iPhone 3G Unlock Updated: yellowsn0w hits 0.9.5

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

The iPhone Dev Team is still hard at work on their beta, pre-release version of the yellowsn0w process which runs on Jailbroken iPhone 3G's to unlock the devices from their carriers. The latest, 0.9.5 is working for some folks right now, but others are still experiencing problems including the inability to make outgoing calls (signal drops off). If you're trying and failing, be sure to give the Dev Team your feedback.

In addition, the Dev Team is also girding themselves, and their code, to fend off those who violate the yellowsn0w (and pwnage) license and try to make a buck by re-selling the Dev Team's work to unsuspecting web surfers. Whether you can really go after someone for abusing the license on a unlocking process that is designed to let people abuse the license of locked products shows just how complicated both commercial and non-commercial protectionism and freedom movements have become.

If you're unlocked, or trying to unlock, let us know how it's going for you. If you have any opinions on the debate around freeing commercial hardware and commercializing free software, drop us a comment as well!

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

23 Comments
  • Iam happy if it worked for sum but hasnt worked at all for me singnal goes from full to zero and seraching for signal and every version has done this and cant believe none of the dev team had any problems like this because a ton of people i know couldnt make out going calls i just cant believe this didnt happen to dev team
  • No pity. Live by the sword, die by the sword.
  • Agree with previous comment. If you dick about with this stuff and it doesn't work then you can't blame anyone but yourself. I bought a jailbroken 2G and happily hacked around with of bit once I went 3G on a contract I decided to leave it be after an unsuccessful jailbreak that bricked the phone. Never again!
  • I'm having problems with 2 iPhone 3g and everytime i jailbreak n unlock them they work with the sim it came with but when I switch the sim cards 2 put T-mobile I get the different sim detected error n please connect to iTunes
    But when I do I can't do anythig else
    I have rejailbreak n unlocked with different option but no fix......can anyone help??
    Even if I put phone A sim in phone B I still get the error..really weird.
    2days before I unlocked another iPhone 3g n worked fine
  • Forgot to say that T-mobile shows up n I can recieve caps n text by can't do anything else cuz I keep getteing the different sim error n won let me go in re menu at all
  • Well to tell u the truth devteam screwed many people over. People who once had version 2.1 on their iphones were using turbosims which worked without a problem. Now these smart idiots who told us to upgrade to 2.2 realized their beta software is garbage, and we suffer in return because 2.2 cannot be unlocked with almost no turbo sims. They should have warned us from the beginning that problems will arise and that this is not done yet. They made it seem as if christmas eve would be the day to use iphone 3g without turbo sims. I can make a software up also and name it "blueballs" but if it doesnt work then wtf is the point ? right?
  • I had success with me and my wifes 3g's unlocked using their method. it works great. Just had to reboot and flick flight mode on/off once initially. Now it's flawless.
  • @ Michael from #6:
    a) You're and idiot, you used FREE BETA software at your own risk, and you were warned in the process!
    b) It probably works fine, but you're either too stupid or too stubborn to read and follow the instructions...
    @ rene:
    a) There is an exception in the law (DCMA) for unlocking your own cell phone
    b) Jody Sanders, at the ripoff site, is also selling a modified version of pwnage, which is legal software -- no apple packages -- that belongs to its creators; FULL. STOP.
  • FOLLOW THIS METHOD = SUCESS GUARANTEED
    Install YellowSNow 0.9.5 Through Cydia
    Install BosPref with Cydia
    Install Mobile Terminal Witg Cydia
    You are done now, Put Everything OFF in Bosspref (SSH, 3G, EDGE, WIFI)
    Reboot Using BossPref (Power --> then Rebbot)
    30 Seconds after reboot go to Mobile Terminal and type
    *0 <-- # 0 not the alphabatical word (O)
    yellowsn0w -c
    and
    yellowsn0w -r
    Then goto setting turn on and off flight mode. wait a min to see the reception.
    Otherwise, reboot again using BossPref as i told you earlier.
    Then FLight mode on and off again.
    Trust me it will work for you 100% Guaranteed. Otherwise contact me lilplaya360@gmail.com
