Since the release of iPhone 2.0, you’re allowed to edit APN settings for the cellular data network connection of your iPhone. Normally, you can access this setting by tapping Settings -> General -> Network -> Cellular Data Network. However, as I know, not everyone can edit the APN setting, no matter you’re using EDGE or 3G. Apple provides a configuration tool for carriers and lets them to determine if they want the users to edit the APN settings. Some carriers prefer to preset the APN setting for its users but disallow the editing by disabling the option.
It’s not a problem if you bought your iPhone from the official carrier. But if you’re using an unlocked iPhone with other carriers, you’ll need to edit the APN setting for connecting to the Internet.
So, what if you can’t find this option after jailbreaking & unlocking your iPhone? Here is the solution. [Thanks to altfx2 for sharing the tip!]
Before diving deep into the solution, make sure you know how to use SSH to transfer file between iPhone and your computer. You’ll need to copy a file from iPhone to your PC/Mac for editing and then transfer it back to iPhone. You can refer to this guide if you’re not very familiar with SSH:
Let’s get started
1. First, connect to your iPhone using WinSCP for Windows or Cyberduck for Mac. Navigate to /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/
2. Copy the “carrier.plist” file from iPhone to your computer.
For Mac User
3. You can simply double-click on the “carrier.plist” to open it. Check the “AllowEDGEEditing” checkbox to enable it.
For Windows User
3. Download Property List Editor and use it to open “carrier.plist”. Add the following code:
<key>AllowEDGEEditing</key>
<true/>
4. Save the change and transfer the file back to iPhone. Put the file back to the same folder you use in step 1.
5. Once done, restart your iPhone. You should be able to edit APN setting by tapping Setting -> General -> Network -> Cellular Data Network
Share with Your FriendsWhat's Next?
If you find the post is useful, subscribe to Simon Blog using RSS or Email to get free iPhone updates. Alternatively, you can follow me on Twitter or join us on Facebook.
Related Post you'll like:- iPhone Tips: How to Fix Wifi Grayed-out Problem
- How to Enable MMS on iPhone 2G
- iPhoneBrowser lets you copy files to/from iPhone on Windows
- How To Enable Internet Tethering on iPhone After Blackra1n Jailbreak
- How to Enable Emoji Icons on iPhone 2.2
Loading ...
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
nice post .. helped a lot
wonderful post, considering APN Editing is down in Cydia.
Will click on a few ads for you.
So I’ve found this same information posted on numerous different sites and was hoping that it would help me get Visual Voicemail working on my iPhone again. Unfortunately, having followed this information to a T, I’m unable to get the Cellular Data Network button to appear. Everything else appears to be working properly on my phone.
I have a Jailbroken 3GS running 3.0.1. I’ve tried carrier profiles and numerous other tweaks. And not that I’d really use this feature much, I just hate having features disabled by service providers like AT&T.
Any ideas why this might not be working for me?
Hey, what application are you using for editing the .plist like that on the Mac ? Mine opens it in a strange encoding in textedit, and i got to open it with textwrangler the same way the windows one looks, but i don’t have the code there, i think i need to add it manually.
thanks
@George, you can open the file with Property List Editor.
Thanks, it worked perfectly.
What is Property List Editor?
Thanks
I could modify carrier.plist but still I could not connect to the network wap
i cant seems to find the EDGE tag?? anyone know why that is??
Is there an Property List Editor for Windows XP?
Thank you.
On 3.1.2 – I was able to get it fixed only after modifying the carrier file on var/mobile/library/Carrier in addition to the file in /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/ mentioned in this post (maybe the first one is even enough).
I want to use the opportunity to thank Simon for this amazing blog. Thanks.
ttllkk – great tip!
my carrier has updated the settings, and I’ve been sweating this out for the past few hours!
ttllkk. Unfortunately I still cannot edit the apn settings. The only thing I am able to change is carrier. I have downloaded the app open SSH in cydia and I have followed all of these steps with SSH Transfer. Reboot the phone and still no apn tab in network settings. This is driving me crazy…..
Great and fantastic! Keep up the great work! Share knowledge!
so there is no Edge option?? so i added it? still nothing??
a screen just pops up and says “could not activate cellular data network”? you are not subscribed to a cellular data service? and i am??.. i did the 3.1.2 upgrade jailbroke with AT&T everything works but the internet? please help!!
Facing the same problem. The carrier.plist doesn’t show any of the stuff shown in the picture above. I am using etisalat SIM card (UAE). I urgently want to solve my problem as I also get the same error messages like : “could not activate cellular data network”; “you are not subscribed to a cellular data service”…… but my credit balance is constantly deducting. Help!!
Con dobleclick no se abre el archivo para editarlo. Cómo debo hacer?
Trabajo en una mac.
En la mac baja el program que se llama cyberduck para q puedas conectarte por medio de SSH. Despues buscas el archivo mencionado en el paso tres y lo descargas en tu orgnizador.
