Roundup of jailbreak and unlock options for iPhone 2.2.1 2G and 3G
Update (15/04/2009): For those looking for a baseband downgrade solution for the iPhone 3G, ModMyi have now released a tool which could help you…
Like we’ve always done with newly released iPhone firmwares, we want to do our best at providing free help and explaining to iPhone users who are not familiar with iPhone jailbreaking and unlocking what it is all about with our roundup of jailbreak and unlock for the iPhone, but please note we’re also just iPhone users ourselves!

We’ve been playing about with the new iPhone firmware update 2.2.1 over the weekend and with some research over the tools that are now available, we’d like to tell you what choices are available to help you get the most out of your iPhone, no matter which iPhone you have and what you are aiming to do, jailbreak or unlock or both.
You will probably have read the quick post we published on how those who accidentally upgraded their iPhones to firmware 2.2.1 can downgrade to 2.2, unfortunately this method doesn’t work 100%, but we’d be happy to try our best to help should you choose that this is more suitable for you.
What we want to try and get out to you today is the options that are available. The iPhone Dev Team have updated their QuickPwn and Pwnage Tools so that they will work for jailbreaking the new firmware 2.2.1. If you’re new here, you may want to know the differences between these tools, those that already know can just skip and scroll on.
Please note: First generation iPhone 2G users, you need to update to firmware 2.2.1 using iTunes first. For second generation iPhone 3G users, you must do the opposite, you must remain in firmware 2.2. All the tools that are listed and available to date will work if you have NOT yet already upgraded to firmware 2.2.1. Especially so if you have a yellowsn0w unlocked iPhone 3G and you plan on keeping it unlocked. This is because the iPhone Dev Team’s Pwnage Tool will help your iPhone 3G to upgrade instead of doing it the iTunes way, and in order to keep your iPhone 3G unlocked, using the latest updated Pwnage Tool is the only way because this will preserve your iPhone 3G’s baseband for unlocking using yellowsn0w.
For those who have had their baseband upgraded by mistake, a iPhone 3G baseband downgrade tool is now available.
First things first!
If you’re interested in just jailbreaking so that you can use third party apps from Cydia and Installer and know for certain that you have no interest in unlocking your iPhone (especially iPhone 3G) for use with any other unofficial network providers in the future, you can simply choose QuickPwn.
Now lets get abit more specific, If you have the first generation iPhone (2G), and you wish to jailbreak and unlock, you also simply need to use QuickPwn.
- QuickPwn 2.2.5 for Mac and QuickPwn 2.2.5-2 for PC users should do the trick for the above mentioned purposes (download links below).
If you have the second generation iPhone, iPhone 3G and you want to jailbreak and unlock, then you must definitely use the Pwnage Tool to take your iPhone 3G through the upgrade process from firmware 2.2 to 2.2.1. If you don’t and choose the regular iTunes method, it is known that Apple will cause your iPhone 3G’s baseband to shift from 02.28.00 to 02.30.03 and at the moment this seems to be permanent. Resulting in inability for yellowsn0w to unlock your iPhone 3G for use with other providers.
- Therefore, if you require jailbreak and unlock on your iPhone 3G, use the updated Pwnage Tool version 2.2.5 which is only available to Mac users. If you are a PC user, you need to find a Mac computer and sort this out (Once you do pwn your iPhone 3G on that Mac, you can sync like you would normally on your own PC). Pwnage tool download links are also listed below.
iPod Touch first generation: All you need to do is follow the rule above as if you have the iPhone 2G and use the new QuickPwn to jailbreak to run third party apps. Do remember you need to have already upgraded to firmware 2.2.1 using iTunes to use QuickPwn.
iPod Touch second generation: The iPhone Dev Team have released the redsn0w tool, find out how you can jailbreak your iPod Touch.
Important message from iPhone Dev Team
- GOLDEN RULE: If you have a 3G iPhone running 2.2 firmware and you want to keep your ability to use yellowns0w (or the option to use it in the future) do NOT use QuickPwn, and do not use the official ipsw or the iTunes update process without using PwnageTool.
- Yellowsn0w will NOT work with the baseband version (02.30.03) that is present in the recent 2.2.1 update. If you want to use Yellownsn0w you will need to create and restore using a custom .ipsw that will allow you to update safely to 2.2.1 without applying the 02.30.03 baseband update. You’ll then have a 3G iPhone running 2.2.1 with an older baseband version that is still vulnerable to yellowsn0w, following these steps ensures that yellowsn0w will still operate.
