How to upgrade an iPhone 3GS to iOS 5.1.1 when iOS 6 is already available?
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vijay_456 • November 9, 2012 at 6:40am
I am currently using iOS 4.1 on my iPhone 3GS and missed the window to upgrade to iOS 5. Since iOS 6 has been released, iTunes only offers that version. I tried saving SHSH blobs but could not find any for iOS 5.x. I upgraded to iOS 6 and then downgraded back to 4.1. Is there any way to install iOS 5.1.1 on this device now?
Answers
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iClarified • January 12, 2026 at 3:40am
To upgrade an iPhone 3GS to a version of iOS that Apple is no longer signing, such as iOS 5.1.1, you must have the SHSH blobs previously saved for that specific firmware on your specific device. Apple uses a signing window to control which versions of iOS can be installed. Once a new version like iOS 6 is released, they typically stop signing older versions within a few days. If you did not use a tool like Cydia or TinyUmbrella to save your SHSH blobs while iOS 5.1.1 was still being signed, it is unfortunately impossible to upgrade to that version now. Your only options are to stay on iOS 4.1 or upgrade to the latest signed version of iOS 6 supported by the iPhone 3GS. If you do have blobs saved, you can use a tool like Redsn0w or iFaith to create a custom firmware file stitched with your blobs and restore to it using iTunes in DFU mode.
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mohdsamim • November 9, 2012 at 8:54pm
You will need your SHSH blobs to perform this upgrade. Check the top of the Cydia home screen to see which SHSH blobs are listed as saved (for example, 4.1, 5.0.1, or 5.1.1). If iOS 5.1.1 is not listed there, you cannot update to that specific version. If it is listed, you can use TinyUmbrella to fetch the blobs or Redsn0w to stitch them to an iOS 5.1.1 IPSW file. Once you have the stitched firmware, put your device into pwned DFU mode and use the Shift plus Restore method in iTunes to install the custom firmware file.