This is not a highly detailed Guide to jailbreaking or jailbreaking terms. It is intended to give you a basic understanding of things related to jailbreaking and to point you in the right direction and to help you understand some of the terms that others may be saying when trying to help with regard to jailbreaking, unlocking etc. This is not to be considered a “how-to”. For more detailed instructions on each thing search the forum or visit everyone’s favorite teacher Google [IMG]http://*****i.com/images/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]

For guides and downloads check top of page.

Anyone looking to contribute more terms that I may have missed (there are quite a few) feel free to do so and I will add them to the list. Obviously over time functions of certain things on the list, especially the jailbreak tools, will change. I will try to keep it as up to date as possible though.


In Alphabetical Order

Activation: Activating a phone (getting past emergency call screen) with a official carrier sim and iTunes

Baseband/BB: Firmware that controls all radio aspects of the phone. Seperate from main firmware. This is the part of a iPhone that is important with regard to unlocking. Also known as Modem Firmware.

Blackra1n: Geohot jailbreak for 3.1.2 Windows and Mac. Link: blackweather

Blacksnow: Geohot unlock for baseband 5.11.07

Boot Loop: Phone is stuck on apple logo and will not progress further

Bootrom: Checks the boot image. Important in determining if a jailbreak will be tethered or untethered on some devices. Use idetector to find bootrom on a 3GS.

Boot tethered: Option in redsnow to boot a device that has a tethered/semi-tethered jailbreak

Brick: Old term used to describe a phone that cannot be fixed. Now 99% of the time a phone can be fixed with software means if it was "bricked" by software.

Custom Firmware/CFW: Modified firmware that is pre-jailbroken normally with cydia pre-installed. Most beneficial for unlockers since it can preserve baseband when restoring to a new firmware.

Cydia: Unofficial app store. Used to install tweaks, themes, unlocks etc

Dfu: Special restore mode that doesn’t require OS to be loaded. Should be black screen

Emergency Call Screen: Screen you see after a successful restore before activation.

Erase all Content and settings: If this button is used on a jailbroken app boot loop will occur meaning a restore will be necessary. DO NOT USE.

Factory/Official Unlock: iPhones that are unlocked this way are always unlocked. Updates will not re-lock them like they will to software (ultrasnow) unlocked iPhones.

F0recast: tool from ih8snow that can tell info on an iPhone even if not activated. Info includes things like firmware installed, baseband etc. Link: iH8sn0w.com | Jailbreak your iPod touches and iPhones

Greenpoison: Jailbreak for 4.1 from Chronic Dev Team. Link: greenpois0n - Mmmm...pois0n

Hactivation: Activating a phone by jailbreaking and bypassing regular activation. Can lead to issues with push notifications and battery drain.

idetector: Tool from ih8snow to determine old or new bootrom on a iPhone 3GS Link: iH8sn0w.com | Jailbreak your iPod touches and iPhones

iReb: Tool to enter pwned dfu. Can also boot out of recovery in certain cases. Link: iH8sn0w.com | Jailbreak your iPod touches and iPhones

Limera1n: Geohot Jailbreak for 4.0-4.1 Windows and Mac. Link: limera1n

Option Restore: Holding down option while pressing restore in iTunes to choose a firmware to restore to. Applies to Macs.

Private Message/PM: Private Message to a individual MMi member

Pwnage Tool/PT: Jailbreaking tool from Dev Team used to create custom firmware that is prejailbroken. Also preserves baseband for unlockers. 4.1.3 version can also update baseband on 3G/3GS to iPad baseband, can also enter pwned dfu. Mac Only. Link: Dev-Team Blog

Pwned dfu: Special dfu that allows installation of custom firmware

Recboot: Tool for booting in and out of recovery

Recovery Loop: Phone is stuck in recoevery even after rebooting.

Redsnow: Jailbreak tool from Dev Team. Depending on what version functions can range from adding cydia for different firmwares, entering pwned dfu, updating 3G/3GS baseband to ipad baseband. Redsnow CANNOT restore or update iPhone firmware. You should always use regular firmware when pressing the browse button, not custom firmware. Windows and Mac versions. Link: Dev-Team Blog

Restore/Recovery mode: Standard restore mode. Should have connect to itunes screen.

SAM: Tool to properly activate hacktivated phones so that push notifications work and there is no excessive battery drain.

Semi-tethered jailbreak: Means you have to run jailbreak tool again (boot tethered) to boot phone into jailbroken state so that cydia and other jailbreak apps will work. Without doing this they will now but you may (depending on what you have installed) still be able to boot and use non-jailbreak apps. Must be done every reboot.

Shift Restore: Holding down Shift when pressing restore so that you can choose a firmware to restore to in itunes. Applies to Windows Computers.

SHSH: Restore certificates used in restoring and updating firmware.

Sn0wbreeze/SB: Jailbreaking tool from ih8snow (based on xpwn by planetbeing) that has similar functions to that of pwnage tool to create custom firmware that is prejailbroken. Link: iH8sn0w.com | Jailbreak your iPod touches and iPhones

Spirit: Comex jailbreak for 3.1.3. Requires activation. Mac and Windows. Link: Spirit

SSH: Network Protocol that allows communication from one device to another. In this case to access the filesystem of a iPhone from a computer.

Star/Jailbreakme.com: Comex jailbreak for 4.0/4.0.1. Requires activation. Done from Safari on iPhone.

Tethered jailbreak: Means you have to run jailbreak tool again (boot tethered) to boot the phone every time you turn off phone or reboot.

Tiny umbrella/TU: Tool from semaphore to assist in saving SHSH and using them to update/restore/downgrade. Can be used kick device out of recovery. Also can preserve iPhone 4 baseband in some cases. Future updates may include the ability to restore a firmware without itunes. Link:The Firmware Umbrella - TinyUmbrella

UltraSn0w: Unlock for various basebands from iPhone Dev team

Untethered jailbreak: No tool is needed to boot phone into jailbroken state. Once jailbroken you are fine to turn the phone on and off without issue.


Also remember as of right now only iTunes can restore/update/downgrade firmware (and xcode for developers)