The launch of iOS 4 has received a mixed response from users. While a vast majority of iPhone users are really enjoying the new features and performance improvement in the latest iOS, some iPhone 3G users have reported that iOS 4 has slowed down their iPhone.
If you have seen a performance deterioration and want to downgrade your iPhone 3G to the previous version then this tutorial will take you through the step-by-step process to downgrade from iOS 4 to iPhone OS 3.1.3.
Before you proceed, please note the following caveats:
- This guide may not offer consistent results. So please proceed at your own risk.
- Do not forget to backup your iPhone before you proceed. You can refer to this post for instructions on how to backup your iPhone 3G.
- This procedure is strictly for iPhone 3G users. Apple has stopped signing the iOS 3.1.3 firmware and hence this guide will not work on iPhone 3GS as Apple has stopped signing the older iPhone OS 3.1.3 files that is required to restore iPhone 3GS.
Step 1: Download iPhone OS 3.1.3
In all likelihood, users may already have a copy of the older iOS firmware stored on their computer. If you are a Mac user, navigate to ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates and look out for a file named iPhone1,1_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw or iPhone1,2_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw. Windows users may check out this file at C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates. Alternately, you can click here to download a fresh copy of the iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware to your computer.
Save a copy of this iOS firmware on your computer desktop
Step 2 : Download RecBoot
RecBoot is an important utility that will help in completing the downgrade process. Download this tool by clicking here and save it to your computer desktop.
Step 3 : Set iPhone To DFU Mode
(a) Plug your iPhone to the computer
(b) Switch OFF the iPhone by pressing the Sleep/Wake button. Swipe across the 'Slide to Power Off' option to turn your iPhone off
(c) With the Sleep/Wake button pressed, press and hold the iPhone Home button for ten seconds.
(d) You can now release the Sleep/Wake button while the Home button is kept in the pressed state.
(e) iTunes will display a window that reads, "iTunes has detected an iPhone in recover mode". The iPhone screen will now turn black. This indicates that your iPhone is in the DFU mode. Click 'OK' to close the iTunes pop-up message
Step 4: Restore iPhone 3G using iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware
(a) Under the 'Devices' section on the left pane of iTunes, click on your iPhone device.
(b) Hold the Option/Alt key down and click on the 'Restore' button
(c) Navigate to the computer desktop and click on the downloaded iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware to restore.
(d) iTunes will now begin the restoration process. This process will take close to 10 minutes or more for completion.
(e) iTunes might throw 1011, 1013 or 1015 error as seen below. You don't have to panic. It's normal, just ignore this error as the firmware has been successfully installed on your iPhone 3G. You need to use RecBoot utility to exit out of recovery mode.
Step 5: Exiting Recovery Mode
For Mac users:
Navigate to your computer desktop and launch RecBoot. Click 'Exit Recovery Mode'. This will reboot the iPhone to the newly downgraded iPhone OS 3.1.3.
For Windows users:
(a) You may require .NET 4.0 firmware for the application to work. Click here to download Microsoft .NET 4 firmware.
(b) Navigate to the desktop. Right click on RecBoot and choose Properties -> Compatibility -> Run this program in compatibility mode -> Windows XP. You may skip this step if you are already on a Windows XP platform.
(c) Click here to download and install Libusb. You can checkout this link if you're trying this on a 64-bit system. WARNING: Some of our readers have reported issues installing Libusb on their 64-bit systems, so please proceed with caution and read their comments below to figure out possible workarounds.
(d) From the computer desktop, launch RecBoot. Select the 'Exit Recovery Mode' option. This will reboot your iPhone to the downgraded iOS 3.1.3 platform
Step 6: Restoring Backup
iTunes will now prompt you to set up your iPhone. You can restore from a backup that you had created before upgrading to iOS 4 to sync your apps and data or set it up as a new iPhone. Please note that it is only possible to sync with a pre-4.0 backup. Any backup file created after upgrading to iOS 4 might not be supported.
The downgrade process is complete. We hope you enjoyed this tutorial. As always, do not forget to drop us a line about how it goes.
[via LifeHacker]
So does it matter if you have you shsh?? Files??
