NOTES and SMS not Saving History After Jailbreaking / Unlocking (Fix!!!)
In some cases (not many) 2G iPhone users experience pretty annoying problem with SMS and NOTES applications after Jailbreaking and Unlocking their iPhones. In most cases this happens when the 2G iPhone is Jailbroken / Unlocked using updated IPSW file (Such as 3.0 or 3.0.1 OS) so at the same time the firmware of the iPhone is being upgraded from earlier OS to newer Firmware, but… that’s not the problem… the problem starts when user “restores” the iPhone from the previous (older) BACKUP using iTunes… Which is a normal thing to do (Who wants to retype all their contacts??? No one!!!)
The SMS application stops saving histories of all your sent SMS text messages and keeps erasing them every time you exit the application. Same thing happens with the NOTES application, every time user enters notes in to the application and exits the history / “data” is erased.
The reason for that is because the sms.db and Notes.db files are “corrupt” and not in the same format as required by operating systems above 2.0, including 3.0.1. So when you Jailbroke and Unlocked your iPhone you have also upgraded the firmware on it, all the same time… Therefore, the solution is to remove the “corrupted” sms.db and Notes.db files and replace them with new ones or ones generated from the 3.0.1 operating system. Here is how you can fix this problem…
NOTE: You must have a Jailbroken iPhone in order to use this feature…
Open up Cydia, Search for Mobile Terminal and install it:
Now open the Mobile Terminal on your iPhone and do the following, Type in “su” and press return… You will be asked for the password, Type in “alpine” and press return.
Now you should see a screen with something like this: “Phone’sName-iPhone:/var/mobile root#” in my case it was MaXsKi-iPhone:/var/mobile root# because my iPhone is named MaXsKi
Now, to fix the SMS problem you should do exactly what is listed below… (Word for Word)
While in Mobile Terminal type in this command line exactly as you see it below and press return:
cd /private/var/mobile/Library/SMS
Now type in this command line exactly as you see it below and press return:
rm sms.db
Now reboot your iPhone (Turn it off and then Turn it Back on again)… Upon reboot, the SMS application generates a brand new sms.db file with the proper formatting, instead of trying to append-write to the old corrupted sms.db file.
Now, to fix the NOTES problem you should do exactly what is listed below… (Word for Word)
While in Mobile Terminal type in this command line exactly as you see it below and press return:
cd /private/var/mobile/Library/Notes
Now type in this command line exactly as you see it below and press return:
rm notes.db
Now reboot your iPhone (Turn it off and then Turn it Back on again)… Upon reboot, the SMS application generates a brand new sms.db file with the proper formatting, instead of trying to append-write to the old corrupted Notes.db file.
You now should be able to see all your NOTES and previously sent out SMS messages… Good luck.
Hey!
Thank you so much for this article! I have this issue and finaly found a solution.
I am although having the following problem in trying to implement your steps.
Im in Mobile Terminal -> typed: su and the password: alpine
then I get -> Miza:/var/mobile root#
after this I type: cd /private/var/mobile/Library/SMS
then I get the following message: sh: cd /private/var/mobile/Library/SMS: No such ch file or directory.
It does the same for notes too.
and hence can not continue?
would appreciate an update on this “issue”
Thanks again!
Miz
@Miza
Hey Miza… In your case you don’t have to “CD” and type /private/var/… Notice you are already inside the “/private/var/mobile… ” you said your iPhone shows
Miza:/var/mobile root# inside the Terminal Right? if so then all you would have to do is type in this command…
cd /Library/Notes < << For Notes
cd /Library/SMS <<< For SMS
Also, when you log into the Terminal and see the "Miza:/var/mobile root#"
Type in "dir" without quotes and press return... You will see the "Media" and "Library" folders...
Good Luck...
PS: You can also SSH into your iPhone and then Navigate to /private/var/mobile/Library/SMS and/or Notes and delete those databases manually...
If you don't know how to use OpenSSH / WinSCP Read This Article...
http://www.iphonetechie.com/2009/10/how-to-trasfer-files-from-and-to-the-iphone-using-ssh-windows/
Hi Max!
Thanks for ur prompt reply/solution! I got it fixed!
Although this method does erase ur old sms and notes history/database.
Do u know of any way to retrieve that “lost” info?
I made a back up of my sms history with: Tansee iPhone transfer SMS. So its not all that bad if there isnt a way to retrieve the info – would be nice though
Miz
Hi!
This is absolutely awesome! It was so frustrating not being able to receive new text messages and my notes were all weird and I couldn’t make new ones. After I followed your guide it all works perfectly! I have one question though, is this something I will have to do over and over again, or does it work until next time I jailbreak it or something?
Jeg har en iPhone 1g med firmware 3.0 som tænder og slukker af sig selv
@Mads
Hello,
I’m sorry but I don’t think I speak your language… I speak, English or Russian… Thanks
He writes that he has an iPhone 3G that’s turning on and off by itself
Er der nogen der har samme problem……..og måske løsningen
@Mads
Hvilke problemer er du der? Nøjagtigt? De løsninger, der er skrevet i denne artikel … Har du brug for hjælp?
Tak.
@Sam
This bug is fixed in the 3.1.2 Version… If he needs it Jailbroken and Unlocked he can use this kit to do it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120486179514&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
Ok, I’ve been looking everywhere for someone to explain this! Thank you! Thank you! I’ll be back! -Jim
It stil doesnt work for me. After delete notes.db and restart, my iphone doesnt create new one, and every time exit when I try to lunch app
Hi
I typed /private/var/mobile/Library/Notes and it worked, it said “”is a directory”
Wow that’s so great that I found this after all. I have this problem since month I noboby was able to help me!
BUT
but then I typed in rm Notes.db but then it said “rm: cannot remove ‘Notes.db’: No such file or directory”
Can somebody help me, please? That’s exactly my problem but I don’t know why it doesn’t work.
Thanks for your help
Had exactly the same problem. You need to write “notes.db” not with a capital letter N but a lower case n – it’s surprisingly case sensitive. @Anna
Thanks so much! You saved me!
I tried to paste in the old notes.db and notes.idx files and it doesn’t work…using WinSCP properly…it works for sms.db but NOT for notes.db
If I make a new ‘test’ note, and then copy the notes.db and notes.idx that the ‘test’ note files created out, save them on my PC desktop or wherever, and then paste in the old ones, it doesn’t recognise there being any notes at all…but then I can just paste back in the notes.db and notes.idx files I created when I made a ‘test’ note and it re-recognises them and works…why isn’t my old ones working???
please…
@po
Your old ones are corrupted… That’s all… Did you get it working? That was the whole point of this tutorial…
Cheers.
Howdi, my problem is that after deleting the notes.db file the notes application won’t start at all. (well it does for 3 secs and closes right again) Any idea what might be wrong with it?
i am have the same error message as below, please help how can i fix this. thanks
Im in Mobile Terminal -> typed: su and the password: alpine
then I get -> zaheer-iphone:/var/mobile root#
after this I type: cd /private/var/mobile/Library/SMS
then I get the following message: sh: cd /private/var/mobile/Library/SMS: No such ch file or directory.
thanks for the information, but currently i have another problem. Im using FW 3.1.2 and when i enter the ‘terminal’ app there’s no white words in it. it’s only blank black with some unknown space.. i wonder how to fix this problem. thanks to you before
same here
I solved the problem of inputing the data, when I noticed that the two beginning letters (cd) are separated by an space from the rest of the words “cd /private/var/mobile/Library/SMS” so, it is like typing:
cd (space) /private/var/mobile/Library/SMS (enter). I also kept the cases just in case it was case sensitive.
Many thanks for the info