- At the bottom of this post are the bittorrent files for the latest versions of PwnageTool and QuickPwn.
- These apps are suitable for the recent 2.2.1 release.
- The Yellowsn0w version has been updated to 0.9.7. Yellowsn0w is available from Cydia or Installer – this version allows compatibility with pwned 2.2.1 system (not baseband). Again„ remember 0.9.7 yellowsn0w DOES NOT WORK WITH 2.2.1 (02.30.03) directly – you need to be running a ‘pwned’ version of 2.2.1 which didn’t upgrade the baseband during the restore/upgrade.
- Users of OS X 10.5.6 will be unable to use DFU mode correctly, please see the note towards the end of this post to easily fix this issue.
How to fix iPhone DFU mode problem on Mac OS X 10.5.6
As noted previously OS X 10.5.6 introduced a bug that affected the use of DFU mode. with some Macs. There have been previously published hacks and techniques to fix this, but here is another method that can be used to temporarily restore DFU functionality in order to use QuickPwn or PwnageTool.
1. You will need an account with ADC (Apple Developer Connection) this is free and takes a few minutes to sign up, you should read the terms and conditions carefully and you should only sign up if you are thinking of developing applications in the future – http://developer.apple.com/mac/
2. Download the disk image “IOUSBFamily-315.4-log.dmg” for Mac OS X 10.5.5 Build 9F33” (yes, that is a “5” in 10.5.5 – this is a developer debug package of the USB kernel extension).
3. Unplug non-vital USB equipment, such as external DVD writers, USB scanners, USB mass storage devices, at the most leave a Keyboard and Mouse connected.
4. Install IOUSBFamily-315.4.1.pkg from within the disk image
5. Reboot your system!
6. Perform necessary DFU activity with QuickPwn or PwnageTool.
7. Download the disk image “IOUSBFamily-327.4.0-log.dmg” for Mac OS X 10.5.6 Build 9G55”
8. Intall IOUSBFamily-327.4.0.pkg from within the disk image
9. Reboot your system!
10. Reattach your USB peripherals.
Download Links
So here are the download links as mentioned. Please remember that hacking your iPhone could void its warranty, so proceed with caution and at your own risk. Again, if you’re not definitely sure which tool to use for your situation, please refer to the above or send us a comment and we’ll do our best to help! Any false move with the iPhone 3G can be permanent!
Pwnage Tool 2.2.5 (Mac only)
- http://iphone-dev.fgv6.net/PwnageTool_2.2.5.dmg
- http://iphone.schwarzmetall.cn/PwnageTool_2.2.5.dmg
- http://rabstalk.bplaced.net/mirrors/PwnageTool_2.2.5.dmg
- http://jmcoon.net/PwnageTool_2.2.5.dmg
- http://downloads2.ipod.backshot.eu/PwnageTool_2.2.5.dmg
- http://www.iphone-storage.de/PwnageTool_2.2.5.dmg
- http://miphone.ca/iphone-dev/PwnageTool_2.2.5.dmg
QuickPwn 2.2.5 for Mac
- http://iphone-dev.fgv6.net/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
- http://iphone.schwarzmetall.cn/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
- http://rabstalk.bplaced.net/mirrors/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
- http://jmcoon.net/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
- http://www.iphone-storage.de/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
- http://downloads2.ipod.backshot.eu/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
- http://miphone.ca/iphone-dev/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
QuickPwn 2.2.5-2 for Windows
- http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/4689995/QuickPwn-225-2.zip.4689995.TPB.torrent
- http://miphone.ca/iphone-dev/QuickPwn225-2.zip
- http://foskarulla.com/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
- http://downloads2.touch-mania.com/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
- http://www.applei.ph/devteam/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
- http://phonenews.com/phones/gsm/apple/QuickPwn225-2.zip
- http://rabstalk.bplaced.net/mirrors/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
- http://www.evil-crew.de/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
- http://daniel14.com/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
[via iPhone Dev]
Update (02/02/2009): Just added more download links for QuickPwn 2.2.5-2 for Windows users!
Update (15/04/2009): For those looking for a baseband downgrade solution for the iPhone 3G, ModMyi have now released a tool which could help you…







