March 20, 2026

How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Posted April 16, 2009 at 1:52pm by
****THIS TUTORIAL HAS BEEN RETIRED IN FAVOUR OF THE NEW FUZZYBAND DOWNGRADER. YOU CAN FIND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE FUZZYBAND HERE****

These are instructions on how to downgrade your baseband from 2.30 to 2.28 for iPhone 3Gs with the 5.8 bootloader. This will allow you to unlock your iPhone 3G using YellowSn0w. An similar exploit is still be worked on for those with a higher bootloader version...


IMPORTANT: Make sure your iPhone uses the 5.8 bootloader before continuing. You can find instructions on how to check your bootloader version here: Windows, Mac. Ensure you are on the 2.30 baseband by following this tutorial. You will also need MobileTerminal installed to completed this tutorial.


Step One
Launch Cydia by pressings its icon on your SpringBoard.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Two
Press to select the Sections tab at the bottom of the screen.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Three
Press to select iClarifed from the list of Sections. If you don't see iClarified you will need to add the iClarified source using these instructions.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Four
Press to select DownBB from the list of Packages.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Five
Press the Install button at the top right of the screen.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Six
Press the Confirm button to begin installation.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Seven
Once installation has completed successfully press the large Return to Cydia button.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Eight
Press the Home button to return to your SpringBoard then press to launch Terminal
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Nine
Enter su into the terminal window then enter alpine when prompted for a password.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Ten
Enter DownBB into the terminal window to launch the baseband downgrade script.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Eleven
You will be asked to confirm you would like to continue. Please make sure you are on the 2.30 baseband and have the 5.8 bootloader before entering yes into the window.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Twelve
DownBB will now execute the script which downgrades your baseband.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Thirteen
Once the script has completed it will automatically reboot your iPhone.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Fourteen
Please note you will now be on the 2.28 baseband.
How to Downgrade Your iPhone 3G 2.30 (2.2.1) Baseband for Unlock

Step Fifteen
You may now unlock your iPhone using the iPhone 3G unlock tutorial found here!




