How Do I set up an Old Iphone 3 to use as just an IPOD? NOT as as PHone

Question

How Do I set up an Old Iphone 3 to use as just an IPOD? NOT as as PHone

my son has an old Iphone 3g and I wanted to set it up for my younger daughter to use as an IPOD without any phone features. I found out that ATT will NOT let you use it as a phone without setting it up for a data plan - $15/ month minimum. I don't want to waste that money so I thought I could just set it up as everything EXCEPT a phone. The problem is that Itunes won't let me do anything without activating it as an ATT phone WITH the data package. Does anyone know how I can just set this up as an IPOD for her with possibly the internet capability through wifi and NOT the ATT service?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Skip

Imac G5 (non Intel) and Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8), Leapord on both

Posted on Oct 3, 2010 3:32 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

L. Powow

Level 1

35 points

Oct 3, 2010 4:50 PM in response to William Huisking1

There are a couple ways this can be done.

First, if you have a SIM card from any ATT phone, put it in the iphone and plug it into itunes. Go through the activation process like normal. Once its finished and the phone is activated you can then eject the SIM and use it like an ipod touch 😀

Second, your welcome to search google for how to jail break the device using 3rd party software. Use at your own risk.

Hope that helps.

Reply

Answer 2

Oct 3, 2010 5:15 PM in response to L. Powow

Dear L. Powwow,
Thanks so much for the quick response. If I do that doesn't it activate with ATT which means they will charge me the phone usage and the data package? I have an account with me and my 4 other phones on it. One is the one an emergency phone for my 8 year old daughter. Since my son's upgraded to a new Iphone, his old Iphone was/is the one I wanted to switch out for my 8 year old. When I switched the sim card and connected to Itunes, it started the activation process which means it will then start adding the data package (which I don't want to do now as she can use it at home with our wifi).
So I am concerned that if I do that activiation process on Itunes, won't it automatically set me up on ATT with the data package?
Sorry for the long explanation but I wanted to explain it all.

Reply

Answer 3

roaminggnome

Level 10

106,365 points

Oct 3, 2010 5:53 PM in response to William Huisking1

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3406

Reply

Answer 4

Oct 3, 2010 6:13 PM in response to roaminggnome

Thanks for the document. I read through it but the problem I have is that I don't have the SIM card my son had with this phone. He took it for his new Iphone. The document says contact ATT for a replacement Iphone SIM card but I feel that ATT giving me a replacement SIM card for an Iphone I am not going to activate will happen just before **** freezes over. The won't let me use the phone now after I offer to continue paying for the line I use for my daughter. They want the data money too - even though I don't want it for her. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to get a SIM card to use so I can let Itunes set it up for me?
Skip

Reply

Answer 5

Oct 3, 2010 6:56 PM in response to William Huisking1

Like was stated earlier... Use any full size sim from any active att phone In your house! It will not activate the old phone with att... As soon as 3G phone is activated in iTunes just remove the sim and put it back in it's intended phone!

Reply

Answer 6

Oct 3, 2010 9:30 PM in response to William Huisking1

Do you have an AT&T store (or booth, like in the mall) nearby? I'd go into them and ask what to do. You're current customers so I would think they could and would still help you. That way if you do need to just borrow a SIM, they could do that.

Reply

Answer 7

Oct 4, 2010 5:18 AM in response to jacksTLOS

Thanks for the response. I am concerned that if I do that with my Iphone which is fully synced on my Laptop, Itunes will be screwed up for my Iphone when I go back to using it? As an aside, the Idisk mobile me system was screwed up this week and lost some work. Fortunately, my TM backup had saved the file - apple didn't admit to anything and it had happened to others. Thats why I am concerned that the Itunes will not work as seamlessly as it appears. If anyone has actually done this, activated with an existing sim card, and then went back to their own phone without any problems with syncing on Itunes, let me know.
Skip

Reply

Answer 8

Oct 4, 2010 5:21 AM in response to hockeyhouse

I am going to stop by the store but am not optimistic they are going to help me. After all, they want full phone AND data on all Iphones (because they are going to lose exclusivity within the next year to Verizon so they are going to screw existing customers.
Its sad when I have a 5 phone account (3 Iphones with full data packages and 2 with just phones) and I want to switch one of the just phones to an Iphone WITHOUT data and they are refusing to do it.
Will followup on this...
Skip

Reply

Answer 9

Oct 4, 2010 6:20 AM in response to William Huisking1

I did this with my original iPhone and my 3G before giving it to my mom... I use an iPhone 4 now.... iTunes only activates brand new sim cards, otherwise it just wants to detect a sim card in phone when restored or upgraded! Even if sim card is rendered inactive by carrier iTunes doesn't care, an deactivated sim can never be reactivated !

Reply

Answer 10

Oct 4, 2010 6:23 AM in response to jacksTLOS

Jack,
Thanks so much. Did you do it recently? When I went on last night with Itunes (didn't complete it because concerned), it appeared that the Itunes was checking with the ATT server but I was not sure.
When you did it, did it "appear" that it was checking?
Thanks,
Skip

Reply

Answer 11

Oct 4, 2010 6:26 AM in response to William Huisking1

Yes it does check but nothing else... Just switch the sim back when done! You don't have to leave a sim in old phone once it's working!

Reply

Answer 12

Oct 4, 2010 6:35 AM in response to jacksTLOS

Thanks so much... I will try this afternoon and if I have a problem, I will get back to you...
I am also just going to stop by the store to see what I can do too...
Thanks again.
Skip

Reply

Answer 13

Oct 4, 2010 6:57 AM in response to William Huisking1

Jack,
I have a very bad feeling about this... I just did what you said on Itunes thinking that it is just an Itunes process and not to ATT. Immediately after doing that, I got an email from ATT saying they are processing my order...
I don't think this is going to work. I will wait and then cancel this afternoon if it did go through...
If anyone knows how to do this IN TODAYS Itune/ATT environment, please let me know asap.
thanks,
Skip

Reply

Answer 14

Oct 4, 2010 11:17 AM in response to William Huisking1

Unfortunately, as I found out, Itunes and the Iphone are tied together so even if you update software, it checks to see if your phone was activated for full service. As I have said many, many times, all I want to do is use this old unit as an IPOD. its very disappointing that when you update an Iphone, the old one is useless. With my account at ATT, we have 5 phones, 3 of which are Iphones with full data packages. The others are just phones for my older mother and small child - both for emergency use (absolutely no need for data packages). 2 out of those 3 iphones were upgraded from previous Iphones.
As someone suggested, I went to the ATT store to explain everything and it was a waste of time - they just laughed. Li

Reply

Answer 15

Oct 4, 2010 11:22 AM in response to William Huisking1

Contact apple to walk you thru it! Att are idiots!!!! Like I said I use my 2g iPhone as an iPod no data, I was also using my 3G same way after getting iP4 but I recently game 3G to my mom! Anyways my friends do the same thing, we don't buy iPods because our phones are iPods when we upgrade!

Reply