Blog Post

How to downgrade an iPhone 2G to iOS 1.0

  • By Jonathan Yeung
  • 13 Aug, 2017
An iPhone resting atop a glass table, undergoing an update
Note: 16GB iPhone 2G models can’t be downgraded to iOS 1.0. If you have a 4GB or 8GB iPhone 2G, check the serial number: If the third digit is a 7, and the fourth and fifth digits are less than or equal to 48, then the device can be downgraded to iOS 1.0. If your device can’t be downgraded to iOS 1.0, you can still downgrade to as low as iOS 1.1.4- which you can follow in this tutorial here.

Requires a Windows XP machine.
Outline: Restore to iOS 1.1.4 twice, run ZiPhoneGUI, restore to 1.1.4 again, restore to iOS 1.0.

1) Go to https://ipsw.me/
  a) Select iPhone.
  b) Scroll down and select iPhone 2G.
  c) Select iOS 3.1.3 (7E18) and click download.
  d) Select iOS 1.1.4 (4A102) and click download.
  e) Select iOS 1.0 (1A543a) and click download.

2) Go to http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/downloads/ds002897 (mirror)
  a) Download and install Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 EXE.

3) Go to http://www.mediafire.com/file/3wp3044k71xjcd9/ZiPhone_Patched.zip (mirror)
  a) Download ZiPhone Patched by kIREmK

This process requires iTunes 7.5. If you have another version of iTunes installed, follow this tutorial.
This process requires iOS 3.0. If you have another version of iOS, follow this tutorial using iOS 3.0.

4) Connect your iPhone 2G to your computer
5) Put your iPhone 2G into DFU recovery mode by:
  a) Pressing and holding the power button and home button down for 10 seconds.
  b) Then, release the power button while still holding the home button down.
  c) You can release the home button once iTunes detects the iPhone 2G is in DFU mode (if not, try again).
iTunes screen with the iPhone 2G in recovery mode.
Hold the Shift key while pressing the 'Restore' button, to access your iOS 1.1.4 IPSW.
6) Then in iTunes, hold the Shift key and press the ‘Restore’ button.
7) Select the iOS 1.1.4 IPSW file you downloaded.

Your iPhone should now be restoring to iOS 1.1.4 (this may take some time). Once your iPhone has finished downgrading to iOS 1.1.4, you’ll need to downgrade to iOS 1.1.4 again. You may see an error message after restoring, which is perfectly normal. If your device isn’t in DFU recovery mode already, do the following steps below, again:

8) Put your iPhone 2G into DFU mode again, by:
  a) Pressing and holding the power button and home button down for 10 seconds.
  b) Then, release the power button while still holding the home button down.
  c) You can release the home button once iTunes detects the iPhone 2G is in DFU mode (if not, try again).
Selecting the iOS 1.1.4 IPSW to restore.
Select the iOS 1.1.4 IPSW.
9) Then in iTunes, hold the Shift key and press the ‘Restore’ button.
10) Select the iOS 1.1.4 IPSW file again.

Once your iPhone 2G has finished restoring to iOS 1.1.4 for the second time, an error may appear again- which is fine. Ensure the phone is connected to your laptop for the following steps.
The ziPhone patched program.
Ensure that only Debug Boot and iErase (README) is selected.
11) In the ZiPhone Patched folder you downloaded, open ‘ZiPhoneGUI - patched by kIREmK’.
12) Select ‘Debug Boot’ and ‘iErase (README)’, and deselect anything else.
13) Press the ‘START’ button.

Once this process has finished, your iPhone 2G should be at the ‘Connect to iTunes’ screen. Then, we are going to restore to iOS 1.1.4 for the third and final time.
The 'Connect to iTunes' screen (iTunes logo and cable).
The 'Connect to iTunes' screen.
14) Put your iPhone 2G into DFU mode once again, by:
  a) Pressing and holding the power button and home button down for 10 seconds.
  b) Then, release the power button while still holding the home button down.
  c) You can release the home button once iTunes detects the iPhone 2G is in DFU mode (if not, try again).

15) Then in iTunes, hold the Shift key and press the ‘Restore’ button.
16) Select the iOS 1.1.4 IPSW file.

Once your iPhone 2G has finished restoring to iOS 1.1.4 for the third time, there should be an activation screen- asking for a SIM card if one isn’t installed. Now, we need to restore the iPhone to iOS 1.0.

17) Put your iPhone 2G into DFU mode by:
  a) Pressing and holding the power button and home button down for 10 seconds.
  b) Then, release the power button while still holding the home button down.
  c) You can release the home button once iTunes detects the iPhone 2G is in DFU mode (if not, try again).
Selecting the iOS 1.0 IPSW to restore.
Now, select the iOS 1.0 IPSW.
18) Then in iTunes, hold the Shift key and press the ‘Restore’ button.
19) Select the iOS 1.0 IPSW file.
The 'SIM Card' activation screen (iTunes logo with 'No SIM card' popup).
The 'SIM Card Activation' screen.
When your iPhone 2G has finished restoring to iOS 1.0, it should be at the activation screen. All you need to do now is activate your iPhone 2G. If you don’t have a SIM card, follow method two of this tutorial here.

After you have activated your iPhone 2G, it is now running iOS 1.0!

Written and edited by Jonathan Yeung

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1) Go to https://ipsw.me/
  a) Select iPhone
  b) Scroll down and select iPhone 2G
  c) Select any version of iOS 3 you want to restore to.
  d) Click download.
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