EDIT: Forgot to mention, that the only button that works on the phone is the Home Button, couldn't get the other ones working yet.

UPDATE: Temporarily fixed the power button, could try a force restart, that didn't work, i also tried a DFU restore, but that didn't work either.

⟐ Edited by author December 01, 2025 at 12:10 MST

please help me out

i want use my iphone 3gs just with wifi

just to watch youtube and see pictures

I tried the emergency call exploit, but that is not working for me. When I try that the phone won’t call a number besides 112.

Also, I would like to keep my data since I’m very interested in what my phone has.

⟐ Edited April 21, 2021 at 7:06 MST

I have an old iPhone 3GS, which I unfortunately spilled some liquid to back then.

I remember how the phone still was working, but then suddenly the screen went all black.

If I purchase another used working iPhone 3GS (same 16gb), would it be possible to revive my old one, by switching some of the inside from my old one, into the new one?

So I bought a replacement battery from iFixit, and replaced it. Now it behaves as if there’s no battery installed. When plugged in, it boots up, shows a battery icon with 100% and a wall plug icon, and “activation required”, and asks to connect to iTunes. It dies immediately if unplugged.

It also has the strange behavior that when I plug it into my laptop it doesn’t boot. It only boots when I plug it into a USB battery pack. So I can’t connect it to iTunes as requested.

If I’d broken anything, I would have expected it not to boot. But as far as I can tell this is acting the same as if it were in fine shape except for a missing battery. I opened the phone up again and confirmed that the battery connector is situated in the right place. Should I try contacting iFixit sales to initiate a return on a presumably bad battery, or is there some troubleshooting anyone can recommend?

I’ve tried to exit DFU mode (i think its dfu, its just a black screen however get no info about it even with 3utools, i’ve tried everything) however I keep trying to exit DFU but it keeps going into dfu, (I’ve tried holding power for 2 seconds and then home for 10, worked before and holding both power and home for 10 secs). I think its stuck in a recovery/dfu loop or it is bricked as keeping it plugged in i get a notification saying ‘This device cannot be recognized and malfunctioned).

If anybody knows please help!

Some device info:

• Jailbroken: Yes (I tried some external programs to fix it)
• iOS Version: 6.1.6
• New/Old bootrom: Old

Any other info required please reply

I just bought a new dock connector and installed it. This is the 2nd dock connector I've had to buy in the lifespan of the phone so thankfully I have some experience in removing and installing a dock connector.

Anyway, I installed the dock connector with some ease and there weren't too many problems besides the ribbon cable for the dock connector not being bent into place on the dotted line.

When I got the phone back together, all seemed fine so I went to turn the phone on.

After the login screen, the phone swipe clicked with noise (I was thankful), I pressed lock button and went to unlock and the screen turned white.

Though I still had sound from the unlock swipe... I figured it was a lose connector and I managed to blindly turn it off using the power button hold 7 seconds and swipe to turn off.

I powered the iphone 3gs on one more time to see if the problem still existed. This was when I realized my home button also is not working and same problem, white screen. I blindly turned it off again.

I took the phone apart again and I checked my connections and found the new dock connector doesn't properly line up with the home button metal contacts very well.

I'm pretty sure my other connections are all lined up. That dock connector ribbon was almost too long.

Any help or ideas or anyone with a past experience relating to this?

Anything would be appreciated,

Thank you.

*UPDATE 09/18/2017 1630*

Well I took the phone apart and put the old dock connector back in to see if that was the problem.

Now I have a WSoD immediately at the turn on... no more apple logo or invisible slider to unlock, and turning off blindly does not work anymore either.

It's like this problem is getting worse.

Need some help here.

*UPDATE 9/18/2017 1728*

Now I can't turn the phone off. I browsed some other questions here on ifixit and came across someone else in 2011 with an iPhone 3GS overhaul.

(White Screen of Death- Best way to avoid a second time?)

He said he got the white screen and his home button was not working.

I believe the solution was to replace the LCD and digitizer.

Any help I would be truly grateful for.

⟐ Commented September 19, 2017 at 14:43 MST

⟐ Commented July 24, 2017 at 15:40 MST

I have checked and redone the assembly procedure three times, all connections clicks in and seems connected.

Anyone have any tip / solution ??

⟐ Edited by author November 26, 2016 at 19:23 MST

Am having problems unlocking my phone but since am not a IT genious i guest i might need some help...pls email me on felixmompiira@gmail.com.

Thanks alot.

⟐ Commented November 02, 2016 at 6:28 MST

Ordered replacement dock and installed. Snagged grounding tab and it popped off, went flying and can't find it. Installed dock anyway and did copper wire tucked between cable 7 contact point where tab was (first verifying on the old dock cable 7 these points were electrically common, as the tab I think is glued to cable at one point, then soldered or micro tack welded at adjacent point. )

Though grounding was achieved(?), I can only get one bar signal and no 3G even when near cell sites.

AND THE MICROPHONE STILL DOESN'T WORK! (I did try several of the fixes re the mic not working to no avail. Home button still working).

Switched back to the old dock. Get 3 bars and decent 3G connectivity and data rates. Back and forth with the dock several times, this is consistent, new dock, one bar, old dock, 3+ bars.

NOTE: Electronics, especially RF circuits, can be very sensitive to adequate grounding, ground loops, fruit loops w/ milk spatter , etc. I'm wondering if I can take some hard worked copper (not soft annealed), form into spring tab modeled after the gold plated one on the old, working dock, pre-tin and barely touch-solder on to the replacement dock cable 7 (as I can't return the dock now!) and see if the signal improves, and quite possibly the mic start working???

I could probably find some gold plated copper somewhere on a PCB or from a neighborhood TV repair shop.... no, wait, that's only when I'm time travelling....

I've tried leaving the case open about 15 degrees and monkeying with the copper I squeezed in there between the metal ring of the case and cable 7 where the solder is point for the clip is exposed, and also tried aluminum foil diagnostically for possibly better conformity and less at least temporarily surface contact resistance (though Al oxidation would be an eventual problem).

It doesn't seem to make any difference in the signal strength. I forgot to test the mic. No, I don't do open heart surgery on people, just iPhones, airborne lasers and charged particle beam weapons.

Another detail, when I tap the screen in the voice memo mode over the mic, the needle jumps. Is that just an indication that the application is running??, as tapping anywhere else on the screen or near the mics gets no response and no recording or phone call has ever indicated the mic works under other circumstances.

I'm not that concerned as I only use the phone for remote data access via bluetooth AP hotspot tethering to my laptop. It's just a pain to swap my vintage cell phone SIM card back and forth when I could be using the iPhone. I'll eventually get a newer used iPhone from hand-me-up from my daughter who is upgrading, but I've got DTPD, a duct tape personality disorder with seat of the pants traits.

Thanks.

⟐ Edited July 12, 2016 at 9:19 MST

The circuit of the button appears intact, oscilloscope indicates 350mV on the contacts when it's pressed and 4.2V when released, seems like the button itself is OK and the pull-up resistor feels fine as well.

What could it be and what else can I check? I suppose the power controller (338S0868) is dead.

⟐ Reopened July 07, 2016 at 11:16 MST