How to Jailbreak iPhone 4 / 3GS Untethered on iOS 4.2.1 with PwnageTool and Unlock with Ultrasn0w

If you rely on iPhone 3GS and/or iPhone 4 unlock and don’t want to lose your device’s ability to unlock while getting untethered jailbreak state on your iOS 4.2.1 device, here is the complete step by step Pwnagetool how-to guide for this purpose.

As you know PwnageTool is a Mac OS X based software, so you have to be a Mac user to use this tool. In case you don’t have access to Mac machine, you can use Windows version of Greenpois0n to jailbreak your phone and then unlock it with Ultrasn0w.

Downloads and Requirements:

  • PwnageTool 4.1.3 [Direct Link 1, 2, 3 & official release page is here]
  • Download iOS 4.2.1 PwnageTool bundles for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS
  • Latest iTunes 10.1.2 should be installed on your Mac machine.
  • iOS 4.2.1 iPSW file for your device

Step 1: Download and unzip the PwnageTool bundles for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS. You will find two .bundle files and one .plist file.

Step 2: Download PwnageTool 4.1.3 from any of above link, extract it if it is in zipped folder and place it (in a folder) on desktop.

Step 3: Right click on PwnageTool 4.1.3 and click on “Show Package Contents” option.

Step 4: Browse to Contents/Resources/FirmwreBundles and paste iPhone3,1_4.2.1_8C148.bundle file here for iPhone 4 or iPhone2,1_4.2.1_8C148a.bundle for iPhone 3GS in this location.

Step 5: Now navigate to Contents/Resources/CustomPackages/CydiaInstaller.bundle and drop here info.plist file. Close this folder.

Step 6: Download iOS 4.2.1 stock restore file for your iPhone and place it on desktop too.

Step 7: Launch PwnageTool 4.1.3 and select your device after clicking on “Expert mode”.

Step 8: Click on the arrow button to go to next step.

Step 9: Now browse for iPSW file which you have already downloaded in Step 6.

Step 10: Now select “General” option and click on the blue arrow to proceed.

Step 11: In “General” settings, un-check “Activate the iPhone” option.

Step 12: Under custom packages settings, select “Cydia Installer” to install Cydia on your device.

Step 13: Now you are ready to start building custom iOS 4.2.1 firmware. Select “Build” and click on blue arrow.

Step 14: Now Pwnagetool will create the custom .iPSW file. This process may take 10 – 15 minutes.

Step 15: Save the resulted .iPSW file on the desktop. You can also rename it for easy identification.

Step 16: Now connect your device with Mac machine  using USB cable and put it into DFU mode.

  • Press and hold the sleep button for 2 seconds
  • While holding Sleep button, press and hold Home button for 10 seconds
  • Release the Sleep button but continue holding Home button for 15 seconds

Step 17: Once your phone is successfully in DFU mode, close PwnageTool and launch iTunes.

Step 18: While keeping pressed the left “alt” (option) button on Mac or left “Shift” button on Windows, click on “Restore” in iTunes. This will make iTunes prompt you to select the location of custom iOS. Select the saved custom .iPSW and let iTunes complete the restore process.

Step 19: After the installation is done, iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS will restart automatically with untethered jailbroken state.

How to Unlock iPhone 4 (baseband 01.59.00 or below) and  iPhone 3GS (baseband 05.13.04 or below including iPad baseband 06.15.00) on iOS 4.2.1 Using Ultrasn0w:

Step 1: Launch Cydia from your device Springboard.

Step 2: Tap on Manage and select “Sources“.

Step 3: Touch on “Edit” and then on “Add“.

Step 4: You will be prompted to add the source URL http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com (its zero in Ultrasn0w) as shown in the image below.

Step 5: After the source has been added, use the Search option and type Ultrasn0w to search and install it.

Step 6: Restart iPhone after installing Ultrasn0w. You should now have unlocked iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 on iOS 4.2.1.

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Updated 11 years agoCategorized as Jailbreak

By A. Usman

Loves new tech, especially from Apple and Google.

View all of A. Usman's posts.

5 Replies

  1. Is there any new tool app about how to unlock an iphone , is

    Ultrasn0w still working , i never tried as i’m using the official unlock but it’s a great post tuto here

  2. Anonymoussays:

    My iphone is not installing the jailbreak how should i get outta this problem.

  3. Grpsnsays:

    I too was unable to transfer the PwnageTool bundle to Contents/Resources/FirmwreBundles. It is a function that is not allowed.

  4. mutequackysays:

    Did this on my ipod touch 4g yesterday, went smoothly right over redsn0w!

    1. Jimmysays:

      im not able to edit the the pwnage tool package… after i click show package contents it, i cant copy over the files… its blocked.. how do i change that??

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