How to upgrade iphone 3.0 beta to full official release

If you are an iPhone developer and have been running one of the beta versions of the 3.0 firmware then you might find that iTunes will not update you to the latest official 3.0 release, as it already thinks you are using the most recent version.

It’s taken me a while, but I’ve finally found out how to do it!

NB: Before you do anything, make sure you have backed up your phone in case something goes wrong!

  1. Download the latest firmware directly from Apple’s Content Delivery Network:
  2. The file may have a .zip extension, if so remove this by renaming the file so that it ends with .ipsw
  3. Open up iTunes, and Option-Click the restore button. You should then select the ipsw file you downloaded.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions as it upgrades your firmware.

Warning – do this at your own risk. It may break your phone.