How To Jailbreak iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS Running iOS 5 Using Redsn0w [Updated]

BY Jason

Published 12 Oct 2011

Jailbreak iPod Touch On iOS 4.2.1 Redsn0w

Apple released iOS 5 few hours back, which includes more than 200 features for iPhoneiPad and iPod Touch users such as revamped Notification system with Notification CenteriMessagePC Free, Wi-Fi Sync, Newsstand, Reminders, deep Twitter integration and lots more. As we reported earlier, it is is possible to jailbreak iOS 5 using Redsn0w and Sn0wbreeze.

The video tutorial after the break will give you step-by-step instruction on how to jailbreak iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS using Redsn0w for iOS 5.

Here are some important points to note before you proceed.

  • This guide is meant for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS users only. iPad users can checkout the step-by-step guide at this link and iPod touch users can checkout the step-by-step guide at this link.
  • Please go through our latest status update on jailbreaking iOS 5 to figure out if you should jailbreak iOS 5.
  • Redsn0w 0.9.9b4 only supports a tethered jailbreak, which means that you need to connect your iOS device to the computer on every reboot.
  • If you want to unlock your iPhone then please don’t use this guide as Redsn0w doesn’t preserve baseband. You should wait for Dev team to release a new version of Redsn0w, which is expected to include the PwnageTool functionality or use Snowbreeze for Windows.
  • Please note that jailbreaking your iPhone may void your warranty and hence proceed with caution and at your own risk.
  • Please do not forget to backup your iPhone before you proceed. You can refer to this post for instructions on how to backup your iPhone.
  • If you’ve jailbroken your iPhone then you can use jailbreak apps such as AptBackupPkgBackup or xBackup from Cydia to take a backup of all the jailbreak apps and tweaks so you can reinstall them easily after successfully jailbreaking your iPhone rather then installing them individually. However, since you’re moving from iOS 4.x to iOS 5, it may be a good idea to reinstall the jailbreak apps to avoid compatibility issues.
  • After the jailbreaking process is complete, do not forget to checkout our article on tips to keep your iPhone secure.
  • Please ensure you are running latest version of iTunes i.e. iTunes 10.5 or later.
  • Known issue: iBooks keeps crashing after jailbreaking iPhone using this method. Dev team is working hard to fix the issue.

We want to reiterate that if you want to unlock your iPhone then you shouldn’t use this guide as Redsn0w doesn’t preserve baseband. 

Useful download links:

  • Redsn0w 0.9.9b7 (Mac and Windows)
  • iPhone 4 – iOS 5 firmware file (link)
  • iPhone 4 CDMA – iOS 5 firmware file (link)
  • iPhone 3GS – iOS 5 firmware file (link)

You can follow these step-by-step instructions in this video tutorial (courtesy iDownloadblog) to jailbreak your iPhone and if you don’t care about unlocking your iPhone:

If you’re new to the jailbreaking world and wondering what to do after jailbreaking your iPhone, checkout our jailbreak apps category page to find out the apps you can install on your iPhone using the Cydia app, though some of them may not be compatible with iOS 5 yet.

Update:

If you found the video tutorial confusing, then checkout our detailed step-by-step guide:

Troubleshooting:

How to fix the White/Blank Cydia icon issue:

If you notice the white Cydia icon (which fails to launch) after successfully jailbreaking your iPhone. Then follow these steps to fix the issue.

  • Launch Redsn0w again.
  • Click on Extras and then click on Just Boot from the list of options.
  • You will now be prompted to plug your iPhone to the computer and switch it off. Follow the instructions in the correct sequence and click on ‘Next‘ to move to the next screen:
  • You will now need to put your iPhone into the DFU mode. Redsn0w will take you through the necessary steps:
    • Hold the Power button on iPhone down for 3 seconds.
    • Now simultaneously hold the iPhone and keep the two buttons pressed for 10 seconds.
    • Now release the Power button while keeping the Home button pressed until Redsn0w detects the device.
  • Your device will reboot and you will see the Pwnage icon on your iPhone’s screen for few minutes.
  • After your iPhone is successfully rebooted, you will see the regular Cydia icon (brown). You should now be able to launch Cydia without any issue.

Please don’t forget to let us know how it goes in the comments.

Update 2:

Download link for Redns0w has been updated with the latest version – Redsn0w 0.9.9 beta 7.

[via iDownloadBlog]