How to Jailbreak your iPhone on iOS 4.2.1 with Greenpois0n

Update 1: Click here for our Greenpois0n Windows jailbreak guide.

Looking to jailbreak your iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad or iPod Touch 3G/4G? You have come to the right place!

NOTE: THIS GUIDE WILL NOT UNLOCK YOUR iPHONE (guide coming soon to preserve baseband)

Read Me Before Continuing:

  • Use at your own risk, we are not responsible for your decision to jailbreak.
  • Do you plan on unlocking your iPhone 3GS/4 in the future? Do not use this guide.
  • You must be updated to iOS 4.2.1 via the latest version of iTunes before proceeding.
  • Your iPhone/iPod touch must be activated (screen does not show “Connect to iTunes”)

This Guide Has Two Sections:

A. How To Jailbreak the iPhone 3GS/4 & iPod Touch 3G/4G on 4.2.1 Firmware
B. How To Revert Your iPhone 3GS/4 or iPod Touch Back To “Normal”

——

A.) How To Jailbreak the iPhone 3GS/4 & iPod Touch 3G/4G on 4.2.1 Firmware

To jailbreak your iDevice on the 4.2.1 firmware, ensure you have access to WiFi and follow the steps below:

1. Plug your iDevice into iTunes, do a backup and then click “Restore” to install firmware 4.2.1 (you can do “Update”, but Restore is better).

2. After the restore, choose to “Set Up A New…” and continue, bypass the prompted sync selections, eject your iDevice from iTunes using the “eject” button, close iTunes and turn the iDevice off.

3. Click here to download greenpois0n for MAC or WINDOWS.  Save the file to your computer desktop.

4. Locate the file and open the application. You may need to extract/unzip the file.

5. With Greenpois0n open, and your powered off iDevice connected, click the “Jailbreak” button.

6. You will now follow the instructions to place your iDevice into DFU mode:

  • Press & Hold the Sleep button for 3 seconds
  • Continue holding the Sleep button and press and hold the Home Button for 10 seconds
  • Release the Sleep Button and continue to hold the Home Button

7. While still holding the Home button, the iDevice will enter DFU mode and the jailbreak will begin automatically.

8. While still holding the Home button, after the process is complete, click on the “Complete!” button. While still holding the Home button, you’ll see some verbose text on your iDevice. Keep holding Home button.

9. Keep holding the Home Button until you see an animated Apple/Greenpois0n logo. At this point, the iDevice is rebooting. Upon reboot, a new “Loader” app will be on the Home Screen. Tap on the “Loader” app, tap on Cydia and then tap on “Install Cydia“.

10. In the “Loader” app, you can then tap “Options” to remove “Loader” and click the Home Button to auto-reboot the iDevice. After reboot, run Cydia for the recent Cydia updates.

11. If you chose to “Restore” in Step one above, plug your iDevice into iTunes, right-click on the device in the sidebar and select “Restore from Backup…”. Choose the latest backup, from Step 1 above, and click “Restore”.

Common Problems Encountered by Many…

  • Problem: The iPhone is showing a blank (black) screen after jailbreak, and is still in DFU mode after applying the jailbreak.
  • Solution: Leave the iDevice for two minutes, then press and hold both power and home button at the same time for 10-15 seconds until the iDevice reboots. Redo.
  • Problem: Greenpois0n loader is crashing when I install Cydia or I am unable to install cydia via greenpois0n loader.
  • Solution: For those having trouble getting Cydia via the GP Loader, use redsn0w (see bottom of post for links) to install it. Follow the redsn0w steps to install Cydia. Ignore anything redsn0w indicates about being “tethered”.

B.) How To Revert Your iPhone 3GS/4 or iPod touch 3G/4G Back To “Normal”

So you have Jailbroken or Unlocked (or both) your iPhone 3GS/4 or iPod touch 3G/4G but now you want to revert to the factory fresh iPhone 3GS/4 or iPod touch 3G/4G.

To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Open iTunes and plug your iDevice in via the USB. Backup your iDevice if iTunes allows you to.

2. When iTunes recognizes the iDevice, click on the “Restore” button in iTunes. This will restore your iDevice with fresh 4.2.1 firmware.

