How to force enable the iPhone Carrier / Network Selection Menu

[R333]

No jailbreak required! After much trial and error, I finally discovered a way to force the iPhone to enable the Carrier Menu in settings regardless of what your installed SIM tells it to do. I know a number of AT&T users who live near off-network towers have asked how to do this, so here's what you do:

I have verified that this works with the latest (5.6) AT&T carrier file on both 3.0.1 and 3.1.2 firmwares.

Short version, for people who know how to edit carrier files:

<key>OverrideCarrierMenuTo</key>
<true/>

Long version:

If you have installed a carrier update from Apple using iTunes before, that file will be here on Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\YourUserName\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Carrier Support

In my case, the file is ATT_US.ipcc

If you don't have this file already, you should be able to find an appropriate one for your carrier using google, or if you're on AT&T try this one: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1393717/ATT_US-5.5.ipcc

This file is essentially a zip file and will open in WinRAR or 7-zip. Open it and find "carrier.plist". You need to extract and edit this file. On Windows, you'll need a plist editing program. This one works:

Download iPodRobot plist Editor for Windows, iPodRobot plist Editor for Windows 1.0.0 Download

Add these lines to carrier.plist using the plist editor:

<key>OverrideCarrierMenuTo</key>
<true/>

If you're not sure where in the file to put it, try putting it right after these two lines (AT&T users):
<key>MyAccountURLTitle</key>
<string>AT&amp;T MyAccount</string>

Save and close the file, then replace the file inside your ipcc file with your modified one. Make sure you close 7-zip or WinRAR when you're done.

Installing the modified ipcc file:

On windows, launch iTunes from the command line as follows:
"C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunes.exe" /setPrefInt carrier-testing 1

Select your iPhone from the list on the left, then shift-click "Check for Update". iTunes should pop up an Open File dialog box. Select the ipcc file type from the file type drop-down list, and navigate to and open your modified ipcc file. The file should quickly install.

If you get an error when trying to install the ipcc file, make sure you closed any programs that had it open.

Once the new carrier file is installed, reboot your iPhone and you should have a carrier menu.

NOTE: On AT&T, ALL networks are listed in this menu as "AT&T". The only way I've found so far to tell which is which is to connect to one and go to the Field Test menu (dial *3001#12345#*, then click MM Info, then Serving PLMN. The number you are interested in is Mobile Network Code. Heres a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_codes_in_the_United_States)

Once you pick a specific network from the carrier menu, your phone should stay on that network exclusively until you reboot it.

[thoresonrx]

Can someone send me their ipcc file. [email protected] I have a GS running 3.1.2 with AT&T 6.5 carrier file. I tried everything in this turtorial and I keep getting an error when I try and send it to my iphone. (0xE8000050) that is my error. nothing that was handling the ipcc is open preventing it from syncing. I have tried the 5.5 carrier file provided in the turtorial. I am wondering if I have a newer version of iTunes which is preventing it and causing problems. 9.0.1.8 was my iTunes I was having problems with...I am now going to try it on iTunes 8.0.2.23.

I would really appreciate if someone would send me their custom IPCC file that worked for them, and tell me what iPhone they have, what iPhone OS they are running, and what iTunes version they sync'd it with. THANK YOU!!!!! [email protected]

[R333]

There is an alternate way to do this if you're jailbroken. Install a trial copy of iFile from Cydia (great program. Worth buying). In iFile, browse to /var/mobile/Library/Carrier Bundle.bundle/carrier.plist and make the edit I mentioned in my original post using iFile's built in editor. Reboot the phone.

[R333]

Warning: This doesn't work in iOS 4. If you try to do it by jailbreaking and directly editing the carrier.plist, the menu appears but your cellular data will probably stop working. My guess is that we need a hack that disables carrier file signature checking.

[h_2_o]

anyone tried this yet with the latest jailbreak? either by ifile or by editing the latest ipcc?


thanks

[h_2_o]

figured it out for ios4 jailbroke if anyone is interested here is how to do it.

get ifunbox
grab the carrier.plist from the location of your carrier, if in us and you have att it is located at
/System/Library/Carrier Bundles/ATT_US.bundle/
in that directory is your carrier.plist file, copy it over to your pc and back it up. now use the plist editor and add immediately after

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
put this
<key>OverrideCarrierMenuTo</key>
<true/>

that is the only place i could get it to work. now copy that file back to your iphone and enjoy being able to choose what network you want to use.

thanks everyone for the help with this. I know it seems like a small and dumb hack, but for those of us who live in the boonies it helps out with voice a ton.

well this is crazy it was working, now it is not. any ideas?

[R333]

If you install the new Ultrasn0w unlock that was released today, this now works on iOS 4. I've only tried this on an iPhone 4 using the iFile method, but I get a working carrier menu and the phone + data still works. You do, of course, need to be jailbroken.

[cmb741]

Musclenerd's Signal app is handy to use with this mod.
It Shows local towers & which one your connected too. Along with Signal, Power, & various other tower-Frequency Info.
Search Cydia if You'd like to check it out.
Not Spam.
I'm just saying...

[h_2_o]

anyone know why it goes away on reboot? is there another place that carrier.plist needs to be replaced besides the att bundles folder?

ok a bit of strangeness maybe someone can help out with.

after the reboot like i said the carrier menu goes away
if i try reloading the modified carreir file & reboot it still is gone.
if i place the original back, reboot, edit the carrier file again placing the key at the top of the file like i specified earler then reloading it back onto the device and then rebooting once again it is back.

however after a reboot it is gone again.

any ideas why?

[CaptainChaos]

Are you doing this on 4.0?

[h_2_o]

4.0.1 here
i am curious is there a default location for this file or a backup location in case it thinks it is corrupt? if so where i would like to modify that one as well to see if it resolves the problem.

[CaptainChaos]

Which plist editor are you using?

[h_2_o]

ipodrobot

[CaptainChaos]

If you install the new Ultrasn0w unlock that was released today, this now works on iOS 4. I've only tried this on an iPhone 4 using the iFile method, but I get a working carrier menu and the phone + data still works. You do, of course, need to be jailbroken.

I installed ultrasnow 1.0.1 and still do not have the Carrier Selection Menu. I did a reboot as well. 3GS on 4.0

[Legit]

You guys should look at my guide. It shows you.

[CaptainChaos]

You guys should look at my guide. It shows you.

Do you have a link?

[Legit]

Do you have a link?

[HOW TO]APN and carrier mods

[CaptainChaos]

ipodrobot

iPod Robot does not work for me. Everything is garbled. Win7 x64.

[h_2_o]

legit, thanks for the patch for commcenter, i was watching that thread over there as well and never connected the two, is working great now.

[R333]

The point of installing Ultrasn0w is that it hacks the operating system to allow carrier.plist editing, thus allowing the OverrideCarrierMenuTo mod to work. I assume Legit's patch does something similar.

By the way, since you now have to be jailbroken anyway to make this mod work, iFile is probably the best way to edit the plist. Certainly easier than using SSH + winscp + a windows plist editor...