total control over your iPhone file system. However, once your iPhone is jailbroken, it will become vulnerable and less secure; you will need to take extra measure to retain its security.

One reason why the hacker was able to get into the iPhones of the victims is because they haven’t changed the default password after they had them jailbroken. Considering the fact that “alpine” is the default password of the root directory, and that the whole world knows about this, you should take some time to change it into your own password which no one knows about–except you.

Perhaps, the reason why people leave their password unchanged after jailbreaking their iPhone is because they do not know how. If you are one of them, then this would be the guide you are looking for…

Change the Root Password of your iPhone

Before anything else, I assume you had your iPhone jailbroken…

1. Open Cydia and install MobileTerminal app; you will need this to launch the Terminal app.

2. Launch the Terminal app. Key in this command:

su

Now, key in the default password:

alpine

By doing this, you will be able to log in as the “root” user. It means that you will be able to access everything inside your iPhone while using this user. Also, always remember that the passwords will not be shown/echoed on screen.

3. Once you have done all of the above, you are ready to proceed to this next step.

Key in this command:

passwd

This command will let you change the password for the “root” user.  After you key it in, you will then be prompted to type and confirm your new password.

And that’s it! I am sure you will find this tutorial easy enough to follow. But anyway, let me remind you that you also need to have a strong password; what’s the use of having a password if anyone can easily crack it, right?

Choose a Strong Password

This one may not be new to you. However, there are still people who do not know how to create a password which is harder to crack. The fact is, majority of the people use their birthdays, surnames or a combination of their first and last names plus their birthdays. Believe me, those passwords can be easily cracked even by a grade-schooler. Here is a quick guide for you to come up with a really good password;

1. Always use a combination of Numbers, Letters and Characters.
2. Capitalize some of the Letters randomly.
3. Have as many characters as possible in your password. A minimum of six characters would be good enough.
4. Never ever use your First Name, Last Name, Birthday or the names of your family and friends. More often, people know more about you than you think they do.
5. If possible, use a string of characters which you can easily type without even looking at the keyboard.
6. Do not use any actual word because crackers have dictionaries which contain millions of possible passwords that they can easily run to crack your password. Never ever use the word “password.”
7. Always find an easy way to remember your passwords. Writing them down is always the worst option you can have.
8. Above all, never ever give your password to anyone.

More often, we treat our iPhones as diaries which hold some of our personal information which we do not want to be exposed to anyone we don’t know. Therefore, making them more secure is the best thing we can do to protect our privacy. I hope this article is helpful enough. If you think I lack some important things in here, please feel free to leave comments or suggestions below. Or, if you want to get updates from this site, enter your email below.

Why should you Jailbreak?

Well, jailbreaking your iPad offers you tons of features and opportunities that you are otherwise not afforded. It gives you the ability to download non-App Store apps on to your iPad, which can increase abilities offered by a stock iPad by leaps and bounds. From multi-tasking to running widgets, to changing the way you interact with your home screens, jailbreaking offers many possibilities that would otherwise be impossible. I’ll get more specific later, but for now…

How do you do it?

This is the best part… With a simple desktop application called Spirit Jailbreak, it’s easy enough for your Grandma to do it in under 10 minutes.  First, head over to www.spiritjb.com. Once you get there, you may want to read up a little. If not, or if you already have, scroll down the page to the Download section, and download your version. As it’s downloading, go ahead and plug your iPad into your computer. Once the download finished, run the application. Here’s what you’ll get:

Click the button, and you’re all done! Your iPad will restart automatically, and you’ll now see the Cydia app store on one of your home screens. Touch it, and you will be brought to Cydia’s home. From here, you can check out their featured packages, as well as search for things you know that you want.

So, what should you install from Cydia?

Honestly, the answer is “A lot!” For most people though, there are a few main reasons to jailbreak. One reason would be better control over the multi-touch gestures with which you command your iPad. An app called SBSettings lets you change setting like what multi-touch gestures do when at the homescreen. It also gives you easy access to toggle certain features on and off, similar to Android’s Power Control widget.

Another huge reason is multi-tasking, that is to say, running apps in the background behind others, like your desktop, laptop, or several smartphone models can do. To accomplish this, just install Backgrounder. This will install in a couple of minutes, your iPad will restart, and anytime you want to not close an app, but let it continue to run in the background, you just tap and hold the Home button on your iPad.

On top of both of these features, there are countless other useful ones, including Wifit Tethering for the 3G iPad, theming your iPad, using one of several theme apps in the Cydia market, and tons of other useful tools. Additionally, there are tons of fun games and such that are only available on Cydia, like an SNES Emulator that allows you to download ROM’s in game!

So what are your favorite uses for a jailbroken or stock iPad? Most importantly, what is it still missing that might get you to jailbreak if you’re on the fence?  Sound off in the comments!