Have done it on iPhone 3G[s] which was on 3.1.3, jailbroken with Spirit and upgraded to iOS4.0! Downgraded succesfully to 3.1.3 again used Spirit and Ultrasn0w to unlock. I did have SHSHs for 3.1.3 and my iPhone has an old Bootrom! Gluck to everyone else!!!
uhhhh thnx very much!!!!!!!!!!! this worked .
actually you can do it on mac & windows with a 3GS – especially if you've jailbroken your phone before.
http://www.ihackintosh.com/2010/02/downgrade-iphone-3gs-os-3-1-3-to-3-1-2-with-cydia-shsh/
i've followed those exact instructions and it worked like a charm.
when is the iphone 4 jailbreak comeing out.does anyone know.
oops sorry wrong link:
first:
http://www.ihackintosh.com/2010/06/downgrade-iphone-3gs-ios-4-0-to-3-1-3-with-cydia-shsh/
then:
http://www.ihackintosh.com/2010/06/downgrade-iphone-3g-3gs-ios-4-gm-to-os-3-1-3/
i did this a few weeks ago with my 3gs so i could jailbreak / unlock and sell on ebay.
Ohhh man thank god i didnt update my phone to 4.0, i always knew there was gunna be bugs. After just seeing the last comment, if we can actually downgrade 3gs from 3.1.3 to 3.1.2 then we should be able to jailbreak our phones on 4.0 right ? Thats what i got told anyway but personally do you all think its best to stay on 3.1.3 ? No probkem at all with my phone at the moment, i dont really want to make a hassle with it.
shsh blobs don't matter with the 3g phone
did everyone backup their phone?
How well did this work for everyone? Did it in fact speed up the performance? I'm about to attempt!
This apple shit makes me hate life. U can't do this u can't do that Fu apple and all u control freaks.
I will be downgrading due to many, many apps that are not compatable anymore. The speed is only an issue if you enabled Multitasking during RedSn0w installation.
I cannot seem to get it to restore to 3.1.3. On a windows machine, I hold down shift and click restore, but it only wants to restore to 4.0. No option to restore back to 3.1.3. Has anyone else had this issue?
I restored my old bootrom 3gs to 3.1.2. Then I jailbreaked it with blackrain updated to ios4 with custom firmware and now unlocked it with ultrasnow. Lengthy process but worked smoothly. Now I have a iPhone 3GS ios4 jailbroken and unlocked!!! Yeah now ready to sell this bad boy
Just want to thank you for posting this. Upgraded my 3G and was too sluggish. Now back on 3.1.3, much happier
hi!! i am just a new user of iphone 3g with a firmware 4.2.1.. i decided to downgrade it to 3.1.3 since i have heard that that firmware is faster.. But unfortunately, when i turn my iphone on, the msg slice for emergency calls appears.. so i am now not able to use my iphone.. could you help me with this issue?
You just have to insert a valid sim and connect it thru itune. your sim must be the original network like at&t and tmobile. gudluck men..
I tried it and had the same experience – emergency only dial screen. Was working fine before.
I am running win 7 x64 and that side program that must be installed literally fkked up my entire comp system.. I dunno what it did but everything is screwed up, I gotta boot from my cd drive now… x64 users, bewaree!!
Can I restore my 3GS upgraded to 4.0 back to 3.1.3 I saved my shsh?
What did?
What is the deal with the time delay on this site?
what about if you saved you shhs to your local computer destop??? file extension is .shsh
You must have done something wrong. I followed the directions for the x64 systems and I'm currently restoring to 3.1.2 as we speak with no issues booting up or anything.
this doesn't work worth a shit…… i have jailbroken and unlocked and downgraded and you name it and this tutorial does not work worth a SHIT!!! I am on windows 7. downloaded libusb, recboot, and net 4.0….hit the button in dfu mode and nothing happens. what a waste of time. sorry venting i am mad right now
Thanks
Hey guyz, I'm having trouble with the libusb, it doesnt seem to b installing, anyone had a similar problem???
cheers
I can't get Recboot to work. I have followed all the directions. Any suggestions?
Make sure you download the libusb.exe file. The link in the tutorial didn't work for me. I just googled libusbwin32. I can't remember the link I used, sorry.
