Use Tiny Umbrella to determine firmware version, serial number, etc.

Often when I am contacted for unlock assistance I need specific information in order to determine if a device can be unlocked : iPhone model, firmware version, and baseband version. I will often also need the first five digits of the serial number in order to determine when the iPhone was manufactured.

If the iPhone is activated and the apps are accessible this information is easy to retrieve :

- Firmware version, see Settings -> General -> About -> Version

- Baseband version, see Settings -> General -> About -> Modem Firmware

- The first five digits of the serial number, see Settings -> General -> About -> Serial Number

However, if the iPhone has not activated and the iPhone is stuck in the emergency call screen, the information cannot easily be determined. This is where Tiny Umbrella can save the day.

Navigate to this URL

Depending on your operating system ( Windows or Mac ), download the appropriate version of Tiny Umbrella, located at the far right of the page, in the middle :



Run Tiny Umbrella with your iPhone plugged into your PC ( note that iTunes must be installed in order for Tiny Umbrella to work ). Your operating system may give you some notifications about ports, security, etc. - simply accept/allow the access and continue with Tiny Umbrella.

In the small left pane your iPhone should show up under "Connected Devices", left click on your iPhone.

In the large right pane information about your iPhone will show up. There you can determine the following information :

- iPhone model ( see "Saved SHSHs for " ) ... information here will only show up once you have saved your SSH, see below.

- Firmware version ( see "Installed Firmware Version" )

- Baseband version ( see "Installed Baseband Version" )

- Serial number ( see "Serial Number" )



If you have not saved your SHSH information now is a good time to save them, simply click on "Save SHSH" - saved SHSH information will show up in the "Saved SHSHs for " field. Saving your SHSH information will allow the firmware on your iPhone to be downgraded ( normally Apple does not allow this ). Downgrading your firmware is useful should you "accidentally" upgrade your iPhone to a firmware version that cannot be jailbroken. After the firmware downgrade you can then re-jailbreak your iPhone.

Tiny Umbrella has other excellent uses, it's a good tool to become familiar with.

p.s. This works for the iPad and iPod Touch as well

Late Sunday afternoon ( Nov. 28th ) the long-awaited unlock was released.

Note that this unlock currently only applies to the 3G and 3GS - an unlock for the iPhone 4 will be started next week and an ETA has not been given ( my guess : 2 weeks more ).

I have followed the blogs on this new unlock and feel confident that it's ready for prime time.

A few things to note about this unlock ( it may get a big technical here ) :

- This unlock is primarily for 4.1 firmware. For those who went to 4.2.1 firmware it will work for the 3G and select ( rare ) 3GS models.

- The jailbreak process ( always required prior to an unlock ) will upgrade your 3G or 3GS baseband to an unlockable version ( the baseband is what gets unlocked ). It cannot be downgraded once updated. It may be upgraded by subsequent firmware releases, it depends on Apples response to this unlock.

- Once the baseband is upgraded your iPhone cannot be restored by typical iTunes "click on the restore button" - it will require a custom firmware bundle that you can have created by me or someone like me ( another unlocker ).

- If you take your iPhone in for service it is possible for Apple to detect this baseband upgrade if they look for it. Apple considers owners of jailbroken iPhones to have voided their warranty, even though jailbreaking/unlocking is NOT illegal. Typically ( i.e. in the past ) if you need to service your jailbroken/unlocked iPhone from Apple you would perform a basic restore via iTunes and the iPhone will no longer have any traces of a jailbreak/unlock. This is not the case with this upgraded baseband, Apple can detect it if they look for it. My opinion is that Apple will fix this issue in a couple of new firmware releases and this baseband update will no longer be detectable ( just my opinion though ).

With these minor'ish risks in mind, I am confident of the unlock process itself, it's solid.

Anyway, if you are interested in unlocking your iPhone I can help you out, starting Tuesday ( I am booked for Monday ). I work until 6:00 this week and my first appointment would be at 6:30 ( already taken for Tuesday ). I typically meet people in select Starbucks stores in north Calgary and do the work while you wait - the cost of the jailbreak and unlock is $20 per iPhone.

Two recommendations :

1 - DO NOT upgrade to 4.2.1

2 - Sync your iPhone via iTunes prior to meeting me if you have data on your iPhone that you want to save. This jailbreak/unlock process will not delete any data but it's always good practice to backup ( via iTunes sync ) your iPhone prior to any big changes. Note that there is a second jailbreak/unlock process that WILL delete your data - I may use this process if I have any problems with the main process.

iOS 4.1 unlock status

iOS 4.2.1 firmware was released on Monday ( Nov. 22nd ) ... resist the urge to update to that version.

There currently is not an unlock for iOS 4.1 and the new 4.2.1. However, an unlock for the 3G and 3GS iPhones is expected within days with one for the iPhone 4s to come a bit later ( not ETA has been given ).

However, one thing that all of you MUST do immediately in order to ensure that you can have a "good" jailbreak for 4.2.1 is to backup what is called your SHSH information. This is information that Apple uses to determine if your device can be downgraded. Typically, Apple does not allow 3GS and iPhone 4 phones to be downgraded, they must stay on the most current version available ( the 3G iPhones do not have this issue and can be downgraded to any firmware version ). However, with saved SHSH information your 3GS and iPhone 4 can be downgraded.

