George Zhu’s BLOG

On earlier firmwares, SpringBoard needs to be patched to show a customized carrier logo. This has changed since firmware 1.1.3, now Apple has natively support the customized carrier settings (including logos) through carrier bundles.

Terms

Because Apple uses difference terms in carrier bundles and in frameworks, to avoid confusion, we use the following terms in this article:

A carrier stands for a role that issues the current SIM
An operator stands for the SIM’s current mobile service provider

NOTE: A carrier may have more than one operators. A carrier can issue multiple types of SIMs for each operator, SIMs are identified by MCC/MNC pairs in bundles. While in roaming, the carrier stays the same, the operator changes depending on the carrier’s roaming agreement.

Carrier Bundles

A carrier bundle defines all carrier / operator related settings, this includes but not limited to carrier logo. You can define one bundle for one carrier, if no bundle is defined for a carrier, iPhone uses the default bundle Unknown.bundle. Just as described earlier, one carrier may have multiple operators, so a bundle can serve multiple operators.

All carrier bundles are stored at /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/ folder. For example, the bundle ATT_US.bundle is for carrier AT&T, it has two operators, at&t and cingular. Because Apple only officially defines very few carrier bundles, we need to add bundles for our own local carriers if we want to customize carrier / operator settings.

To define a bundle, an easy way is to make modifications based on an existing bundle. In the following descriptions, I’ll make the following assumptions:

Bundle name: THE_CARRIER.bundle
Local carrier is The Carrier
The Carrier only has one operator, named The Operator
MCC/MNC for The Operator is 12345
Our logos are Default_CARRIER_THE_OPERATOR.png and FSO_CARRIER_THE_OPERATOR.png
The Operator only offers voice support service, the service number is 10086
The Operator has no stock
The Operator APN is the_apn, username is the_user, password is the_pass
The Operator doesn’t support VoiceMail

Step 1: Create Bundle

First copy a current bundle to a new name, I’ll copy from ATT_US.bundle to THE_CARRIER.bundle:

cd /System/Library/Carrier\ Bundles
cp -r ATT_US.bundle THE_CARRIER.bundle

Step 2: Modify Bundle

Before modification, make sure you have a good text editor that can retain Unix text file format (Notepad and Wordpad are NOT okay). Unix users don’t have this potential EOL related issue.

Now the most important part, modify the bundle to suit your local carrier. Two files need to be modified: Info.plist and carrier.plist. Open Info.plist, it has the following contents:

<?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>
    <key>CFBundleDevelopmentRegion</key>
    <string>English</string>
    <key>CFBundleExecutable</key>
    <string>ATT_US</string>
    <key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>
    <string>com.apple.ATT_US</string>
    <key>CFBundleInfoDictionaryVersion</key>
    <string>6.0</string>
    <key>CFBundlePackageType</key>
    <string>BNDL</string>
    <key>CFBundleSignature</key>
    <string>????</string>
    <key>CFBundleVersion</key>
    <string>1.0</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Change the highlighted part to your bundle base name (folder name without suffix), so replace the ATT_US with THE_CARRIER in two places.

Now open the carrier.plist file, this file describes all the operator details, so it’s a bit long:

