How to Unlock the iPhone 3GS Using PurpleSn0w

POST

MAIL

Posted July 14, 2009 at 1:06am by iClarified

These are instructions on how to unlock the iPhone 3GS for use with any GSM cellphone carrier using PurpleSn0w. Geohot has posted stating that the purplesn0w unlock should improve issues with wifi, battery, and the unlock itself. If you would prefer to use the iPhone Dev-Teams UltraSn0w unlock you can find those instructions here

Before you can follow these instructions you must have a jailbroken iPhone and you must be on the 04.26.08 baseband(modem firmware). This means that you must be running the 3.0 firmware and have used PwnageTool, RedSn0w, or PurpleRa1n to jailbreak. YOU MUST ALSO (FOR THE TIME BEING) HAVE ACTIVATED YOUR IPHONE WITH AN OFFICIAL APPLE CARRIER. NO HACTIVATION SUPPORT YET.

To find your firmware and modem firmware(baseband) versions you can follow this tutorial. If you are not on baseband version 04.26.08 then you need to follow one of these tutorials before unlocking: Mac, Windows

If you are on T-Mobile or any carrier without 3G remember to turn it off before starting...

Step One
Press to launch Cydia Installer from your SpringBoard.

How to Unlock the iPhone 3GS Using PurpleSn0w

Step Two
Press to select the Manage tab at the bottom of the screen.

Step Three
Press to select the large Sources button

Step Four
Press the Edit button at the top right of the screen.

Step Five
Press the Add button at the top left of the screen.

Step Six
Enter http://apt.geohot.com/ as the source url and press the Add Source button.

Step Seven
Once the source has been added press the large Return to Cydia button.

Step Eight
Press the Done button at the top right of the screen.

Step Nine
Press to select apt.geohot.com from the list of user entered sources.

Step Ten
Press to select com.geohot.purplesn0w from the list of packages

Step Eleven
Press the Install button at the top right of the screen.

Step Twelve
Press the Confirm button at the top right of the screen.

Step Thirteen
After installation completes successfully press the large Return to Cydia button.

Step Fourteen
Now press the Home button then power off and power on the iPhone. You do this by holding down the power button for 3 seconds then moving the power slider that appears to the right. Press the power button again to turn on the phone.

You should now be able to insert the SIM of your choice!

Follow iClarified

ankit - June 8, 2011 at 5:28am

Hi I bought new iphone 3gs and unlock it in india. software version is 4.3.1. i am trying t o use it for vodafone. but i am receiving no signal after a long time searching. please help

Reply · Like

macfreak2326 - October 23, 2009 at 1:10pm

oops sorry i didn't notice that it was for the 3gs only i'm sorry again and i need to ask another question does anyone know how to downgrade an iphone 3g from 3.1 firmware to 3.0

macfreak2326 - October 23, 2009 at 1:07pm

hi i'm new in unlocking/jailbraking iphones and i happen to own an iphone 3g and i was wondering should i take out the sim while installing purplesn0w

turbulence - October 22, 2009 at 10:42am

Hello Dev team, Its been so quiet lately, I have been checking on this website many time each day, hopefully that the Pwanege tool would com out, so that I can full fill my duty, j/b and unlock my 3GS that have original firmware 3.1.2. But it seems thatt my hope is fading away. I might just put that damn phone on Greglist, get a Nokia, and No more apple product.

ses dinleme cihazları - October 19, 2009 at 7:42pm

You have to download itune to unlock sim but i do not know the rest of it:)

David - October 16, 2009 at 10:01pm

I follow your instructions on unlocking the 3Gs, but in the left corner were the carrier letters ex:(ATT) go it only has very little lines which you can barely see. I put a working ATT sim card that I use it and the phone worked fine and but now is not working after unlocking it. Can you someone help? Thanks!!!

Rockey - October 26, 2009 at 11:13pm

I'm having the same problem with my 3GS (3.1 factory firmware). It's jailbroken and everything. but can't detect T-Mobile. ANY HELP ANYBODY?

Kisan - October 10, 2009 at 11:23am

How can i unlock if my Bootloader is 5.9 which is holding me back from being able to downgrade my Modem Firmware !!!

NYEREL - September 26, 2009 at 4:50pm

www.nyerel.net PARÇA KONTOR YÜKLEME MERKEZİ

mayank - September 18, 2009 at 2:08am

Hi could anyone tellme what would happen if i havent activated my phone with att yet but have the att sim inside when im trying to unlock it, i already jailbroke it.

karizma54 - September 13, 2009 at 8:12am

sallama lan öyle bişey yok

jailbrak - September 13, 2009 at 8:11am

thankyou man you crafled good you sites ..

masterguy - August 31, 2009 at 9:57pm

At step 13, it tells me that "no data....could activate", basically that the iphone lost the ATT signal. Is this normal? Did my unlock still work? thx,

Yo - August 29, 2009 at 3:43am

I went all the way through (donwngraded to 3.0) jailbroke it and installed with cydia. When I put another sim it still does not recognize it. I mean, I have the full menu but i tunes says I have thr wrong sim and I can´t get a signal... any way to fix this? Thanks.

Daelmyth - August 24, 2009 at 4:29pm

geohot=geoNOT - DEV TEAM!!! WTG - Ultrasn0w=working 3gs on T-mobile network redsn0w 0.8 jailbreak, ultrasn0w unlock

iYass - August 11, 2009 at 1:43pm

Purple Sn0w work with an iPhone 3GS firmware 3.0.1 ? The 3.0.1 has the same baseband with the 3.0 :)

chencheno - August 8, 2009 at 8:17am

My one is 3G,i cant unlock my sim aft i upgrade to 3.0,then wifi also cant use too..how should i do...thank...

Zeljko - July 30, 2009 at 4:52am

dont work at all. to all readers USE ULTRASNOW.... and it will work just fine.

Zeljko - July 30, 2009 at 2:43am

Phone 3 gs jailbreak with redsn0w and then this tutorial = EVERYTHING WORK FINE ,CYDIA IS MORE STABIL. BIG THANK TO DEV TEAM !!!!

ridhwan - July 21, 2009 at 6:20pm

hi everyone, Got my new iphone 3GS (no contract )from states, as i have said i stay in saudi arabia. I have jailbreaken the phone using the redsn0w and tried to install ultrasn0w but cydia keep giving me this error message of size mismatch. after umpteen number of tries installed purplesn0w for unlocking the iphone and it got installed. But the problem is that i have inserted my sawa (stc) sim in the iphone but the network is not there, is there something i have missed or overlooked, any suggestions or comments are welcome. Appreciate your efforts in advance., Thanks for looking at it. p.s. forgot to mention that before jailbreaking i have added some songs from itunes on it, later while jailbreaking kept the at&t sim, not much sure about which sim should be present whether the one i want to use or the at&t one. it looks in the cydia that purplesn0w has been installed but i am unable to get the network signal. Regards Ridhwan

Roberto007 - July 23, 2009 at 5:16pm

Why don't you try jailbraking using redsnow and ultrasnow. in mine (3gs att) worked perfectly. I heard that purplesnow doesnt work so I didnt try it.

Krasi - July 17, 2009 at 5:59am

Geohot, if you are reading this, could you reply to the below problems please and why peope experience them? It sounds to me that your "thing" doesn't work at all?

More Comments