On September 9, 2009, Apple released iPhone OS 3.1. The iPhone Dev Team released PwnageTool 3.1-3 to jailbreak for all devices.
On October 8, 2009, Apple released the iPhone OS 3.1.2, again disabling the ability to jailbreak the device. The iPhone Dev Team released PwnageTool 3.1-4 to jailbreak for all devices.
On October 11, 2009, George Hotz, known under the alias Geohot, released the tool blackra1n, which allows the jailbreaking of all iPhones (up to the old 3GS) and iPod touch (up to 3G) devices running iPhone OS 3.1.2 (although the iPod Touch 3G is tethered; it must be plugged into a computer, and blackra1n must be run to boot the device every time it shuts down).
On October 25, 2009, Geohot released a newer version of blackra1n, RC2, an update that was able to tethered jailbreak the new iPhone 3GS the new iPod Touch 2G 8GB MC model. All of the tethered devices feature an updated boot ROM in which Apple had closed the 24kpwn loophole exploited by the iphone and chronic dev teams. Geohot also released "blacksn0w", an unlocking application for the iPhone which was capable of unlocking the newest baseband version, 5.11.07. Released on November 2, 2009, blackra1n RC3 is the current version, which also includes blacksn0w.
On February 2, 2010, Apple released iPhone OS 3.1.3, which once again disables jailbreaking. However, most iPhone and iPod Touch models can be downgraded. The iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 3G can be downgraded only if the user saves the SHSH blob of their device with Cydia. Users can download the 3.1.2 firmware and then jailbreak with Blackra1n RC3.
iPhone Dev Team released PwnageTool 3.1-5 to jailbreak OS 3.1.3, provided the iDevice is already on a jailbroken 3.1.2 using PwnageTool.
On March 20, 2010, Wii Homebrew developer Comex released the video "Spirit" showing an iPod Touch 3G booting up while jailbroken, or with an untethered jailbreak as opposed to the tethered jailbreak which George Hots' Blackra1n used. He announced it would be a userland jailbreak, a much lighter and easily patchable jailbreak not used since 1.X firmwares. He said it worked perfectly fine for the iPod touch 3G and the iPhone 3GS, and that it would probably work for the iPad too, when it is released.
On March 25, 2010, Geohot found another exploit to jailbreak iPod Touch 3G, and iPhone 3GS new bootroom 3.1.3+ untethered. He said that the jailbreak will be entirely software-based, and which was rumored later to be revealed as Limera1n, the website has a green/lime rain drop on the screen (possibly becoming the link to download the Limera1n application) it is a rumored upcoming untethered jailbreak for all iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad models.
On April 4, 2010, the day after the iPad Wi-Fi model was released, the Chronic Dev Team tweeted a picture of their iPad jailbroken.
On April 9, 2010, shortly after the Chronic Dev Team's announced jailbreak, Geohot revealed another jailbreak for iPad Wi-Fi model, possibly untethered. The name of Geohot's jailbreak program was rumored to be Limera1n, and has no announced release date.
On May 2, 2010, shortly after the iPad 3G release date, Spirit was released. It works on all iPod touches, all iPhones, and all models of the iPad on 3.1.2-3.2, untethered. It is made similar to Blackra1n, with only a single button to jailbreak.
On June 21, 2010, hours after iOS4 was released, redsn0w 0.9.5b5-3 was released by the iPhone Dev Team for iPod Touch 2G (Non-MC Models) and iPhone 3G (this also hacktivates iPhone 3G).
On June 22, 2010 the day after iOS4 was released, PwnageTool 4.0 was released for iPhone3G, iPhone3GS (Old Bootrom), and iPod Touch 2G (Non-MC Models).
On June 22, 2010 Geohot announced that he found a bootrom exploit which will jailbreak all current iOS devices forever, including iPhone 4.
On June 24, 2010 shortly after iOS4 was released, sn0wbreeze 1.6.1 was released for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G S (Old Bootrom), and iPod Touch 2G (Non-MC Models).
On June 26, 2010 a userland jailbreak for the iPhone 4 was developed, but it cannot be released to the public until the Apple proprietary code it uses is removed.
On July 10, 2010 Geohot announced on his blog that he would probably not release a jailbreak, for the iPhone 3GS/4.0. He also posted a picture of his iPhone 4, running Cydia, indicating he had jailbroken it. But on July 12, 2010 he wrote on his blog that it was fake.
On July 12, 2010 GeoHot closed his blog to the public by only allowing invited users to access his page.
On July 13, 2010 Planetbeing showed off a carrier unlock for the iPhone 4. However, it is not ready to be released yet.
On July 13, 2010, GeoHot announces his retirement from iDevices hacking, saying that it's not fun as it used to be, and people were taking it too serious for something he used to do just as a distraction when he was bored.