redsn0w

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.

Apple is currently working on iOS 5.0.1 beta 2 to solve the iPhone 4S battery issues. As of now the new firmware is only available to registered developers, but iPhone Dev Team member, MuscleNerd, let us know that it still works with the current redsn0w jailbreak.

MuscleNerd tweeted: "The latest redsn0w will JB today's 5.0 1b2, but point it at either 5.0 or 5.01 IPSW for now. (Apple's being ruthless with betas!)"

The Dev Team recently released a tethered version of redsn0w for iOS 5. However, there is a simple solution to "semi-tether" your jailbroken device. The SemiTether package ensures you will not be stuck with an iPhone paperweight during a crash or unexpected reboot. You can read more about tethered vs. untethered iPhone jailbreaking here.

Developers are moving closer to an untethered iOS 5 jailbreak every day. Thanks to BigBoss, now you can protect your tethered iOS 5 jailbreak from making your iPhone unusable during a crash or unplanned reboot. The solution to the problem, known as a semi-tethered jailbreak makes it possible for the iPhone to come back up when you can't be near your computer for a full tethered boot.

There are some quirks to the SemiTether package, but having an iPhone that will start up is much better than one that just stays on the Apple logo. You'll still have to get back to your computer eventually to boot tethered for access to jailbreak apps and Cydia. Safari and Mail will also not be functioning when the iPhone is in a semi-tethered state.

Thanks to iPhone Dev-Team the redsn0w jailbreak tool is updated to jailbreak the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS running iOS 5. This is a work in progress designed to help app developers update their products for the latest firmware. As such, Dev-Team considers redsn0w a beta release and warns early adopters there may be lingering bugs in the firmware.

Before you go ahead and read the tutorial, be aware this does not apply to the iPhone 4S or iPad 2. Jailbreak solutions for these two devices are under development and have not been released. When it comes to the iPhone 4 and 3GS, most devices will require a tethered jailbreak.