  • ravishan this worked for me when nothing else has before! iphone 3g three network. Thanks a MILLION!
  • Ravishan, I followed your instructions and it messed up my iphone. It will no longer detect my sim card.
  • I get the different sim detected as well, can not do anything but receiving calls
  • Hey Guys and Gals-
    First off thank you, thank you, thank you!! Freedom from our contracts are within reach. I am currently in California and with AT&T and want to move to T-Mobile. What sim package is recommended? Also will be moving to the UK in the fall, and going to get the iPhone O2 PayG sim card from ebay. Thanks you have saved this poor college student a fortune!!
    Rock on!! Cheers!
  • @Ravishan, that syntax "*0 <– # 0" does not make sense. Can you please verify what this is supposed to do? Obviously the Unix kernel of the phone will crap out on the # character ;)
  • this is for the ppl that is havin problem callin n th signal fail , look if u are a t-mobile customer kall 611 n ask for internet suport and ask them if they can help u out to get u signal wit u iphone that wut i did n they told me let do some troubleshoot n they tell me to turn the iphone on n the iphone turn on n got the signal n they tell me to kall some1 to try i did n it did ,n my iphone is now workin good luck guys iff something contact me my e-mail tillidie_3-0-5@hotmail.com
  • it worked fine for me.. but can't access the web via 3G.. i wonder if my US bought iphone doesn't like French 3G?
  • hey jerd idk about da i need help in da too my internet is not workin da is the only thing da is not workin ,if any1 can help me to get the internet workin ill appreciate!!
  • Hey All,
    Anyone with the problem of getting "Different Sim Installed" error, REMOVE ANY ATT SIM BEFORE INSTALLATION. ATT LOCKS THE IPHONE and you will get Different Sim error.
  • GUIDE: How to fix "different sim detected" after jailbreak/unlock
    Once you jailbreak/unlock your iphone, you should have access to Cydia and Installer.
    Follow the steps below to get rid of the "different sim detected" message Use QUICKPWN 2.1 procedure to Jailbreak and Unlock. Now you need to remove the previous activation, for that you need to follow the below procedures. 2.1 Remove any sim cards inside so you have access to cydia, than open cydia, and you are going to search and find the following applications, than install them Open NTPD Open SSH Automatic SSH Download and Use WinSCP to connect to iPhone
    Download WinSCP http://sourceforge.net/project/downl...irror=internap Guide on using WinSCP with iphone http://limitededitioniphone.com/wind...p-with-iphone/ Follow the below steps: 4.1 Download patched lockdown file from herehttp://rs309.rapidshare.com/files/13...9/Lockdown.zip
    4.2 Navigate to to /private/var/root/Library/ and copy lockdown folder to your desktop (for backup just in case - this you need to do)
    4.3 Delete that folder from phone
    4.4 Unzip downloaded patched file and upload to phone to replace the folder you just deleted (make sure you replace the acutal lockdown folder that has the files in it)
    4.5 Naviagte into patched folder and make sure file pemissions are set to 644 for all files (right click on "lockdown" and go to properties, than set file permission to 0644)
    4.6 Reboot phone
    If you have any question, let me know.
  • I just bought a turbosim so I could use my iphone with my t-mobile sim, well I can now make calls but no internet??
    My phone isn't jailbroken or previously unlocked...what should i do?
  • I have unlocked my iPhone 3G. I have used a unlocking method from unlockiphoneuk.com and they sell that program for £19.99. Yes !!
    It did work fine, but the only problem i have, sometime when im using a pin unabled sim cards, it does not find the carrier. Once i put a pin dissabled (any network) it works fine, and it does not effect anything whatsoever.
  • @Nick, why pay for free, and freely licensed software? To the best of my knowledge, the unlock comes from the Dev Team, so why not just get it from them and save what's a pretty massive amount of money?
    It's like buying local tap water at the pub for $100?
  • Thanks for the info on cell phone unlocking. I love cellular phones and work at a little cell phone shop where we unlock phones and mod them for people. Add http://free-cell-phone-unlock.com to your list of free cell phone unlock sites, I use the downloads there a lot to help me unlock phones for customers, don't be mad but hey I have to make a living some kinda way!! lol.
    Anyways, I figured you could use that in your bag of tricks too :-)