TLDR: When downgrading from iOS6 to 5.1.1, even with a standard .ipsw
file and modified .hosts
file (or TinyUmbrella), I get the error 3194
in iTunes. Help?
I recently purchased a used iPhone 4S which is locked to Verizon. This is a problem, as I'm in Canada, and the international Verizon plans are expensive. I need to unlock.
The second problem is that the phone came with iOS6 installed on it. Although I was told that it was a beta, I was also told it was official (Grand Master build), and in any case, I managed to (somehow) wipe out and reinstall the official iOS 6 from iTunes.
Since I don't have the original OS, I downloaded 5.1.1 4S from Redmond Pie. Unsure if this was the stock iOS, I downloaded it (again) from another source, and the two binaries are the same — leading me to believe that this is an original iOS 5.1.1 image.
Steps I took to install iOS 5.1.1:
- Close iTunes
- Turn off the phone
- Edit the
.hosts
file (to add the Cydia IP, or remove it, or launch TinyUmbrella) - Save changes (if applicable)
- Open up iTunes
- Boot my phone in recovery mode (shows a "plug in to iTunes" graphic)
- Let iTunes figure out my phone is in recovery mode
- Shift-Click "recover" and select the image
- Watch until it reaches the step about verifying the
ipsw
file is from Apple - Observe an error
3194
To spell out my permutations explicitly, for step #4, I have tried:
- Adding the IP for Cydia
- Commenting out the IP for Cydia
- Removing the IP for Cydia
- Running Umbrella 6.00.0000 and 6.00.0001
I'm not sure what to do next to downgrade.
Best Answer
Unfortunately, iOS 5.1.1 is no longer being signed by Apple.
Basically, Apple provides a digital signature to iTunes when you try to restore a firmware. If the signature isn't provided, you're unable to restore because Apple only signs the most current version of the firmware for the device you're using.
The Dev-Team Blog says this about downgrading an iPhone 4S to 5.x:
So it looks like you're stuck on iOS 6 for now.
Regarding unlocking, your best bet is to contact Verizon. There may be a fee required before they'll unlock your phone, if they do.