Yes you can as long as you follow the instruction. I have a iPhone 3gs with ios4 and was able to downgrade back to 3.1.3. Then I was able to jailbreak and unlock my iPhone again.
what do i need to use to jailbreak 3G on 3.1.3, on mac or pc (mac preferred)
thanks so much
I can´t install LibUSB. Does anyone have a correct installation guide?
I downgraded my 3G to 3.1.3 and all went well until i tried to jailbreak it with redsn0w. I am now getting the "Unable to recognize specified IPSW" I am using the right version of 3.1.3 IPSW and i tried it with all the redsn0w version 9.3, 9.4 and 9.5
Has anyone else had problem jailbreaking after you downgraded from iOS 4 on 3G?
If you have downgraded to iPhone OS 3.1.3 then use Spirit jailbreak, its a lot easier:
http://www.iphonehacks.com/2010/05/how-to-jailbreak-iphone-ipod-touch-using-spirit-iphone-os-3-1-3-iphone-os-3-1-2-mac.html
http://www.iphonehacks.com/2010/05/how-to-jailbreak-iphone-ipod-touch-using-spirit-iphone-os-3-1-3-iphone-os-3-1-2-windows.html
but using Spirit you must have …
"An activated device: one not stuck on the Connect to iTunes or Emergency Call screen."
.. mine is now stuck on on that screen
SPirit gives an error message
try installing itunes 9.1
tHANK YOU IT WORKED REALLY FEELING RELIF THANK YOU ALL……..
i am yet to try this process as I have one question. At the end of the process when asked to restore iphone (from previous back up ) how will I be able to restore from a 3.1.3. back up? will I be able to backtrack to this backup? if so, how?
Please explain in lame-man terms as this is all knew to me. I thank you in advance for any assistance.
yep I have the same problem …now stuck! cant jailbreak with redsn0w OR spirit!! eek!
I made it all the way to RecBoot… When I lauch RecBoot and click the button to EXIT RECOVERY MODE nothing happens. I tried the batch program and it indicates No iPhone/iPod detected.
Any thoughts?
It says the device can NOT be stuck on Connect to iTunes or Emergency Call screen. Well i am using my 3G in Poland so its not officially unlocked so i don't have a sim from AT&T.
So now what, are we screwed? I had this phone working on 3.1.3 before i upgraded to iOS4. I hate apple for all this crap they make us go through.
As for now i had to go back to iOS4 which works but its slow as hell.
Has anyone downgraded and jailbroke from 4.0 to 3.1.3 and had it work?
I have the same problem – downgraded 3G from iOS4 to 3.1.3 – now cannot jailbreak with snowbreeze, pwnage tool – doesnt recognise the IPSW file for some reason, and Spirit keeps giving an error.
I’m having the same problem
The beginning of the tutorial tells me to backup, but the end of the tutorial says "Please note that it is only possible to sync with a pre-4.0 backup"
So did I just lose everything? When I try to back up, I have two options. One from 8 months ago, and the one I did that is incompatible before I downgraded. I synced before upgrading to iOS4, but I don't see that as an option to select. Help!
Worked Perfect ! Thank You !
correct me if I'm wrong but don't you have to downgrade iTunes as well? (from 9.2)
If RecBoot doesn't work on your computer (it didn't on mine), try using blackra1n instead and then go into Cydia and download ultrasn0w (redsn0w + ultrasn0w didn't worked either). It worked for me and a bunch of people at the swedish site iPhoneinfo.se.
Btw, it would be great if you added this to the blog post so that people can find it easily; took me almost 12 hours to find the solution as every page recommended either Recboot or redsn0w!
Woohoo!!! iOS 4 made my 3g a turtle! I couldn't believe how slow it made my phone. Can't believe I had to downgrade to get my phone back. This worked like a charm! Thank you!!!! I'm getting rid of it in 2 weeks for a Droid X and giving to a friend at work. Didn't want her to have a brick.
If I do this and it is stuck in recovery mode, can I use redsn0w to reactivate?
Thank you! You've saved my life!!!
after i down the libusb-win32-device-bin-1.1.14.3, i can't find the libusb.exe to install it, can anyone help me pls!
can anyone can make a video make to step by step for window user? Thanks a lot !
I have windows 7 and I strictly followed the instrcutions but when I hit exit recovery mode the pop window says the program can't started because libusb0.dll is missing from your computer.
I tried to reinstall it but I got the same message.