Downgrade iPhone 3GS iOS to 4.0.1 - The EASY Way

As of the moment, there's no jailbreak available for iPhone 3GS running iOS version 4.0.2.

If you upgraded to iPhone 3GS's firmware to the latest version but you now want to jailbreak the device, then you might want to first downgrade to 4.0.1 as there's already an easy to perform jailbreak available for that.

Here's to do it in 8 easy steps:

DISCLAIMER: This blog can NOT be held responsible for any damage that may be caused by this step-by-step downgrade procedure. Please consult a number of downgrade guides online before proceeding. Downgrade your iPhone 3GS' firmware to 4.0.1 at your own risk.

Note that this downgrade guide will only work for iPhone 3GS with SHSH blobs or ECID SHSH saved on Cydia for 4.0.1 firmware. If you don't have the said SHSH files saved, I'm sorry but it's impossible to downgrade your device. If eventual jailbreaking is your main motivation for downgrading, it would be best to just wait for a working 4.0.2 jailbreak to surface.

1. Download iOS 4.0.1 for iPhone 3GS via this link.

2. Edit Hosts file

In Windows

a.) In Accessories, right click Notepad & choose Run as Administrator. Keep Notepad open.



b.) Using Windows Explorer, navigate to C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc & look for Hosts file



c.) Open Hosts file simply by dragging it to previously opened Notepad



d.) Add this line at the bottom of Hosts file's content:

74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com



e.) Save revised Hosts file



Using Mac OS X

a.) Navigate to "/etc/" directory by clicking "Go –> Go to Folder" from Finder.

b.) Using TextEdit, Open Hosts file

c.) Add "74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com" below the last line of the document and save.


3. Now, connect your iPhone 3GS to your computer.

4. Select iPhone 3GS in iTunes.

5. Press the power button and home button of your iPhone 3GS for 10 seconds. Release the power button but keep holding down the home button until iTunes recognizes the device is trying to enter DFU Mode. Check the iPhone screen to know if you're already in DFU mode; it must be black or blank.

6. Once your iPhone 3GS is in DFU mode, hold down Shift Key in Windows or Option Key in OS X and click Restore button.

7. iTunes will prompt you to choose the location of the 4.0.1 firmware file that you earlier downloaded. Select the 4.0.1 ipsw file and click Open. Let iTunes install the firmware. Now at some point during the installation, iTunes may show 1011, 1015 or 1013 error -- just ignore the error message.

8. Using Recboot (download it here, exit recovery mode and reboot the iPhone 3GS.

Let me know if the process worked for you. Please leave a comment below. Thanks!

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10 comments:

  1. thank you, it worked. Now all I have to do is to unlock my device. Just for that, I'm gonna be a programmer...
    Thanks again, you're awesome

    ReplyDelete
  2. after following all the steps....recboot is not doing anything.... Iphone connects and disconnects every few second now... any advise...

    ReplyDelete
  3. IT WORKED THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. how do you switch from 64bit to 32bit?

    ReplyDelete
  5. didn't work. said it's not eligible! this sux. running 3gs and 4.0.2 want to get 4.0.1

    ReplyDelete
  6. the hosts file cant be opened in notepad by dragging.. when i opened it with notepad (after taking ownership), it cant be saved..

    ReplyDelete
  7. i can't find the 'etc' folder -__-

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, I found it. But now it won't let me save. And I already tried changing the permissions. :/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Can't download Recboot from here..

    ReplyDelete

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