Siri for Pre-iPhone 4S Jailbroken iPhones Available, but It Remains Complicated - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Siri for Pre-iPhone 4S Jailbroken iPhones Available, but It Remains Complicated

by

siri iconGrant Paul (chpwn) has posted a new tool for Jailbroken iPhones that allows Siri to run on pre-iPhone 4S devices. The tool (called Spire) gets around any copyright issues by downloading Siri from device images housed directly on Apple's servers and installs them on your device. The download is about 100MB, so a Wi-Fi connection is recommended.

It's not quite as simple as that, however. Siri still requires special authentication when connecting to Apple's servers. For early testers, this has meant pulling the authentication key from a valid iPhone 4S. Not only that, but the key must be regenerated every 24 hours.

For Spire users, that means setting up a proxy server, and connecting an iPhone 4S to it regularly.

However, Spire is not a complete solution. Apple still requires authorization to use Siri, so information from an iPhone 4S is still required. To insert this information, Spire allows you to enter your own proxy server address. By using this (ancient) SiriProxy fork, you can setup a proxy using your own iPhone 4S to insert the needed information reasonably easily.

So, it's not quite as plug-and-go, but it's a step closer to that reality, if you are desperate for Siri -- and have an iPhone 4S at your beck and call. The proxy workaround is required while we wait for the iPhone 4S jailbreak that should simplify the matter somewhat, but even then you'll still need regular access to an iPhone 4S-generated authentication key.

Top Rated Comments

BaldiMac Avatar
187 months ago
True, but seriously... Who honestly cares about that sort of thing? The people just want the stuff and can care less as to the legality of it all.

Maybe people who rely on copyright law to make a living?

Regardless, my point was just that I feel MacRumors should avoid giving out (bad) legal advice in their posts.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaldiMac Avatar
187 months ago
It downloads every part of siri from apple servers, it is completely legal.

That's just plain wrong. Copyright law doesn't disappear because you have access to copyrighted material. :rolleyes:
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaldiMac Avatar
187 months ago
Why does this article imply that this solution avoids copyright issues? Seems like some pretty bad advice to give your readers, considering the complete lack of legal analysis.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Amazing Iceman Avatar
187 months ago
If Time = Money, then it's less expensive to buy an iPhone 4S than spending all that time and effort trying to make it work on an old phone.

But it's good to know there are qualified people who researched this possibility to the point of making it available. :D
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kycophpd Avatar
187 months ago
If a user feels they'd rather break the law than pay for a product, the product is clearly at fault. Apple made this very clear when they opened the iTunes Store to take on Music Piracy. If people would prefer to go about the hassle of 'pirating' Siri than buy a 4S, Apple have got something wrong. I'd say it was that they didn't offer Siri to 4 and 3GS users.

So Sony got it wrong when they did not release software to make Madden 2012 work for my original Playstation? The product is not clearly at fault in either of these. The product evolved just as the software evolved. So the user can choose to move up in products, if not stay on the one you have.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BaldiMac Avatar
187 months ago
If a user feels they'd rather break the law than pay for a product, the product is clearly at fault. Apple made this very clear when they opened the iTunes Store to take on Music Piracy. If people would prefer to go about the hassle of 'pirating' Siri than buy a 4S, Apple have got something wrong. I'd say it was that they didn't offer Siri to 4 and 3GS users.
I wonder if you apply the same logic to the things that you own. :D Apple doesn't have an obligation to make Siri available to anyone that wants it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 27 on iPhone 17 1

iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday May 2, 2026 8:43 am PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and there are already many rumored features and changes for iPhones. The first developer beta of iOS 27 will likely be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. Following beta testing, the software update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

Why You Might Want to Wait to Buy a MacBook Pro

Friday May 1, 2026 3:43 pm PDT by
Apple refreshed the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max models in March 2026, but depending on your needs and interests, you might want to skip this generation because there's something better in the works. The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models have faster chips, but the same design that Apple has used since 2021. An updated design with new display technology and faster ...
Related Apple News: Motoring | Local News | World News | Opinion | Travel