Image credit: Toughboy

iPhone applications can easily be backed up using iTunes, but what about the Cydia Applications? No, these ones will NOT be taken care by iTunes.

There are actually two ways to back Cydia applications.

1. AptBackup

The first one is by using AptBackup which you can also get from Cydia itself. This may be the easiest way but here’s the downside:

AptBackup makes a list of all your installed Cydia apps which you can backup through iTunes and restore it later. Now, when that list has been restored to your gadget after the upgrade, Cydia will take it as reference to automatically search and install all the apps in the list. HOWEVER, AptBackup is not really that successful in doing its job as there have been so many complaints about it. I am not discouraging you to use it, but if I were you, I will not depend solely on this method to back my apps.

2. The manual way

To be able to do this, you will need to be able to transfer files between your iPhone and computer. You can use OpenSSH or DiskAid to do that. Anyway, I have to assume that you already know how to do that. If not, read this post first so that you will know How to Copy Files To/From Your iPhone.

1. Make sure that your jailbroken iPhone has Gawk, MobileTerminal and OpenSSH installed in it. These can all be found in Cydia.

2. If you are ready, just launch the Terminal app, and carefully execute the following commands;

Type/Key in the command

su

followed by your password. Remember, your password will not be displayed. If you don’t remember changing the root password, then simply key in “alpine” (without quotes). After which, simply tap the Return Key.

Next, type this:

dpkg -l | grep ^ii | awk '{print $2}' > /var/root/cydiabkup.txt

and hit the Return Key. This command will automatically list down all your installed Cydia apps into a text file cydiabkup.txt.

The next important thing to do is to transfer cydiabkup.txt into your computer using SSH or DiskAid. This is how your text file looks like:

Once you have the cydiabkup.txt copied to your computer, you are free to do the upgrade process.

Restoring Cydia Applications

1. After you have upgraded and jailbroke your phone, reinstall OpenSSH, Gawk and MobileTerminal from Cydia. Additionally, you need to install APT 0.7 Strict which can also be found in Cydia. These packages are all required to transfer files from your computer to your iPhone.

Important Note: You need to disable the Auto-Lock first before you proceed with the rest of the steps. To do that, go to “Settings -> General -> Auto-Lock” and tap “Never.”

2. You will need to download the install-cydia-app package. After which, just unzip it, to find the install-cydia-app.sh.

3. With the use of DiskAid or SSH, transfer the file cydiabkup.txt and install-cydia-app.sh to the /var/root directory of your iPhone.

4. Launch the Terminal App to execute the following;

Type/Key in the command

su

followed by your password.

Next, type this:

sh /var/root/install-cydia-app.sh

and tap the Return Key.

After running the command, your iPhone will automatically search, download and install the apps on the list. If you see the prompt “After this operation, xxxMB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue [Y/n]?“, just tap the letter “Y” and Return Key. The installation time may very depending on the number of apps in the list.

Once the installation is done, just restart your iPhone and all your Cydia applications will be restored.

This process may seems geekery to most of you, but if you are able to jailbreak your iPhone, you shouldn’t have any problems getting this done too. Should you encounter any trouble and problems, don’t hesitate to leave your comments below.

Apple iPhone has become a necessity in the modern world not just because it has sleek design but because it can be used in so many ways. Its efficiency is equaled by its functionality that it became an “almost” perfect little computer.

About two weeks ago, Apple officially released to the public the new iOS4. If you are an iPhone user, you must have known that there are hundreds of new features added to this new operating system. Also, you must have known that only the third generation iPhones are capable of having the new OS. In short, only iPhone 3GS can be jailbroken into iOS4.

Now, if you are using the Pwnage Tool to jailbreak your phone, the current version of PwnageTool requires that your iPhone 3GS must have the old version of Bootrom to perform successful jailbreak. Otherwise, your beloved gadget will turn into a junk. Therefore, you will need to know the Bootrom version before you decide to do the process. Here’s how.

How To Check Bootrom for Windows Users?

1. You will need to put your iPhone into DFU mode first.

• Connect it to your computer using a USB cable.
• Power it off.
• Press and Hold the POWER and HOME button for approximately 10 seconds.
• Release the POWER button but continue holding the HOME button for yet another 10 seconds.
• The iPhone’s screen should be blank and your computer will automatically detect the device in DFU mode.

Note: If your iPhone shows the screen “Connect to iTunes”, you should put it into recovery mode rather than DFU and repeat the process above.

2. If your iPhone is in DFU mode already, go to Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Device Manager

3. Look for “Universal Serial Bus Controllers“. It can be found at the bottom of your Device Manager. Click on the “Plus” to the left to expand then look for Apple Mobile Device USB Driver and right click it, then choose “Properties.”

4. A new window will appear. Click on the “Details” tab. Now, there would be a drop down menu. Click it and choose Device Instance Path to show the Bootrom version in the text area.

The OLD Bootrom must appear as iBoot-359.3 while the NEW one will be iBoot-359.3.2.

