Exactly WHICH PART of the FAQs did you read?
This part.
This is a FAQ/reference for all those who are new to modifying and unlocking the true potential of their iPhone.
Search! Search! Search! - Your question probably has been answered or discussed. Before posting a new thread, please use the search feature to look for your question first. While we welcome people who are new to the iPhone, it can become monotonous for the community to continue answering the same questions repeatedly.
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INTRODUCTION
You have an iPhone or iPod Touch. You?d like to hack it or unleash its full potential, but you?re not sure where to start. You?re not sure what?ll work with your computer, your device, and what won?t. Is Apple OK with this? Is it illegal? Will apple release a third party program system? After this FAQ list, you?ll be able to make a final decision on how to hack your unit or whether or not you?ll hack it at all.
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WHAT? AND WHY?
Why would I want to hack my iPod Touch or iPhone?
When Apple first released the iPhone and then the iPod Touch, the company also released a method for third-parties to create applications for the devices. The apps wouldn?t run on the units themselves, but rather one would use Safari on the mobile device to access web sites that would perform basic functions such as simple games, dictionaries, etc. In the end, it wasn?t really software but rather simple web sites, or web apps, designed to work with the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Users worldwide were not OK with this. (That's why a year later and we get the SDK) They wanted to run other programs on the devices other than those supplied by Apple. They also wanted the convenience of not needing a wifi connection to access these 'softwares'. As a result, they figured out a way to install their own programs, allowing users to run programs like Instant Messaging clients, complex games, interactive fiction, and customization apps used to change the look and feel of the Springboard.
What is the SpringBoard?
The SpringBoard typically refers to the homescreen of your iPod Touch or iPhone. More accurately, the SpringBoard is the program that allows you to launch applications from the homescreen.
Why would I not want to hack my iPod Touch or iPhone?
The main reason users choose not to hack their units is because they?re satisfied with their devices as they are. If you see no reason in hacking your unit, why go through the effort? Besides, Apple?s going to release an official third-party app delivery system (SDK) on July 11th (but you may not be happy with the idea of paying for the various applications released through this system or even the restrictions Apple will place in the applications that are allowed to be released).
Is it illegal to hack the iPod Touch or iPhone?
Hacking the iPhone/iPod is not illegal. While Apple would like to make you think it is illegal, it is not, and it is impossible to get in any legal trouble for hacking it. You and Apple made an exchange. You gave Apple $$$ and they gave you a product. It is officially yours and you can do whatever you want with it.
Will this void the iPod Touch / iPhone warranty?
Technically speaking, the warranty is void if you perform any modifications to your device, however, since a full restore through iTunes would erase all tracks of your modifications, Apple would not know whether you have performed any of these jailbreaking methods. In this sense, jailbreaking or modifying your device would not void your warranty as long as you perform a full restore before sending your device back to an Apple store, etc.
So upgrades can mess up the hacks on my iPod Touch or iPhone?
Yes, they can. Although, if you stick to software hacks, anything you do to your unit is repairable through the iTunes firmware restore feature. iTunes, at any moment, can restore your iPod Touch or iPhone to its factory state (however, losing all data saved on the device). As stated above, if you Apple releases an update for your device, hold off on updating until the latest firmware has been tested and approved by the hacking community.
Keep in mind, that when the term ?hacks? is used, It is referring to unlocking services for the iPhone or iPod touch. That is a separate issue that will be addressed somewhere down the list.
How can I restore my iPod Touch or iPhone should something go wrong?
Connect your device to your computer via the included USB cable. Open iTunes, click on the iPod or iPhone icon on the left, and click the big restore button somewhere towards the middle of the application. After a short period of time, your device will return to its factory settings.
Unlocking services is a different thing altogether which can potentially cause changes in your iPhone that a restore cannot reverse. As a result, when firmware updates disable the phone functions of an iPhone, the hacking community can generally figure out a way to restore your iPhone to its true factory state.
What if the restore button within iTunes does not work or gives me some sort of error?
In some rare circumstances, the restore feature within iTunes may not be able to restore your device in which case you will need to put it into recovery mode.
Recovery Mode:
Connect your device into iTunes through the USB cable.
Press and hold both the Hold and Home physical buttons simaltaneously until the screen turns off (black). (Your device also disappears from iTunes)
Release the Hold button whilst still holding the Home button until your device pops back in iTunes.
iTunes will then detect your device in recovery mode and ask you to restore it (restore it as usual)
Does Apple purposely disable software hacks and unlocks with firmware updates?
That?s a good question, and a lot of us would like to know the answer to that. Apple has made statements saying they won?t purposefully disable hacks and unlocks with firmware updates, and the company has also warned users that hacks and unlocks will probably get disabled with future updates.
This is a very gray area as Apple has a partnership with AT&T and various carriers around the world to keep locked handsets in the wild. AT&T and others pay Apple for every iPhone that is activated with their service, so it would make sense for Apple to try to stop unlockers from disrupting its revenue.
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JAILBREAKING
What exactly is jailbreaking?
Jailbreaking refers to breaking the iPod Touch and iPhone free from the clutches of Apple. In other words, gaining read/write access to the devices in order to install your own programs.
What exactly is unlocking?
If you unlock your iPhone, you can use the services of various GSM based carriers around the world.
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WHAT TO DO?
After having all my questions answered, I?d like to hack and/or unlock my unit. What do I have to do?
If you have a Mac or PC, the automated jailbreak methods for both the iPhone and iPod Touch can easily be found right here on TiPb.
Trying to jailbreak your iPhone/iPod on your Mac with 10.5.6? Well you may get an error while trying to get your device into DFU mode. Yes, this is related to the 10.5.6 update and the easiest way around it is to use a hub between your device and your Mac.
OK, I jailbroke my device. Now what?
Now you can run unlock software on your iPhone, and you can install and run third party apps.
You should see a program called ?Cydia? and/or "Rock' on your SpringBoard, AKA homescreen. Through Cydia and Rock, you can choose to download and install various free programs, utilities, and games. Simply click on a program in Cydia, and it?ll install it on your device. The next time you visit your homescreen, you should see an icon for the app you installed. Cydia can also uninstall apps, update apps, and notify you when an update is available for an app you installed.
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Search! Search! Search! - Your question probably has been answered or discussed. Before posting a new thread, please use the search feature to look for your question first. While we welcome people who are new to the iPhone, it can become monotonous for the community to continue answering the same questions repeatedly.
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