How to Activate Your iPhone 3G, 3GS, or 4 Without the Original SIM

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Posted July 18, 2010 at 2:56pm by Shalom Levytam

These are instructions on how to activate your iPhone 3G, 3GS, or 4 without having the original SIM or being on the original network.

****Apple has blocked this as of October 29th, 2010****

This is more of a tip then a tutorial. Sherif Morano has discovered that iTunes will activate your iPhone if a PhoneBook SIM card is inserted. A PhoneBook SIM card is used to transfer your contacts from one phone to another. They can be purchased from Radioshack, Mobile Phone Shops, or online.

You might want to use this card if you need to activate before applying a jailbreak then unlock.

Congratulations to Sherif for this discovery. You can watch his video demonstration below...

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Commodore - August 19, 2010 at 4:08am

Are phonebook's still working? Yesterday I was trying pass to menu and nothing happend...

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fhm - August 23, 2010 at 12:55pm

I think it's not working. I tried last week and still not activated. =(

Sampath K - September 10, 2010 at 12:53pm

I tried it today 9/10 with dits phone book sim card. It works without a hitch!!! Mine is a iphone 3gs 4.0.1 Jailed and Unlocked. With phonebook sim i could do both jailbreak and unlock. All is well and happies :-)

eLL Mobile Maldives - August 15, 2010 at 5:21am

How do i activate my iphone 4 without billing zip and social security number? eLL Mobile Maldives

St0nehead - August 20, 2010 at 4:11am

No There is no way to hactivate iPhone 4. We still waiting for Limera1n or PWN

wombat - August 8, 2010 at 5:32am

Better as a new entry: Quoting sherif_hashim (twitter): activation using the phonebook sim is now made easy again, just activate, add repo (to cydia of course) http://cydia.pushfix.info & install Hacktivation patch Once again thanks to sherif_hashim and the entire DEVTEAM for the great work

Geninq - August 9, 2010 at 4:08pm

So if I have an iphone 3GS from US (T mobile or AT&T) and currently was factory restored. What should I do if I don't have the sim card from those US provider? How can I activate the phone in order to get the normal menu instead of emergency call only? I order the activation card from dealextreme yesterday. Please help. Thanks!

Janek - August 10, 2010 at 10:16am

You need to buy original sim card or phonebook card. If you have phonebook put into iphone connect with itunes. Then do jailbreak and unlock. Tutaorials are on iclarified page. Use "search"

Geninq - August 10, 2010 at 1:55pm

That was what I understand before, but if you see the latest info said it doesn't work anymore and the latest latest one said it works again but have to do patch. I am totally confused. Does anyone can help me with step by step instruction? please and thank you!

wombat - August 10, 2010 at 4:29pm

You are safe to follow this tutorial using either a AT&T SIM or phonebook SIM. Then unlock using jailbreakme.com (own tutorial here). Last but not least follow the steps as mentioned in my first post above. Have fun and enjoy your iPhone.

Geninq - August 10, 2010 at 11:40pm

Wow thanks for the prompt reply guys! So I can use the activation sim card as Sherif showed us on his video. Then when I get in, I have to use safari to go to www.jailbreakme.com to JB the iphone. After the JB process I will get Cydia. I am not sure what step should I take after this. Unlocking process using ultrasn0w or do the repo patch first. Could you guys explain to me a bit more detail? Thanks!

Janek - August 11, 2010 at 3:34am

install repo patch first. But it doesn't matter.

geninq - August 13, 2010 at 1:45am

Wombat, I don't completely understand some part of your first post: "add repo (to cydia of course) http://cydia.pushfix.info & install Hacktivation patch ". How can I "install hactivation patch". The steps that I do understand is: insert the activation sim card, connect to itunes, I will get the spring board back, do the JB with safari (jailbreakme.com}, do UL with ultrasn0w, add repo and I am lost on the next step which is "install hacktivation patch". Please kindly explain. Thanks!

geninq - August 13, 2010 at 2:36am

Wombat, please ignore my previous post. I think I understand now as I found sherif's post about hacktivation patch. The hacktivation patch doesn't show up in that link (http://cydia.pushfix.info ). That is why I am confused. Anyway, thanks.

wombat - August 15, 2010 at 8:09am

OK - ignored ;-)

geninq - August 23, 2010 at 10:10pm

Hi Guys, My activation card hasn't arrived yet. I just want to make sure this method still works so I can decide whether to continue waiting for it or cancel the order. Is there any other way to unlock or to jailbreak (which one first?) the iphone 3gs in the "emergency call only" status, Does anybody know what firmware do I get when I factory restored the iphone 3gs? Please help. Thank you.

