Over the past month or so, we’ve been bringing you coverage on Semi-Restore, a new utility that allows you to restore your iOS device back to nearly stock status without losing your jailbreak. It can remove everything from settings to jailbreak tweaks, and even App Store apps.
The last time we mentioned the software, it was still in beta, and the developers said that it was only about 85% complete. Well we have some good news for you today: it was finished this weekend, and is now available. You can now download Semi-Restore for the Mac or PC…
Using the app is about as easy as it comes. All you have to do is plug in your iOS device, open up Semi-Restore and click a button. That’s easier than most recent jailbreaks. The utility should recognize the iPhone or iPad you’ve connected, as well as if you are on the right firmware.
Speaking of firmware, Semi-Restore only supports iOS versions 5.0 through iOS 6.1.2. So your device will have to be running on one of them in order for it to work correctly. But after that, it’s a straightforward process, and only takes about 5 minutes to run from start to finish.
Some important things to keep in mind:
- SemiRestore supports Windows XP SP3 or higher, OS X 10.6 or higher, and Ubuntu 12.10 or higher (or the equivalent Linux).
- There may be a better way to fix your current problem. For example, to fix “Safe Mode” issues, you can just uninstall Mobile Substrate from Cydia.
- Like any other restore, make sure you backup your data if you want it later.
- Avoid using your iOS device or anything related to iTunes or XCode during the Semi-Restore. Why not actually go outside?
- This process can not and does not repair broken system files! Avoid all Siri Ports, as they are not only illegal (except for Spire on 5.0.1) but they also create problems and may potentially break system files (even Spire can cause this).
- Your device will respring or reboot several times during the Semi-Restore. This is perfectly normal, so don’t panic.
For those of you who would still like some guidance on the process, Jeff did a nice little video walkthrough on beta 4, which you can view here. Otherwise, you can grab Semi-Restore from our Downloads page. It’s a free app, but the developers do appear to be accepting donations.
So, any questions?