The word from the jailbreak hackers is that your SHSH info for firmware 4.1 must be saved in order to ensure a "good" jailbreak, as I mention above. The process is simple :

1 - Go to the following website and download TinyUmbrella ( at the far right of the page ) for your Windows or Mac system

2 - Plug your iPhone into your computer and run TinyUmbrella ( you may get some firewall messages in a pop-up. Click on Private and Public networks, then "Allow access" ).

3 - When TinyUmbrella loads, click on your iPhone in the left pane, under "Connected Devices" and then click on "Save SHSH" at the top right of the right pane.

4 - In the "Saved SHSHs for " you should see the firmware versions for which SHSH info has been saved : e.g. iPhone4 4.2.1 (8C148) <- this is SHSH information for 4.2.1 firmware for an iPhone 4 As long as you have an entry for 4.1 ( e.g. iPhone4 4.1 (8B117) ) you have done what is requested by the iPhone hackers and are good for a soon-to-be-released jailbreak for 4.2.1 - note that you can stay on firmware version 4.1 for an unlock ... just DO NOT update your firmware right now.


That's it for now.

The current state of jailbreaks/unlocks

Today ( October 20th ) a tool was updated that makes the unlock world more interesting. Plus, new jailbreak tools released a couple of weeks ago provide more options.

However ... STILL no direct unlock for those on iOS 4.1 firmware. If your iPhone is on iOS 4.1 firmware there is currently NO tool that will unlock your iPhone - you will have to wait until the end of November ( my estimate ) for an iOS 4.1 unlock solution.

Now, what is available today?

- iPhones on iOS 4.1 firmware : jailbreak is possible, no unlock

- iPhones on iOS 4.0.x : jailbreak is possible on these iOS versions. Additionally you can indirectly update to iOS 4.1 with the above-mentioned updated tool and retain your unlock. This is the reason that I suggested that you not upgrade to iOS 4.1 in my previous post.

-iPhones on firmware below 4.x.x ( primarily the 3GS ) : same options as the previous option, see above

Note that I DO NOT recommend that 3G iPhones be updated past 3.1.3. The reason is that, in my opinion, iOS 4.x.x firmware is just too much for the 3G. The 3G runs slow, slow, slow. Stay one 3.1.3 or downgrade to it.

Upcoming jailbreak for 4.1 firmware ... good news ... bad news

The good news : this weekend a jailbreak for 4.1 iOS firmware will be released

The bad news : this jailbreak will only work for the iPhone 4, iPad, iPod Touch 4, and AppleTV 2. Nothing for the 3GS ( note that there is already a jailbreak for the 3G on 4.1 iOS firmware )

More bad news : there is NO mention of an unlock to accompany the 4.1 firmware

Not so bad news : if your iPhone 4 is on iOS 4.02, DO NOT upgrade to 4.1. It will eventually be possible ( once a tool is upgraded ) to upgrade to 4.1 a "special way" so that the unlockability that comes with 4.0.2 iOS will be carried over to this "special" 4.1 upgrade. I imagine that this also applies to iOS versions 4.0 and 4.0.1.

Hope for the 3GS : work is in progress for a 4.1 iOS jailbreak that will work for 3GS iPhones.

So, unlock-wise, not the greatest news if you are on 4.1 iOS. For any other firmware version, stay on it and DO NOT upgrade to 4.1 - this is the best hope if you need an unlock.

Jailbreak/Unlock for 4.1

Soon after the release of iOS 4.1 a vulnerability was found - this vulnerability is currently being worked on and hopefully a jailbreak will be developed soon.

No mention of a corresponding unlock has ever been mentioned and, based on comments by a prominent hacker, there is a possibility that you will first need to be on a firmware version lower than 4.1 before upgrading to 4.1 ( probably via Pwnage Tool ) in order to preserve the unlock that exists in the lower version firmware. This way you can be on 4.1 with an unlocked iPhone.

It all probably sounds confusing but the bottom line is DO NOT upgrade to 4.1, even if you are on 4.0.2 firmware where there this is not a jailbreak for the 3GS iPhones.

Furthermore, if you "accidentally" ( or deliberately ) upgrade your firmware to a higher version ( e.g. 4.1 ) that does not have an unlock, downgrading to a lower version ( which, by the way, cannot be done for out of the box 3GS and iPhone 4 models ) WILL NOT make your iPhone unlockable. This is because even though you may have downgraded to a firmware version that can be jailbroken, the component of the firmware that is unlocked DOES NOT get downgraded - it stays at the higher version and is not unlockable. This is why you do not want to go to 4.1 if you rely on an unlock.

New firmware 4.1 coming out Today! Sept. 8

Currently the highest version firmware for iPhone is 4.0.2 - it cannot be jailbroken.

Next week you'll see 4.1 pop up when you plug your iPhone into iTunes. This version is currently not jailbreakable and all people who like their iPhone jailbroken, and unlocked, should avoid upgrading your iPhone. Although I hope that some hacker has the jailbreak for 4.1 and is just waiting to release it ( NOTE : THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED ). Note, however, that no mention of an unlock has been made.

Soon I will be posting a short tuturial on how to determine if your 3GS or iPhone 4 can be downgraded to a jailbreakable version of firmware. Yes, this is possible but you would've had to have chosen "Make my life easier" in Cydia ( I take this precaution with all iPhones that I jailbreak ). More on this later.