How To Check Bootrom for Mac Users?

1. Just like in Windows, you need to put your iPhone into DFU mode.

• Connect it to your computer using a USB cable.
• Power it off.
• Press and Hold the POWER and HOME button for approximately 10 seconds.
• Release the POWER button but continue holding the HOME button for yet another 10 seconds.
• The iPhone’s screen should be blank and your computer will automatically detect the device in DFU mode.

Note: If your iPhone shows the screen “Connect to iTunes,” you should put it into recovery mode rather than DFU and repeat the process above.

2. Once your gadget is in DFU mode, you can follow the steps below. Go to Applications -> Utilities -> System Profiler

3. Under the “Contents” try to navigate until you find the following.

Contents -> USB -> Hardware

4. By doing step 3 you will be able to navigate through USB options on the right. Look for and click Apple Mobile Device (DFU mode) option to reveal the “Serial Number“.

Once again, the OLD Bootrom should appear as iBoot-359.3 and the NEW one as iBoot-359.3.2.

To bring back your iPhone to life, you should hold the HOME and POWER button for a few seconds until the Apple logo appears.

Remember, the purpose of this post is to teach you how to determine the bootrom version of your iPhone and see if it is okay to jailbreak it into iOS4. The actual jailbreaking process may be presented in the next post. Should you have questions, clarifications and suggestions, feel free to leave comments below and we will get back to you.

Image credit: adria.richards

The QuickPwn is available for both Windows and Mac platform. There is a difference though. The Windows version of QuickPwn supports any 2.0.x firmware while the latest Mac version only supports 2.0.2 firmware. If you are using a Mac, you will have to upgrade your unit to the latest 2.0.2 firmware before you can use the QuickPwn tool.

The following tutorial will teach you how to jailbreak your iPhone/iPod Touch on your Mac. The step for Windows will be the same.

Some points to note;

1) This tutorial is illustrated with an iPod Touch and assumed that you have already upgraded your firmware to 2.0.2.

2) If you have not, simply connect your iPhone/iPod Touch to your iTunes and select the ‘Download and Install’ option when it prompts you to upgrade your firmware. Make sure that your iTunes is of version 7.7 and above.

Step 1:

Download the QuickPwn for Mac from the iphone-dev site . This is a torrent file. So make sure you have a torrent client (such as Transmission) to download the program.

(The above link is only for Firmware 2.0.2. If you are using firmware 2.2 or later, check out the iphone-dev blog for the latest QuickPwn download link.)

Step 2:

Connect your iPhone/iPod Touch to your iTunes and perform a backup sync. Even though the jailbreaking process is relatively safe and shouldn’t break any data, it is still better to do a backup and safe guard your data. Sometimes, you just can’t trust technology.

Step 3:

Once you have sync with iTunes, quit iTunes completely. This will prevent iTunes from interfering the jailbreaking process. Unzip the QuickPwn_1.0.0.tbz using Archive Utility to a convenient folder (say your Desktop). Do not use any other decompressing application. You should see this red icon with a pineapple.

Step 4:

Double click QuickPwn to open it. A warning screen will appear. Once you are WARNED, click OK to continue.

Step 5:

QuickPwn will now attempt to identify your iPhone/iPod Touch unit. If you have not connected your iPhone/iPod Touch via the USB cable, do it now.

Step 6:

Once QuickPwn successfully identifies your unit, it will ask if you want to receive update on startup. There is no harm in doing so, but if you are uncomfortable with application running in the background, then choose No.

Step 7:

QuickPwn will now scan your Mac for the 2.0.2 firmware that you have downloaded and automatically build the jailbreak firmware. There is nothing for you to do in this step. Just let the application run on its own.

Step 8:

Once the custom firmware is built, you have to switch the iPhone/iPod Touch to DFU mode (aka Restore mode) so that QuickPwn can modify your unit’s firmware. Make sure you have closed your iTunes completely. Follow the onscreen instructions to set your unit to DFU mode. (This can be rather tricky. You might have to try a few times to get it to DFU mode)

First, turn off your device by pressing the Power button for 3 secs and slide the slider to the right to power it off.

Now, hold the power and home button together for 10 seconds.

Release the power button and continue to hold the home button for another 10 seconds.

Your iPhone/iPod Touch will now be in DFU mode. If it fail to reach DFU mode, unplug and reconnect your unit to your Mac and repeat the above procedure again.

Step 9:

QuickPwn will now send the modified firmware to your unit. There is nothing to do in this step except to wait.

Once it is done, it will show the reboot warning. At this moment, don’t touch anything on your iPhone/iPod Touch. Let it run and reboot itself. It will take around 3-5mins. Just be patient.

Your iPhone/iPod Touch should be jailbroken after the reboot. You should be able to see the Cydia and Installer apps on the home screen.

That’s it. Your iPhone/iPod Touch is now jailbroken.