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Blacksn0w Add-on For blackra1n Unlocks Any iPhone 3G / 3GS, Enables Tethering

blacksn0w2

GeoHot, creator of the famous blackra1n jailbreak tool has now released blacksn0w. Blacksn0w is a full fledged software unlock solution for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, having baseband version 05.11.07 found in firmware version 3.1.2. Unlocking the phone enables you to use it with any carrier in the world.

This means if you have older firmware, you can now upgrade to a stock 3.1.2 and still have the ability to remain unlocked. Blacksn0w also enables the tethering option on these iPhones for you to share the data connection with a laptop or desktop computer.

blackra1n_update

The blackra1n application for iPhone installed as a result of the blackra1n jailbreak process then allows you to run blacksn0w and finally unlock the phone. However, those who already have the old version of blackra1n application installed on the iPhone can upgrade to the latest version by selecting the new ‘ra1n’ option inside the application. After installing the updated version, tap ’sn0w’ in the application to unlock. For those who used the DevTeam’s PwnageTool to jailbreak, blacksn0w will soon be available on Cydia.

To accompany blacksn0w, there is a new hacktivation feature added to blackra1n, which activates the iPhone to be used without the iPhone specific plans from carriers like AT&T, O2 etc. But, if you have an officially activated phone already, this won’t interfere. The update to blackra1n tool also makes it  a lot faster, enabling it to jailbreak the iPhone / iPod Touch in just 15 seconds. It also adds support for Mac OS X Tiger and PPC Macs along with the existing Windows and Intel Mac support.

Please note that if you have an iPhone 2G, you can still jailbreak using blackra1n but blacksn0w will not unlock for you. You must use BootNeuter available in Cydia for that purpose. Also, if you purchased an iPhone 3GS or iPod Touch (any capacity) in October or later, there is a high probability that you have a new model. Blackra1n currently performs only a tethered jailbreak for these new devices, which means you need to use blackra1n every time you boot the device, otherwise all your jailbreak data gets wiped.

The new version of blackra1n is available to download at blackra1n.com

Check out our guide on how to jailbreak and unlock using blackra1n and blacksn0w here.

About the author

Sayam Aggarwal

Sayam Aggarwal is a 16-year-old student living in India who has been an Apple fan for almost 5 years. He has worked with ModMyi, one of the leading iPhone communities, as an author for more than a year. He spends most of his free time on the Internet fetching the latest news regarding Apple and its entire product range. Follow him on Twitter!

Email the author | Read more posts by Sayam Aggarwal.

6 comments

    Here is a complete tutorial on how to jailbreak iPhone 3.1.2 using blackra1n and unlock via Blacksn0w http://bit.ly/3JIwon

    heyyy thanks sooo much for this but quick Q…so i have iphone 3G n i accidentally upgraded it to 3.1 so i downgraded it to 3.0.1 so i can jailbreak it..n i did..so now since its already jail broken it can i just simple go ahead n run this blackra1n thing or should i upgrade it to 3.1 or 3.1.2 n then run this thing??? thanks again :)

    HOLY SHIZ THAT WAS FAST THANKS GEODUDE! LOL! I’ll shot you a paypal asap!

    thanks sayam!!! :)

    “Unlocking the phone enables you to use it with any carrier in the world.” Thanks for the informative article. However, for companies that use CDMA like Verizon, unlocking the iPhone does not allow use. I believe the unlocked phones can be used on any GSM carrier in the world.

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