iOS 5.0.1

The Dev Team has released redSn0w version 0.9.10b8b which brings only a minor bug fix. According to the Dev Team blog, the "0.9.10b8b update to redsn0w makes the zip files more compatible with the native Windows explorer (which doesn’t like leading slashes in the filenames)." The previous version released a few weeks ago helped users take advantage of the popular SAM unlock method.

In the meantime, the jailbreak community is closer to releasing an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1. Currently only A4 and A5 devices on iOS 5.0.1 and lower are jailbreakable. A4 devices can upgrade to iOS 5.1 but they will have to go tethered. Hopefully there is an untethered solution for all iOS devices right around the corner.

Jailbreakers who feel like they're missing out on the new iOS 5.1 camera icon can now add their own with a new jailbreak tweak. Camera Grabber for iOS 5 adds the camera shortcut to your iPhone's Lock Screen without having to upgrade to iOS 5.1. This eliminates the need to double tap the Home button to quickly access your camera.

If you do not want the new icon but would like an easier way to access your camera, you can always install the free tweak known as CamFast. This tweak allows you to use Activator actions like "Double Tap" to achieve the same result as using the camera shortcut.

Good news for owners of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 looking to downgrade from iOS 5.1. iH8sn0w announced the discovery of a loophole that makes it possible to downgrade any A5 device to iOS 5.0.1. Not only this, but the developer has successfully restored an iPad 2 to iOS 5.0.1 using the procedure.

Found a loophole in Apple's apticket system. Restored my iPad 2 to 5.0.1 from 5.1. Works on all A5 devices. :)

— iH8sn0w (@iH8sn0w) March 25, 2012

Downgrading an iPhone, from iOS 5 to 4.3.3 for example, requires saved SHSH blobs since Apple stops signing older firmware when an update is released. It's likely that the loophole iH8sn0w has found will also require saved SHSH blobs to work.

Hard to believe the iOS jailbreak tool sn0wbreeze is already two years old. Developer iH8sn0w is celebrating with the release of sn0wbreeze 2.9, which adds a long list of improvements and new features for jailbreakers everywhere.

Much like iPhone Dev-Team's PwnageTool for Mac users, sn0wbreeze gives iPhone jailbreak fans running Windows the ability to create custom IPSW files and more. Not only does sn0wbreeze 2.9 support a long list of older firmware, it adds the untethered iOS 5.0.1 jailbreak for A4 devices previously released with redsn0w and Corona.

Chronic Dev Team member Dustin Howett posted a video of a jailbroken iPhone 4S on YouTube a few days ago. The video shows the A5 device running Cydia after it has been powered off and on. Howett also proves that Siri still functions by asking her to check the weather.

iPhone hacker and Corona developer pod2g republished the video on his blog saying that a release is only a few days away. It only took pod2g nine days to release his A4 untethered jailbreak after he posted a similar video of a jailbroken iPhone 4 on YouTube.

Thanks to pod2g and the iPhone Dev-Team it's now possible to jailbreak the iPhone 4 and all models of the Phone 3GS untethered. Although iPhone 4S and iPad 2 owners are still waiting for an A5 jailbreak, all iOS devices running iOS 5.0.1 with A4 hardware can now be jailbroken untethered. This includes the original iPad, iPod touch 3G and iPod touch 4G.

Using redsn0w to jailbreak is a straightforward process, and will install the Cydia app store on your device. This opens up a whole new world of tweaks and apps to improve your iPhone experience and customize operation. Be sure that before you proceed with the instructions, you have installed the iOS 5.0.1 firmware update.

Thanks to the hard work of pod2g the untethered iOS 5.0.1 jailbreak is finally here. He shared his exploits with the iPhone Dev-Team and Chronic Dev Team, and now there's a suite of tools for anyone running iOS 5.0.1 on a non-A5 device. This is great news for jailbreakers, however it also means that iPhone 4S and iPad 2 owners are still waiting for an untethered jailbreak.

First off, the redsn0w jailbreak tool has been updated to 0.9.10b1 on OS X and Windows. This new version of redsn0w requires iOS 5.0.1 installed on your device, and will jailbreak the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (GSM), iPhone 4 (CDMA), original iPad, iPod touch 3G and iPod touch 4G untethered.

iPhone hacker pod2g released a video showing off his new iOS 5.0.1 untethered jailbreak working on an iPhone 4. The new untethered jailbreak should be "ready for prime time" in a few days according to his blog. The exploit does not work for the iPhone 4S or iPad 2, but it will work with other iOS devices. Pod2g previously uploaded a video to YouTube showing the exploit working with an iPod touch, and it has been tested on an iPhone 3GS and iPad.

The video shows the jailbreak working after the iPhone 4 has been switched off and on proving that it's untethered. It uses the same code patches as redsn0w, so it should feature the same level of stability. Earlier this week pod2g posted two updates on his A5 jailbreaking progress.

The good news is iPhone hacker pod2g is still working on his promised untethered iPhone 4S jailbreak. The bad news is he's having "processor cache" issues. Pod2g wrote on his blog:

"Here is the news of the 4S week-end.The untether fails right now because I'm having processor cache issues. I'm close, but I can't figure out what happens. It certainly has something to do with the Cortex-A9 cache management.I could sort it out quick, it's a matter of chance."

Pod2g excited the jailbreaking community when he successfully tested an untethered jailbreak on an iPod 4G and iPhone 4 running iOS 5.0.1 a few weeks ago. Currently their is no jailbreak for the iPhone 4S, but recent progress by pod2g and the Chronic Dev Team point to one being released soon. Pod2g promised another update on his progress tomorrow.

Apple isn't playing nice with the jailbreaking community and has recently started blocking devices from restoring to older firmware. If you accidently updated to 5.0.1 and want to restore your device, hacker iH8sn0w has a new solution for you. iFaith v1.4 allows you to save your iOS device’s SHSH blobs which should allow you to downgrade your device in the future.

Unfortunately it doesn't support A5 devices. Meaning if you recently purchased an iPhone 4S, or upgraded to iOS 5.0.1, you're still out of luck for now. A4 owners are being urged by the jailbreaking community to download the latest update of iFaith and to save their SHSH blobs immediately.