wombat - August 24, 2010 at 2:34am

It depends on when you did the Factory restore. Everything before 4.1 which came out about 2 weeks ago is fine. With 4.0 or 4.0.1 you should be good to go.

geninq - August 24, 2010 at 11:37pm

Hi Wombat, I did factory restored my iPhone 3gs sometime before 7 Aug 2010. Assuming I still got 4.0 or 4.01 with emergency call only, what should I do to make the phone works? Let say in the worse case I got 4.1 with emergency call only after factory restored, what should I do? Is the activation sim card will works? Please kindly explain. Thanks!

wombat - August 25, 2010 at 4:16am

Just follow this tutorial. If it worked, then you are on a good firmware version. If it doesn't work then you are on 4.0.2 (for which there is no solution). Don't forget to follow the other steps described above and follow the tutorial to save your SHSH blobs. Good luck

geninq - September 14, 2010 at 9:08pm

Hi Wombat, I just manage to make my 3GS works again (from "emergency call only" screen) with using phonebook sim card method. I do jailbreak it with jailbreakme.com and unlock it with ultrasnow. Just curious, do I have to do anything so incase I update it by accident, I still can go back to this working state? Kind of back up copy or something? I am using iTunes 10.0.68 (latest). My firmware 4.01 and baseband 5.13.04. Thanks!

Lokesh kumar - August 6, 2010 at 6:12am

Well Dont use this method now sherif_hashim : seems apple got the way phonebook sim card trick used to work fixed by hooking the activation wildcard ticket to the ICCID of the used sim this wasn't the case 2 days ago, and that's why those of u who used this method recently got the "different sim detected" message Thu u ll still get activated by using this method, and be able to jb/ul, but u ll never be able to use ur carrier sim as it ll revert back. to the non activated emergency calls screen, so I advise all to stay back of using this method for now Those of u who used it previously to activate are good to go, but if u restored ur phone again, it won't work And till I finish trying to figure out a way around this, if any, plz stop depending on this method for now, thx for ur attention this may work, I don't like the concept of using an already modified file rather than modifying ur own thu Alternative method Step 1: Download iFunBox(google it) Step 2: Download the patched LockDown folder Step 3: Run iFunBox and sync it with your iPhone. Step 4: Go to /private/var/root/Library/ and replace the Lockdown folder with the one you downloaded in step 2. Step 5: Reboot your iPhone.

leo - August 6, 2010 at 11:35am

that thing dont work if you do that the itunes cant connect to itunes!!!

Valter - August 12, 2010 at 4:02pm

The iFunbox doesnt idenfify my iphone 3gs

daniel - August 20, 2010 at 11:05pm

I have a phone that shipped a month ago that is unactivated... using ifunbox it says it's jailed and I can't get into /private so i suppose I gotta order the phone card and go thru that attempted activation first? > Alternative method Step 1: Download iFunBox(google it) Step 2: Download the patched LockDown folder Step 3: Run iFunBox and sync it with your iPhone. Step 4: Go to /private/var/root/Library/ and replace the Lockdown folder with the one you downloaded in step 2. Step 5: Reboot your iPhone. >

Dawar - November 4, 2013 at 8:23pm

how it will work on jailed iphone ???? plzz explain

wombat - August 6, 2010 at 6:00am

Warning - Warning - Warning. Sherif_hashim of the Dev Team just tweeted the fact that Apple appears to have closed this "hole". The phonecard sim does not appear to work more than once, by hooking the activation wildcard ticket to the ICCID of the used sim. Those who used it so far are "good to go" but for all coming the hole is closed.

Joe Cole - August 7, 2010 at 1:47pm

Thanks Wombat for the warning but there's always a way where there's a will. iFunbox or OpenSSH is the route for the lockdown folder. Just took the latter (OpenSSH) route for re-restoring my 3GS to 4.0.1 after downgrading to 3.1.2 from 4.0.1.

wombat - August 7, 2010 at 4:22pm

@Joe Cole: That's the way to go. Hope the iClarified team supplies a tutorial or enhancement to this tutorial as mentioned by you and the above entry in a step by step solution. BTW: a country specific Sim Card (i.e. AT&T for USA) still works as suggested by sherif_hashim of the DEV-Team. I just tested it myself.