I followed the article and could not see the Cellular Data Network options…I had to edit another carrier.plist file located in var/mobile/library/Carrier as user “ttllkk” mentioned. This should help all…trust me.
John February 15, 2010 at 4:37 am
“”I followed the article and could not see the Cellular Data Network options…I had to edit another carrier.plist file located in var/mobile/library/Carrier as user “ttllkk” mentioned. This should help all…trust me.”"
ok, what did you edit there? what did you do? just add the string AllowEDGEEditing
or check box on mac
be specific, wut did u edit and wut those edits were
I did this, sucessfully got the thing to show up with AT&T but i get message failed to send.
Great Post,
But I got an update here.
Im using Vodafone, and it didnt have the Boolean entry for AllowEDGEEDiting , so I just created a new one.
And it worked fine, infact didnt even have to Restart the phone.
Good one !
Can someone please help me with which bundle to edit for T-mobile USA, I cannot seem to find one that looks right.
Thanks
I got it to work but had to modify your procedure.AT&T, OSX 10.6.3, and iPhone 3.1.2 Jailbroken and unlocked (BlackSn0w). Open SSH and Cyberduck allowed me to get to the plist file but when I opened it, it opened in TextEdit.
I did a search and found a link to PlistEdit Pro and downloaded it from the apple site.
I then opened the carrier plist with PlistEdit Pro and there was no entry for “AllowEDGEEditing”. I was able to create one (Click on Root -> click New Child -> name it AllowEDGEEditing -> select Boolean under Class -> select Yes under Value). I saved the file and uploaded it to the phone.
It worked as advertised. No restart required.
Thank you for your clarifications, they were extremely helpful. After a year of trying to make this work I can now finally get data on my my iPhone.
Thank you to PvtIdaho and all the others that have helped me get this working.
David
followed instructons. Running jailbroken iPhone with Mac OSX 10.6.4. Added “AllowEDGEEditing”, uploaded, and still nothing. Any ideas?
Thnks very much it worked for me
running 3.1.2 on an iPhone 3G 8GB Vodafone Egypt. i also had to edit multiple carrier.plist files. you’ll find carrier.plist under user/library/Carrier Bundle.Bundle and also under Custom Carrier.Bundle. there’s Operator Bundle.Bundle too, which i didn’t touch. i used plist editor for windows to edit carrier.plist under Carrier Bundle.Bundle and carrier.plist under Custom Carrier.Bundle. be sure to make backups. as other ppl described, i added the following line of text to carrier.plist as mentioned above:
AllowEDGEEditing
then voila ‘Cellular Data Network’ appeared and everything worked like magic. didn’t even have to reboot the phone. thanks for the help.
Hello, I’m using China mobile right now and I’ve got the iphone jailbroken (with blackra1n) for 9 months. Until jailbreaking my 3G version 3.1.2 my 3G and GPRS was working with spanish carrier (in Spain). I jailbroke it in oder to use china mobile in china but I’d not had data subscription until now. I’ve got the “Cellular Data Network” and I can edit it and put the carrier information. But I can’t access to internet. I’ve tried another iphone with my sim card and even a Nokia E67, and I can go to internet with the same data information.(APN:CMNET,user:blank,pass:blank)
I’ve tried SBSettings so I can see that the carrier gives me a DATA IP as soon as EDGE or GPRS is active, but I cannot update the weather app either use safari.
Any ideas?? ’cause I’ve run out of them
Solved … I upgrade from 3.1.2 to 4.0 but I don’t recommend it … this SO is sooo slow for iphone 3G that I’ll downgrade to 3.1.3 in no matter of time. But At least I hafve internet in my mobile
i cant find the right carrier bundle? any ideas? Islandcom is the name of the company but it is not listed??
Thanks Simon!! it works perfectly fine!! from Argentina
Which bundle do I edit for T-mobile in the United States?
I have similar trouble’s ..i wanna trying your tutorial …Thanks A lot …
Hi,
I am currently using iPhone 3gs 16 GB model, MC model. My career is vodafone IN. I reside in Delhi. Plz tell me if APN editing let me browse Internet via GPRS. Because I am not subscribe to any monthly data plans.
The post was just OK, but the clarification from PvtIdaho posted on April 19, 2010 at 12:50 pm, was extremely helpful.
Thank you to all that have helped me get this working.
David
makes sense to act this way, but it didn’t work.
my providers property list didn’t have a line for “allow editing”.
inserting such a line didn’t work either.
any suggestions?
BTW: cellular data network is available with another SIM (different provider).
found the right carrier.plist
there are so many!
and now I’ll have to find the right parameters to fill in :-/
Hmmm
Upgraded last night to 4.0.1, performed exactly as prescribed (icluding my own tip from way back – and now it doesn’t work (don’t see the cellular network settings…)
{ 5 trackbacks }