Need Help! I need to remove Cydia w/o updating to iOS 8.

captainskyler · Oct 9, 2014

Hi,

Thanks for checking out my post.

So here's the deal. I have an iPhone 4s that I want to sell on eBay now that I have the iPhone 6. The iPhone 4s is jailbroken. Normally in the past, I would simply plug the iPhone into iTunes and RESTORE the iPhone to factory settings. Easy and fast, and no evidence that the iPhone had been jailbroken.

However, in this situation, it is well known that the iPhone 4s should NOT be updated to the iOS 8 operating system because the processor on the 4s isn't powerful enough to handle such a task intensive OS. So I cannot simply do a RESTORE function in iTunes becauses it will automatically update the 4s to iOS 8. I talked to Apple tech support and was told there was no way around it being upgraded to the newer operating system if I used the RESTORE function.

I then googled how to remove Cydia from the iPhone and wikihow stated that I had to first go into Cydia and remove all the apps that I had installed through Cydia. Fortunately I only had about 10 apps, so it didn't take long. But then it went on to say that I need to go into RECOVERY mode and after that plug it into iTunes which I know would be a disaster.

Moreover, I tried to delete the Cydia Installer, but it gives a warning messages that is scary. It says, "...the removal of one or more packages that r required for the continued use of Cydia or iOS. If u continue, u may not be able to use Cydia to repair any damage."

I also tried earlier on to go through Settings -> General -> Reset -> Erase All Settings and Content. Amazingly, this had no effect whatsoever on iPhone. It never did finish its cycle because it would go into this endless spinning dial that last for an hour before I did a hard reset. Afterwards, when I powered ip the iPhone, it started up five and looked the same as always.

I cannot sell a 4s with a iOS 8 operating system because it is not fair to the buyer who might not know that the iOS 8 system would impact the iPhone's performance.

I have to believe that there is a way to wipe the iPhone clean of my data and apps and keep it from updating to the iOS 8 operating system. I would really appreciate if someone would tell me how to proceed. Thanks.

scifan57 · Oct 9, 2014

captainskyler said:
Hi,

Thanks for checking out my post.

So here's the deal. I have an iPhone 4s that I want to sell on eBay now that I have the iPhone 6. The iPhone 4s is jailbroken. Normally in the past, I would simply plug the iPhone into iTunes and RESTORE the iPhone to factory settings. Easy and fast, and no evidence that the iPhone had been jailbroken.

However, in this situation, it is well known that the iPhone 4s should NOT be updated to the iOS 8 operating system because the processor on the 4s isn't powerful enough to handle such a task intensive OS. So I cannot simply do a RESTORE function in iTunes becauses it will automatically update the 4s to iOS 8. I talked to Apple tech support and was told there was no way around it being upgraded to the newer operating system if I used the RESTORE function.

I then googled how to remove Cydia from the iPhone and wikihow stated that I had to first go into Cydia and remove all the apps that I had installed through Cydia. Fortunately I only had about 10 apps, so it didn't take long. But then it went on to say that I need to go into RECOVERY mode and after that plug it into iTunes which I know would be a disaster.

Moreover, I tried to delete the Cydia Installer, but it gives a warning messages that is scary. It says, "...the removal of one or more packages that r required for the continued use of Cydia or iOS. If u continue, u may not be able to use Cydia to repair any damage."

I also tried earlier on to go through Settings -> General -> Reset -> Erase All Settings and Content. Amazingly, this had no effect whatsoever on iPhone. It never did finish its cycle because it would go into this endless spinning dial that last for an hour before I did a hard reset. Afterwards, when I powered ip the iPhone, it started up five and looked the same as always.

I cannot sell a 4s with a iOS 8 operating system because it is not fair to the buyer who might not know that the iOS 8 system would impact the iPhone's performance.

I have to believe that there is a way to wipe the iPhone clean of my data and apps and keep it from updating to the iOS 8 operating system. I would really appreciate if someone would tell me how to proceed. Thanks.

You can't completely remove the jailbreak without restoring your iPhone. The best you can do is remove all but the default APIs and tweaks. You should study the thread in this link to see if this is what you need. Wiping all Cydia Tweaks without Restoring and Rejailbreaking iPhone Forum

Remember though, if you follow the instructions in this tutorial, your iPhone will still be jailbroken, minus every jailbroken app and tweak you added since jailbreaking. If you want the jailbreak completely gone without a trace remaining you'll have no choice but to restore.

BTW, one of my iPhones, a 4S, is running just fine on iOS 8.0.2. Some people are having issues with iOS 8.0.2 on their iPhone 4S, but not everybody is.

willerz2 · Oct 9, 2014

You can remove Cydia, but you can't remove the jailbreak itself as Scifan mentioned above. Jailbreaks modify core iOS files and directories, and the only way to get rid of them is to slate it clean with a new iOS. I was also under the impression that devices were more attractive when jailbroken when it comes to eBay, particularly since an iOS 8 jailbreak is not out yet.

captainskyler · Oct 9, 2014

willerz2 said:
You can remove Cydia, but you can't remove the jailbreak itself as Scifan mentioned above. Jailbreaks modify core iOS files and directories, and the only way to get rid of them is to slate it clean with a new iOS. I was also under the impression that devices were more attractive when jailbroken when it comes to eBay, particularly since an iOS 8 jailbreak is not out yet.

Okay, let's say your right and an iPhone 4s that is jailbroken is perceived by some buyers as a good thing. My question is how do I remove all my apps and data and leave just Cydia and the Apple stock apps on my iPhone for the next person? I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Moreover, I am really hesitant about performing a restore through iTunes that will upgrade the iOS to the 8.0.2 current version. I have read a number of articles that recommend not upgrading a 4s to the latest operating system because the 4s processor cannot effectively and smoothly handle the new features. So what do I do? Your feedback is appreciated. Thanks.

willerz2 · Oct 9, 2014

Follow the link in Scifan's post, which outlines ILEX RAT and SemiRestore7. I'd recommend SemiRestore7 since it's a one-click procedure and you can do something else while it takes about 5-10 minutes to wipe your device clean.

captainskyler · Oct 10, 2014

Okay, let's say your right and an iPhone 4s that is jailbroken is perceived by some buyers as a good thing. My question is how do I remove all my apps and data and leave just Cydia and the Apple stock apps on my iPhone for the next person? I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Moreover, I am really hesitant about performing a restore through iTunes that will upgrade the iOS to the 8.0.2 current version. I have read a number of articles that recommend not upgrading a 4s to the latest operating system because the 4s processor cannot effectively and smoothly handle the new features. So what do I do? Your feedback is appreciated. Thanks.

willerz2 · Oct 10, 2014

Again, follow the link that Scifan provided above.... It outlines jailbroken methods to wipe your device and revert it to a stock state but retaining the jailbreak.