Tutorial: Jailbreak iPhone with Pwnage Tool

Pwnage Tool is a Mac-based utility that creates a custom, pre-jailbroken IPSW for the iPhone 3GS running iOS 4.1. By restoring this custom firmware in iTunes, the device boots jailbroken while preserving the baseband, which keeps the door open for an Ultrasn0w unlock if a supported modem firmware is installed.

What You Need

• An iPhone 3GS currently running iOS 4.1.
• The original iOS 4.1 IPSW for the iPhone 3GS.
• Pwnage Tool 4.1 installed on a Mac.
• The latest version of iTunes that still supports iOS 4.1 restores.
• A USB cable and a recent backup of your data.

Procedure

1. Launch Pwnage Tool in Expert mode and select the matching iPhone 3GS 4.1 IPSW from your hard drive.
2. Let Pwnage Tool verify the firmware, then proceed to the package selection screen.
3. Enable Activate the phone only if you rely on an unofficial carrier; otherwise leave it off.
4. Confirm the baseband option to keep the modem firmware untouched for later unlocking.
5. Build the custom IPSW and wait for Pwnage Tool to finish cooking the file.
6. Put the iPhone 3GS into DFU mode by holding Power and Home as instructed.
7. In iTunes, hold Option and choose the freshly built custom IPSW to restore.
8. After the device reboots, run Cydia from the Springboard to confirm the jailbreak is active.

Why Jailbreak with Pwnage Tool

Beyond installing Cydia and community packages, the custom firmware route tends to yield smoother performance and longer battery life than tethered methods, because the device boots fully from the modified IPSW instead of relying on a helper tool at every reboot.

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