The @pwn20wnd team got around to releasing the first public beta of Unc0ver 3.0.0 with iOS 12 – iOS 12.1.2 jailbreak support yesterday. While the process to jailbreak an iPhone or iPad running iOS 12 – iOS 12.1.2 using Unc0ver is relatively straightforward, many people are ending up with soft bricked iPhones. Or their device ends up going into a boot loop. If you are in the same boat, check out some of our fixes to help solve this issue.
Even if you have not jailbroken your device yet, I will strongly recommend you to ensure that you pay attention to all the warnings and steps below so that your iPhone does not end up in a boot loop.
Prevent iPhone From Boot Looping When Using Unc0ver Jailbreak
Delete OTA File
I cannot stress this enough. If you have not already, make sure to delete any iOS 12 OTA file on your iPhone or iPad before trying to jailbreak it using unc0ver. Not doing so will lead to your iPhone or iPad entering into a boot loop.
You can check whether any OTA file is downloaded on your iPhone or not by going to Settings -> General -> Storage and then looking for the “OTA Update” file. If you come across one, delete it. Proceed to restart your iOS device and then use unc0ver to jailbreak it.
Use Unc0ver b31 or Lower
Do not use the latest b32 release of Unc0ver to jailbreak your iPhone or iPad. That’s because it has some bugs which will end up putting your device in a boot loop. Instead, it is recommended you use the b31 or a lower release as many people managed to successfully jailbreak their iPhone using it right at the first try without any issues.
Turn Off Reload System Daemons
If your iPhone boot loops whenever you try to install new tweaks from Cydia or during the jailbreaking process, you should turn off the Reload System Daemons option. This will solve the boot looping issue. However, if you end up using unc0ver b32 — which has been pulled — or a newer release of the tool, you should turn this option back on after jailbreaking your iPhone.
Cydia Keeps Crashing
If Cydia keeps crashing on your iPhone after a successful jailbreak, you should reboot your iPhone, put it into Airplane mode and open the Unc0ver app. From there, disable the Reload System Daemons option from under Settings. Try opening Cydia again. If that does not work, use the Unc0ver app to jailbreak your iPhone again. Once your iPhone reboots, Cydia should start working properly.
Fix iPhone Boot Loop Issue While Using Unc0ver Jailbreak
If your iPhone or iPad has already entered into a boot loop state while using Unc0ver, your only option is to restore the device. Just to make sure that your iPhone is in a boot loop state and not in a respring loop, try the following steps.
Step 1: Hold the Volume Up button and then press and hold the Volume Down button.
Step 2: Finally, with the two buttons pressed, you need to press the Side/Wake/Power button. Keep them pressed for a few seconds until your iPhone reboots and you see the Apple logo. If the above steps do not work the first time around, keep trying.
If this does not help, your only option now is to restore your iPhone by putting it into DFU mode. However, this will lead to your iPhone being ‘downgraded’ to iOS 12.1.1 b3 as Apple has stopped signing other versions of the OS.
Step 1: Put your iPhone into DFU mode.
➤ Boot iPhone 8, iPhone X Into DFU Mode
For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, you can boot it into DFU mode by pressing and holding the Side button. As soon as you see the Apple logo, press and hold the Volume down button. Keep the buttons pressed for 10 seconds after which you need to let go of the power button. Leave the Volume button as well after 5 seconds.
If you end up with an Apple logo or an iTunes logo on the screen, it means that your iPhone is not in DFU mode. Under DFU mode, your iPhone will simply show a black screen. Repeat the steps again in such a case.
Step 2: From DFU mode, you need to try and boot your iPhone into recovery mode. This can take a few tries but keep trying. This will involve connecting the device to a computer and then holding the Side and Volume Down button. Keep them pressed when the Apple logo comes on screen. Only let go of the buttons when you see the “Connect to iTunes” logo on the screen.
➤ Boot iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XR Into Recovery Mode
Step 3: Open iTunes on your PC. After this, connect your iPhone to it. Your device should get detected by iTunes. If not, unplug and replug. If it does not work, start over.
Step 4: Hold Shift — or Option key if you are using a Mac — and select the Update option. From the window that opens, select the iOS 12.1.1 beta 3 IPSW file.
This will proceed to restore your iPhone to iOS 12.1.1 beta 3. You can then once again try using Unc0ver to jailbreak your iPhone.
If you are still having issues, drop a comment with all the details so that we can help you out.
