Evasi0n is a groundbreaking jailbreak tool but unfortunately, there’s a little setback for people who rely on hacktivation to use their iPhones. If your iPhone isn’t activated with the original carrier SIM, you won’t be able to jailbreak with Evasi0n. For about 4 months now, Redsn0w hasn’t been updated but thankfully, the latest Sn0wbreze update takes care of this and even if you’re on iOS 6.1.2, you can jailbreak and activate your phone by restoring a cooked / custom IPSW.
Please note that this only works for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. If you have an iPhone 4s or iPhone 5, this won’t work for you. Sn0wbreeze is basically for A4 devices. The created custom firmware jailbreaks and hacktivates your iPhone. After creating the custom firmware, you only need to restore your device through iTunes using the cooked firmware.
Steps to create a custom firmware with Sn0wbreeze
1. Download the latest version of Sn0wbreeze here
2. Download iPhone firmware for your device:
3. Unzip Sn0wbreeze, run the executable file the click next button
4. Click Browse for IPSW and select the firmware you downloaded earlier.
5. If you’re using an iPhone 3GS, you should be asked to confirm if your bootrom is old or new. Simply click New Bootrom / I don’t know. If you’re sure it’s an old bootrom, you can select it. This gives you the option to choose a custom boot logo but is it necessary?
6. Your IPSW is confirmed and you can click the arrow to continue
7. On the next page, simply select Simple Mode.
8. At this point, you should be asked if you want to activate your phone. Click Yes.
9. Playing Pacman or not while the custom firmware is being created is a matter of choice. Select whatever option you like and the process contines.
10. The CFW should be built under 10 minutes and when it’s done, you should find it right there on your desktop.
How to restore your custom firmware with iTunes
1. Turn off your phone completely.
2. Hold the Home key for some seconds and insert the USB cord while still holding the home key.
3. You phone should now be in recovery mode, ready to be restored.
4. iTunes should tell you this. Now Press SHIFT on the keyboard while you click the restore button.
5. The process should start and complete in about 10 minutes. If your phone gets stuck at “Preparing iPhone for restore” and shows error 1600, 1601 or 1604, you can fix it here.
When the restore is complete, you can see that your phone is hacktivated but not yet unlocked. You have to use Ultrasn0w for this. Hey, why not check out the must-have Cydia tweaks I recommend for your jailbroken device?