How to Upgrade to iOS 5 Today, Without Any Developer Account

[DodgerKing]

Download and install iOS 5

Full size

1. Download the iOS 5 IPSW file from the web (it's easy and readily available. Just Google it and torrent it down).
2. Update your iPhone using iTunes. To do this, connect your iPhone to your computer, click on the Check for Update button with the Option (Mac) or Shift (PC) key pressed. Select the iOS 5 IPSW file from the place you downloaded it to.
3. Wait until it upgrades. A new activation screen will appear.



Activate iOS 5

1. Triple click the home button. This will activate the Voice Over.
2. Triple click the home button and Emergency Call will appear.
3. Click on Emergency Call and, while it's switching, swipe with your three fingers down.
4. The Notification Center will appear!
5. Click on the Weather widget. The Weather app will load.
6. Click on the home button to exit to the iPhone's springboard.

How to Upgrade to iOS 5 Today, Without Any Developer Account

 

[DodgerKing]

I don't know if this is considered stealing since you are not paying to use it. Most testers of most software get to do so for free. This also becomes free once it is official. I don't see why people would pay a company to help them out when it should be the other way around.

I won't try it anyway. Not only will I lose my JB, I also don't want to take a chance of messing something up.

If someone else wants to give her a go, these are the steps.

 

[Pepper]

Two caveats.

1. Only works on iPhone (other devices can't make emergency calls, duh)
2. There are reports you cannot make calls once this method is successful.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

People make phone calls on the iPhone? I thought that was its weakest part?

I was going to write that I was not sure I'd be risking my device on software downloaded from the net like that, but then I thought about how I got rooted Gingerbread on my Droid X. DOH.

 

[DodgerKing]

Two caveats.

1. Only works on iPhone (other devices can't make emergency calls, duh)
2. There are reports you cannot make calls once this method is successful.

Thanks for mentioning that. This is the reason I put this in the phone zone instead of the computer section

 

[JamesJ]

also the betas are time limited aren't they? if you cant find the next couple releases, wouldn't you have a very nice looking brick?

 

[rockymtnhigh]

also the betas are time limited aren't they? if you cant find the next couple releases, wouldn't you have a very nice looking brick?

If it is time-limited on the iPad one, that is a hidden feature. I'd also be curious how someone would expect to sync their iPhone with iTunes, since iOS currently requires the iTunes 10.5 developer beta.

 

[JamesJ]

here is from another forum from member gkpm
this supports my time limit statement. Also Itunes 10.3 is needed to sync.. which is now 10.3.1 as they released a small update.

I just read that Gizmodo - being the usual irresponsible selves - just made public a method to activate iOS 5 without having the iPhone registered as a developer device.

The problem with this is that iOS betas are always time limited, they are set to expire shortly after the next beta comes out. When that happens the device will stop working until a new beta is installed.

Now if Apple fixes this loophole in Beta 2 and you used this trick for Beta 1, you'll be stuck with a bricked iPhone and no chance of going back to iOS 4.

Of course when that happens I'm sure Gizmodo will be there to blame Apple for not supporting its poor users who installed this - I can sense the headline already.

Take care and take time to think if it's worth the hassle. Even though I have a dev account I haven't installed it into my personal phone, it's just not ready for that yet.

Update: comments in that Gizmodo article show the method as several flaws. It does not enable all the features, it has to be done after each reboot, and you may end up not being able to make calls. It's ridiculous and irresponsible that Gizmodo even posted this without a warning.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

here is from another forum from member gkpm
this supports my time limit statement. Also Itunes 10.3 is needed to sync.. which is now 10.3.1 as they released a small update.

10.3 may be needed for the iPhone, but I assure you 10.5 is needed for the iPad. as I installed the iOS 5 beta on mine, and was completely stuck and unable to sync and restore my apps UNTIL I got a copy of 10.5

Putting that beta on the iPhone seems silly and indeed, very risky. Its not like you can simply boot into clockwork mod recovery and flash a new rom.

 

[DodgerKing]

here is from another forum from member gkpm
this supports my time limit statement. Also Itunes 10.3 is needed to sync.. which is now 10.3.1 as they released a small update.

What if you save your SHSH Blobs?

 

[JamesJ]

dont know, I am a android man right now...unless my thunderbolt keeps acting up, but I dont know much about iphone.

 

[mperdue]

Also be aware that some apps do not function correctly on the iOS 5 beta. Netflix comes to mind.

 

[Pepper]

You should never be bricked, regardless. You can always put it in DFU mode and restore to the current version.

The only risk would be the unjailbreakable ipad2 gsm or cdma. And ipads can't use this method anyway, it only works on phones.

I loaded it on my ipad2 wifi but i have a registered device id. I have found some apps that don't work. The Doctor Who game is annoying with no audio.