Janek - August 8, 2010 at 5:16am

here is a tutorial. Maybe they do program in cydia... http://www.hackint0sh.org/showthread.php?p=599737#post599737

wombat - August 8, 2010 at 5:30am

Quoting sherif_hashim (twitter): activation using the phonebook sim is now made easy again, just activate, add repo (to cydia of course) http://cydia.pushfix.info & install Hacktivation patch Once again thanks to sherif_hashim and the entire DEVTEAM for the great work

jorge - June 2, 2013 at 12:18pm

activate iphone no sim card

Aipom - August 5, 2010 at 9:00pm

DITS - I have heard that your card does not work to activate the iPhone 4. Is this correct?

Aipom - August 5, 2010 at 8:57pm

I have heard that this place does not work for the iPhone 4. Also have heard that the DITS SIM does not work either. Can anyone confirm? (I apologize for not having checked this item out more thoroughly.)

MArcelo - August 4, 2010 at 7:10am

Works on iPhone 4?

Greg - March 28, 2011 at 2:04am

Worthless ! Not work at all .

Walter - August 2, 2010 at 9:08pm

They even know in Radioshack about the Phonebook Sim Card.

Janek - July 23, 2010 at 5:02am

ok. I try to activate my iphone 3gs. Iphone is from UK an I live in Poland. I don't have origanal iphone sim card. I bought "activate sim card" (phone book). Iphone is on 3.1.3 firmware. I have emergency call on the screen. I put "Activate sim card" than I have icons. I use spirit to jailbreak and ultrasn0w to unlock. Take off the activation card and put other operator card from Poland. Than I have a message "I tunes find other card please connect to itunes" than I connect to itunes and have message "This card is not suported". I can anwer the phone but I can't make a calls because I don't have access to the menu....

Janek - August 5, 2010 at 6:09pm

I was there. Why this is a problem with baseband? This card is not activate an iphone this cards have only pass to the menu.

jlreycas - August 5, 2010 at 6:23pm

which is your baseband? 5.12? http://blog.iphone-dev.org/post/384104601/scam-season

Janek - August 6, 2010 at 5:18am

Yes I have 05.12. But I use this same phonebook card (cut) on my iphone 4g with 4.0.1 and It's work fine. Iphone is activation. But on my 3gs doesn't work.

jlreycas - August 6, 2010 at 12:22pm

AFAIK it says it doesnt work on 05.12 with 3GS. please read the link carefully, that is why i send it to you

Janek - August 7, 2010 at 9:32am

and what with 05.13?

ben - July 20, 2010 at 3:19am

Hi, Nice Find, Does it work on Iphone 2G ? Thanks Ben

jlreycas - August 5, 2010 at 3:15pm

yeah, does it work on 2G? on which Firmware??

AppleiDevices - July 19, 2010 at 12:08pm

Useless post. Junk. Cause nowhere to find that stupid phonebook sim. RadioShack does not have and many mobile shops do not have and have no idea what a phonebook sim is. Many thought that is just a regular SIM (as AT&T SIM or T-Mobile SIM). Waste of time to google up eBay or online. Nobody has it. Only the poster had that. He must prove it by where to get those phonebook sims? It seems that nobody is working on the hactivation so it would help if whoever invented this method show where to find those phonebook sims. Not RadioShack or mobile shops because they don't have them or have no idea what the hell those are!!?

donkeybOy - July 19, 2010 at 11:09am

Old news! I've been doing this for years.

hero - July 30, 2010 at 5:44am

you're such a hero aren't u?

Pradeep - July 19, 2010 at 9:21am

Does this work on the iphone 3gs from UK O2 network/???

Antic - July 19, 2010 at 4:13am

I couldn't find it online. any help? .

tokyo - July 18, 2010 at 11:54pm

I couldn't find it online. any help?

Migs95 - July 18, 2010 at 10:31pm

We want the jailbreak!

sing - July 18, 2010 at 6:59pm

does this sim card work for the iphone that is locked to itune saying that they require SS# and zip code to have it activated

Jun - July 18, 2010 at 6:53pm

This is pointless, you still have to buy a card, if you gonna buy a card buy one from at&t and you dont have to keep ejecting and changing sim cards

Mike - July 18, 2010 at 7:08pm

That would be incorrect. U can't activate using an AT&T sim card on a foreign network unless u have a plan.

ak - July 18, 2010 at 6:21pm

I called the local radio shack they did not have any, never heard of it. Checked online: ebay, amazon, overstock, and googled it had no luck finding it.

Mike - July 18, 2010 at 7:11pm

Check the YouTube comments. I think there is a link to one

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