The BlackRa1n Jailbreaking tool was used to Jailbreak all iOS devices running iOS 3.1, 3.1.1 and 3.1.2. BlackRa1n was developed by George Hotz, otherwise known by the alias of GeoHot. He is an American hacker known for first hardware unlocking the iPhone, developing numerous Jailbreaks for iOS and also hacking the PlayStation 3 (where he was later sued by Sony).
BlackRa1n takes advantage of a flaw in the USB code of iOS devices running the iOS 3 firmware generation, which allows unsigned code to be run. It supports the iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 1G and iPod Touch 2G. Both the iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 2G are tethered Jailbreaks.
BlackRa1n is a one-click Jailbreaking solution and does not encompass some of the advanced features of Jailbeaking tools such as RedSn0w. Once you click the Jailbreak button and enter DFU mode, the Jailbreaking process will commence and you just sit back and watch your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad become Jailbroken.
Individuals who have never Jailbroke before and want to make the process as simple as possible will benefit from using one-click Jailbreaking tools. Other tools such as Sn0wBreeze and the PwnageTool provide additional features for customizing your Jailbreak, but often times are only used by individuals who are tech-savvy or have had past experience Jailbreaking. It’s not really that these tools are harder to use, but rather that the process takes longer.
BlackRa1n is cross compatible with Mac OS X and Windows. As BlackRa1n is compatible with both OS X and Windows there is nothing preventing you from using it, besides which firmware versions and devices it is compatible with.
BlackRa1n Device Compatibility
BlackRa1n only supports older iOS devices running iOS 3.1, 3.1.1 and 3.1.2. You can take a look at the devices and firmware versions BlackRa1n currently supports below.
Latest BlackRa1n Untethered Jailbreak: 3.1.2
BlackRa1n iPhone Support
- iPhone 5S: Not Supported
- iPhone 5C: Not Supported
- iPhone 5: Not Supported
- iPhone 4S: Not Supported
- iPhone 4: Not Supported
- iPhone 3GS: iOS 3 (3.1.2, 3.1.1, 3.1)
- iPhone 3G: iOS 3 (3.1.2, 3.1.1, 3.1)
- iPhone 2G: iOS 3 (3.1.2, 3.1.1, 3.1)
BlackRa1n iPad Support
- iPad Air: Not Supported
- iPad Mini: Not Supported
- iPad 4: Not Supported
- iPad 3: Not Supported
- iPad 2: Not Supported
- iPad 1: Not Supported
BlackRa1n iPod Touch Support
iPod Touch 5G: Not Supported
iPod Touch 4G: Not Supported
iPod Touch 3G: iOS 3 (3.1.2, 3.1.1, 3.1)
iPod Touch 2G: iOS 3 (3.1.2, 3.1.1, 3.1)
iPod Touch 1G: iOS 3 (3.1.2, 3.1.1, 3.1)
How To Download BlackRa1n
You can downloaded the latest version of BlackRa1n from the BlackRa1n website, maintained by the George Hotz. blackra1n.org also maintains a downloads section that contains the latest version of BlackRa1n.
The Basics Of BlackRa1n
BlackRa1n is a Jailbreaking tool where you do not lose any data on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad after Jailbreaking. This is because BlackRa1n does not erase any data during the Jailbreaking process. Some Jailbreaking tools like PwnageTool require you to restore your device to complete the Jailbreaking process. This results in all the data on your device being erased. Although this method of Jailbreaking has its advantages, it is inconvenient to lose all your data and thus Absinthe is ideal for those who do not fancy having to backup everything on their device.
Unlike Jailbreaking tools like RedSn0w that are consistently updated to support Jailbreaking new firmware versions tethered – a type of Jailbreak that means your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad will not reboot without the aid of your computer if it loses power – BlackRa1n only supports Untethered Jailbreaks. This means your iOS device will function as normal once Jailbroken and will not require the assistance of your computer to reboot.
How To Launch BlackRa1n Correctly
BlackRa1n needs to be launched a certain way on Mac OS X and Windows. If you are running BlackRa1n on Windows you will need to ensure you grant it administrative privileges by right clicking it and selecting the ‘run as administrator option’. On Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, because of the new Gatekeeper software, there is also a trick to running BlackRa1n. You will need to first hold down the control button and then select the ‘open’ option.
If you find an error asl.dll here
How To Jailbreak With BlackRa1n
BlackRa1n is a one-click Jailbreaking solution and as such you can probably figure out how to Jailbreak your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad without a tutorial. iJailbreak has written numerous guides for Jailbreaking your iOS device with BlackRa1n however, that can be accessed from the How To Jailbreak Section. These guides include screenshots, and are specific to each firmware version BlackRa1n supports. As the Jailbreaking process with BlackRa1n is the same for all firmware versions however, you can follow the generalized guide below as well.
- The first thing you will need to do is download BlackRa1n.
- Next you will need to plug your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad into your computer via USB. Once you have done this launch BlackRa1n; keeping in mind the points discussed previously on how to launch BlackRa1n correctly on both Mac OS X and Windows.
- Once you launch BlackRa1n you will simply need to click the Make It Ra1n button in the middle of the screen. Once you do this BlackRa1n will put your iOS Device into recovery mode and you will need to follow the on-screen instructions for putting your device into DFU mode.
- When the Jailbreak has completed you should notice a new BlackRa1n icon on your home screen. Tap this icon and then install Cydia to your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Once you see Cydia on your home screen the Jailbreak is complete!