The new iPhone OS 3.1 firmware for iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS and iPod touch was released at “Rock and Roll” event in San Francisco. I have received lots of questions by emails related to upgrading to iPhone OS 3.1 firmware. Instead of replying to them individually, I thought it would be useful to make a short post and answer the most frequently asked questions:
How do I upgrade to iPhone OS 3.1?
Simply connect your iPhone to your computer, start iTunes and then click on “Check for update”. It will prompt you to download and install the latest iPhone OS 3.0 update for your device. Alternatively, you can download the firmware 3.1 .ipsw file from the direct link given here. NOTE: Do not upgrade to 3.1 if you wish to keep your unlock and jailbreak.
Can I upgrade to iPhone OS 3.1 for free?
All existing iPhone owners will get the upgrade for free. iPod touch users who purchased 3.0 will also get the firmware for free, however iPod touch users who are on a firmware older than 3.0 will have to pay $9.95 to get the upgrade. Download it from here.
What are the new features in iPhone OS 3.1?
List of new features of iPhone OS 3.1 firmware can be found here.
I’m on a jailbroken and unlocked iPhone firmware 3.0.1. Can I safely update to iTunes 9.0?
Yes you can. It won’t affect the already jailbroken or unlocked devices on 3.0.1. iTunes 9 can be downloaded from here.
Can I Jailbreak my iPhone with OS 3.1?
Not yet. Dev-Team will soon be releasing new versions of their pwnage tools incl. a new version of redsn0w which will enable you to jailbreak your iPhone.
Can I unlock my iPhone with OS 3.1?
Not yet. You will have to wait for the Dev-Team to release ultrasn0w which will enable you to use any carrier SIM on your iPhone.
I don’t care about the unlock, can I update?
Yes you can only if you don’t care about the jailbreak either.
I have updated to iPhone OS 3.1 firmware, Can I still unlock?
Not yet. It might take a while before you can. We warned you.
Can I unlock my updated iPhone to OS 3.1 and skip jailbreaking for later?
No. You need the jailbreak in order to unlock and there is no unlock for the 3.1 baseband.
How can I downgrade from firmware 3.1 back to 3.0.1?
iPhone 3GS: iPhone 3GS and newer devices need to be signed by Apple. You will not be able to restore to anything except the latest version.
iPhone 3G: DFU mode, click+restore.
iPhone 2G: DFU mode, click+restore.
NOTE: This wont downgrade your baseband.
What about MMS situation in iPhone 3.1?
It will be officially available for AT&T users in US on September, 25th.
How important are the iBEC and iBSS files?
Those files were critical for future jailbreaking of iPhone 3GS only. If you didn’t get those files before 3.1 was out then you are out of luck for now unless someone comes out with a solution for that.
I have heard that updating to iPhone OS 3.1 firmware through iTunes 9 will delete the already downloaded 3.0.1 firmware from my computer. How can I back it up?
Backup the 3.0.1 firmware .ipsw file from:
Mac OS X: "~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates"
Windows 7: "\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates"
Windows Vista: "\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates"
Windows XP: "\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates"
When can we expect the unlocking and jailbreaking solution for iPhone 3.1 firmware?
No ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) given for it by the Dev-Team. It could take a few days or even weeks.
Feel free to ask me any other question that you may have regarding the iPhone OS 3.1 update process.
UPDATE 1: Complete step-by-step guide on how to downgrade iPhone with firmware 3.1 to 3.0.1 has been posted. Follow it here to downgrade your device back to jailbroken 3.0.1 firmware state.
UPDATE 2: Jailbreak and unlock is now possible for iPhone 2G and iPhone 3G running firmware 3.1. Follow the complete step-by-step guide posted here in order to jailbreak and unlock your iPhone with firmware 3.1.
UPDATE 3: Downgrading of Baseband for iPhone 3G running firmware 3.1 is now possible. Complete step-by-step guide on how to downgrade your baseband from 05.11.07 to 04.26.08 can be found here.
UPDATE 4: MMS can now be activated on an AT&T iPhone 3G/3GS running firmware 3.1 by using the guide posted here.
UPDATE 5: iPhone 3GS can now be jailbreaked and unlocked running on firmware 3.1. Follow the step-by-step guide posted here to jailbreak and here to unlock iPhone 3GS on firmware 3.1.