THANKS
Many thanks to EvilPenguin|, pH, and DHowett for their work on this script! Thanks to Geo-hot for discovering the exploit!
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Comments (201)
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ravdeep
ravdeep - August 26, 2012 at 10:57am
i have iphone 3g bootloader 6.2 .... by mistake i upgraded it to 4.2.1 baseband 5.15.04 .... now its sim is not getting unlocked..... Is there any way to do it......as the baseband cannot be downgraded using fuzzyband......??????????
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Damann
Damann - October 19, 2009 at 11:02am
I have an Iphone 3G with 3.0 and 5.9 bootloader and 05.11.07 baseband.... When are they gonna come out with a fix for this to be unlocked or an update or something... Ive been waiting a long time for this... Plz Help a brother out.... Im stuck like chuck
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Maha
Maha - September 20, 2009 at 4:16am
The solution is to upgrade to 3.0 OS and then use Ultasnow to unlock..it works for 5.9 and 6.2 bootloader.
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Shahzad Riaz
Shahzad Riaz - September 21, 2009 at 5:16pm
Still no luck ..i got OS 3.0 and bootloader 6.4... suggestions? cheers.
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Naiyadh
Naiyadh - October 1, 2009 at 7:59am
Hey, i have iphone 3g with fw 3.0. my bootloader is 5.09 and bb is 5.11.07. do you think i can do this to downgrade my bb. Please let me know. And thanks for help.
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Maha
Maha - October 1, 2009 at 8:29am
Yes it is possible, I have OS 3.0 and bb 6.02. Anyway I used Ultrasn0w to unlock my phone. Visit the guide page for instructions.
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Salman
Salman - October 2, 2009 at 1:03pm
Hello, I have iphone 3g i installed firmware 3.1 by mistake after that i again installed firmware 3.0 after getting errors now i have baseband 05.11.04 something like that, and bootloader 5.90. now I want to unlock my iphone because ultrasn0w is no longer working now.... please help me out.
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Ayman
Ayman - May 29, 2010 at 10:13pm
ya maha could you tell me more how can you make it work with boot loader 08.09 i tried 3.1-3.12-.3.13 nothing is happening
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hyper
hyper - July 3, 2009 at 2:32am
thanks for this one, but unlucky for me. Mine has a 5.9 bootloader. is their a new way to downgrade it?
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muhd sidek
muhd sidek - June 22, 2009 at 7:36am
I cant unlock my phone wit yellowsnow..........its show NO SERVICE>.........pLS any1 help me .......... IPHONE 3G 2.2 baseband 04.26.08..................PLSSSSSS
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DRAGAN
DRAGAN - June 20, 2009 at 10:06am
iphone 3g 3.0 modem 04.26.08 unlock the carrier
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mmet
mmet - June 18, 2009 at 2:13pm
hello my friend i have iphone 3g 16 gb 3 but i cant use in turkey my phones version 5.9 i cant use with simcard just use turbo sim plz ı need ur help ...
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waigal
waigal - June 17, 2009 at 12:20am
i have a 3g iphone with bootloader version 05.09 and baseband version 02.30.03 and OS version 2.2.1 can't downgrade the baseband anyone can help????
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mike
mike - June 19, 2009 at 11:34pm
iphone newbie is there a way to downgrade 5.9 bootloader yet please help
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the_same
the_same - September 19, 2009 at 9:30pm
same happens to my iphone dude, i did all that but nothing happened yet ,,,,
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Maha
Maha - September 20, 2009 at 4:21am
Don't worry there is a solution, it has been out for almost 2 months. check the guide for how to unlock iPhone 3G 3.0 OS firmware with ultrasn0w.
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dr-sotz
dr-sotz - October 2, 2009 at 12:43pm
only jailbroken not unlock if ur bootloader is 5.9 and 6.x
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chuck
chuck - June 14, 2009 at 11:48pm
iphone newbie is there a way to downgrade 5.9 bootloader yet please help!!!
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Bryan
Bryan - November 17, 2010 at 1:19am
Did anyone figure out how to downgrade Bootloader 05.09????
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vysal
vysal - June 12, 2009 at 4:42am
i install actidently with os 3.0 bootloader 5.9 / modem firmware 04.26.08 ... i can jealbreak but cant unlock the GSM carrier. so any idea.
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Nameless
Nameless - December 23, 2009 at 9:11am
isntall blacksnow
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smit dave N.
smit dave N. - June 3, 2009 at 12:09pm
hey i have a boot loader version 5.9...plz help how to downgrade to 5.80...plzzz help plzzzz!!!!!!!!!!
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akter_hosain
akter_hosain - June 3, 2009 at 2:31am
I have a Iphone 3g, Firmware version 2.25G77, Modem version 2.30.03 Bootloader version 6.04
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reex33
reex33 - May 28, 2009 at 10:14am
C'mon!!!! 5.9/6.0 to 5.8 I hope we get this problem solved soon.
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tony
tony - May 27, 2009 at 1:35am
help me unlock 2.2.1 version, 2.30.03 baseband and 6.04 bootloader iphone.
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serenity
serenity - May 26, 2009 at 1:23pm
Thank you for the help. However, yet, the problem could not be solved. Again, we request your help. At present, it is " modem version 02.30.03 ", "OS 5G77". Tell the way of changing into modem version 02.28.0. It tried a down grade in the envoy modem version in the Fuzzyband software. However, because the bootloader version was to do 5.9 being, it isn't possible to do a change. Tell the way of changing a bootloader version into 5.8. Or, tell the way of modem version's being able to be changed in the other way. I request your help.
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MrBlue
MrBlue - May 25, 2009 at 10:46pm
Hi, Dev team, we know that you guys are working on upgrading Yellowsn0w to make it possible to unlock bootloader 5.09 - 6.0. Hopefully can be done... don't let Apple laugh at us... poor people who really don't want to be "jailed" and the people who decided to follow your path.
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Wesley adams
Wesley adams - May 25, 2009 at 7:22pm
Hey i was asked to unlock + jailbreak my friends iphone but he has bootloader 05.09 i have looked around but have not seen any way to downgrade this i just want to know if the dev team or someone is developing software to do this if anyone knows please reply thanks
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serenity
serenity - May 24, 2009 at 10:50am
Help. 3 g of my iPhone had been locked. It loaded DownBB file but the modem version is as 02.30.03 and doesn't change. How does the modem version return in 02.28.00 if being? Please, help.
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John Kond
John Kond - May 24, 2009 at 5:36am
Hey. I don't know how but I downloaded the OS 3 to my 3G iphone and after I return to 2.2.1 and it was okay but at the second restore to 2.2.1 the phone is locked. while i see the cellular carier I can accept calls i can't call. Every time where i try to call i take the message "call failed". I downloaded finaly the fuzzyband downgrader 1.0 after DownBB and I see the below : Bootloader Version 05.09 Baseband ICE2-04.26.08 iPhone OS Version 2.2.1 What I must do to call again from my iPhone?
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TITu
TITu - May 24, 2009 at 7:04pm
You can now only jailbreak your iphone 3g.But you can not unlock you iphone.Because you boot 05.09 you must wait.........................
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jhon
jhon - May 23, 2009 at 10:51pm
dve team please help me and other person for world people please help our baseband 2.2.1 and boot 05.09 so we can unlock iphone 3g please help we wait all ready 3 month .we can not use iphone 3g becouse our iphone 3g now locked only use ipod so please help from iphone 3g user..........hold world
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