3. After the restore is complete, iTunes will prompt you to Set up a New Device or Restore from Back Up from an existing backup (the backup from step one above. Choose which ever method you want and let iTunes process.

4. After the processing is complete, your iDevice will be loaded with the fresh 4.2.1 firmware or loaded with your back up that you may have chosen.

5. Eject the iDevice from iTunes using the “eject” symbol/button in iTunes and disconnect the USB cable from the iDevice. Turn the iDevice off and then turn the iDevice back on.

———

Reports on iPhone news, reviews apps and accessories. Also an armed ninja with an iPhone 4S.

Did you like the post?

  • Frankie

    Try running redsnow and select install cydia from the menu. It will take care of the loader issue.

  • Pingback: Greenpois0n For Windows Coming This Weekend! | iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

  • John

    I’ve never jailbreaked before, if I do it will I lose game info, text messages, and other info? Also, does greenpois0n not work with the iPhone 3G? It just lists 3GS and 4.

  • http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/ Ex

    To answer your first question, if you’re already on iOS 4.2.1, then no. If you’re not, back up your device (follow the guide) and you’ll be fine.

    It probably works fine with the 3G, we just didn’t test it with a 3G.

  • Jdutch

    Alright, went for it, following this guide and using RC5.2. Because I was already using the tethered JB using redsn0w, I simply skipped to step 5 and it was very easy. I held the home button as it says, and after a few short minutes following the verboos boot screen, my phone came to the lock screen and I was able to go straight to my home screen. I have a legit carrier so the unlock for a custom SIM isn’t necessary for me. One thing I did notice is that the “loader” app was not on my phone, anywhere. But because I used redsn0w, as some people have already indicated, I didn’t need it and had Cydia already installed. In fact the JB in this method, if done prior to this with redsn0w actually seems like the better option. But further use will determine if there are any hidden problems. Good luck to those out there attempting this.

  • http://twitter.com/rolcom Roman Hidalgo

    Successful Jailbreak BUTTTTTTTTTTT after installing cydia – and installing ANY cydia app.. phone freezes at lock screen then a few minutes after it reboots..and repeats frozen lockscreen.. have done clean restores and rejailbreaks 3 times….. BOO

  • Anonymous

    It works well if you’ve already used the teathered redsn0w jailbreak. Just skip to step 5 and you’ll be on your way. No problems so far. I was in and out in under 5 minutes.

  • Morse

    Yes, download the one from Greenpois0n works. Thanks Networx.

  • Pingback: How to Jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 with Greenpois0n on Windows | iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

  • Nick

    Was that the current version of greenpoison you used? Just wondering if I should wait…

  • http://twitter.com/rolcom Roman Hidalgo

    well RC5.2 …and now today I did RC5.3.. but still having problems.. it’s jailbroken but some cydia apps cause it to crash and freeze up on start up on lockscreen and keeps just rebooting and looping to the lock screen.. on this jailbreak it does the same thing but only for some cydia apps.. like lockinfo, qtweeter are 2 that I’ve tried.. just not bothering adding a bunch of cydia apps yet cuz I’m sick of restoring it over and over again

  • wuju

    Will this also works for iPad?

  • Flocho

    I have the same problem with an ipad J/B. Did you find a solution?

  • http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/ Ex

    This happened to me. But keep holding the Home button and should work.

  • Flocho

    I am still having the same four code error lines while trying to JB my ipad after d/l directly from the greenpois0n website. Any success stories for JB an ipad?

  • Stayalan

    my iphone ver 4.1….can i use this

  • http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/ Ex

    Follow the guide

  • Pingback: How to Update iPhone 4 to iOS 4.2.1 and Preserve Baseband | iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

  • jb3

    i have an iphone4 with ios4.2.1 jailbroken with greenpois0n and was working fine when i resprung a mod change my iphone froze. what can i do?

  • Pingback: Greenpois0n Untethered Jailbreak For iOS 4.2.1 Released! | iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

  • Pingback: Greenpois0n RC6.1 Download Now Available | iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

  • Kamal Muzahar

    Worked on my 1st attempt! Awesome guide!

  • Sesquipedal

    Thanks for this great starter guide.

  • rafael nunes

    I got this message “Unable to mount user filesystem!”

  • Pingback: Jailbreak: How to Jailbreak your iPhone on iOS 4.2.1 with Greenpois0n !!