<?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>
    <key>BookmarkURLs</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>BookmarkName</key>
            <string>AT&T MyAccount</string>
            <key>BookmarkURL</key>
            <string>https://www.wireless.att.com/my-account</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>CarrierName</key>
    <string>AT&T</string>
    <key>IntlDataRoamingSwitch</key>
    <true/>
    <key>MyAccountURL</key>
    <string>https://www.wireless.att.com/my-account</string>
    <key>MyAccountURLTitle</key>
    <string>AT&T MyAccount</string>
    <key>Services</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>ServiceCode</key>
            <string>*225#</string>
            <key>ServiceName</key>
            <string>Check Bill Balance</string>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>ServiceCode</key>
            <string>411</string>
            <key>ServiceName</key>
            <string>Directory Assistance</string>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>ServiceCode
            <string>*729</string>
            <key>ServiceName</key>
            <string>Pay My Bill</string>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>ServiceCode</key>
            <string>*646#</string>
            <key>ServiceName</key>
            <string>View My Minutes</string>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>ServiceCode</key>
            <string>*08</string>
            <key>ServiceName</key>
            <string>Voice Connect</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>ShowCallForwarded</key>
    <false/>
    <key>ShowCallForwarding</key>
    <false/>
    <key>ShowDialAssist</key>
    <true/>
    <key>ShowTTY</key>
    <true/>
    <key>StatusBarImages</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>AllowPrefixMatching</key>
            <false/>
            <key>CarrierName</key>
            <string>at&t</string>
            <key>DefaultImage</key>
            <string>Default_CARRIER_ATT.png</string>
            <key>FullScreenOpaqueImage</key>
            <string>FSO_CARRIER_ATT.png</string>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>AllowPrefixMatching</key>
            <false/>
            <key>CarrierName</key>
            <string>cingular</string>
            <key>DefaultImage</key>
            <string>Default_CARRIER_CINGULAR.png</string>
            <key>FullScreenOpaqueImage</key>
            <string>FSO_CARRIER_CINGULAR.png</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>StockSymboli</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>name</key>
            <string>AT&T</string>
            <key>symbol</key>
            <string>T</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>SupportedSIMs</key>
    <array>
        <string>310150</string>
        <string>310170</string>
        <string>310180</string>
        <string>310380</string>
        <string>310410</string>
        <string>310980</string>
        <string>311180</string>
    </array>
    <key>SupportsNITZ</key>
    <true/>
    <key>VVMIgnoresIntlDataRoaming</key>
    <true/>
    <key>VisualVoicemailServiceName</key>
    <string>ACDS</string>
    <key>apns</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>apn</key>
            <string>wap.cingular</string>
            <key>password</key>
            <string>pass</string>
            <key>username</key>
            <string>user</string>
        </dict>
        <dict>
            <key>apn</key>
            <string>acds.voicemail</string>
            <key>password</key>
            <string>pass</string>
            <key>username</key>
            <string>pass</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>voicemail_context</key>
    <integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

The highlighted parts need to be modified, items in red are for informative purpose and are mostly displayed in Settings -> Phone (scroll down to bottom) and in MobileSafari bookmarks, the cyan items are vital and must be set correctly:

StatusBarImage

CarrierName: your current operator name, shown at Settings -> Carrier.
DefaultImage & FullScreenOpaqueImage: carrier logo file names

NOTE: Spaces in operator name must be removed. If you carrier has multiple operators, you may add extra items, to add a new operator, repeat the following block:

<dict>
<key>AllowPrefixMatching</key>
<false/>
<key>CarrierName</key>
<string>at&t</string>
<key>DefaultImage</key>
<string>Default_CARRIER_ATT.png</string>
<key>FullScreenOpaqueImage</key>
<string>FSO_CARRIER_ATT.png</string>
</dict>

and modify it accordingly.

StokSymbol

name: stock name

SupportedSIMs

Each item represents a MCC/MNC pair, you must fill in the correct MCC/MNC, otherwise the bundle will not be associated. To find out your MCC/MNC, check This Article.

UPDATE: The accurate way to determine your current MCC/MNC is to query the baseband. Get the utility sendmodem, put it into /usr/bin folder, then login to your phone, enter the following command:

chmod 755 /usr/bin/sendmodem
sendmodem 'AT+COPS?'

The result is like this:

Sending command to modem: AT
-.+
AT
OK
Sending command to modem: AT+COPS?
-...+
AT+COPS?
+COPS: 0,2,"46000"

OK

In the above output, the MCC/MNC is 46000.

apns

apn: apn
password: password
username: username

There’re two items, one is for EDGE/GPRS, the other is for VoiceMail, if you don’t have VoiceMail, you may remove the extra item.

Finally, we need to add a key AlloeEDGEEditing, otherwise, there will be no EDGE item in Settings -> Network settings.

Based on our previous assumptions, here’s the modified carrier.plist (you can remove all those useless items as I do on this new carrier.plist):

<?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>
    <key>BookmarkURLs</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>BookmarkName</key>
            <string>The Carrier Account Page</string>
            <key>BookmarkURL</key>
            <string>https://www.thecarrier.com/account</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>CarrierName</key>
    <string>The Carrier</string>
    <key>IntlDataRoamingSwitch</key>
    <true/>
    <key>MyAccountURL</key>
    <string>https://www.thecarrier.com/account</string>
    <key>MyAccountURLTitle</key>
    <string>The Carrier Account Page</string>
    <key>Services</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>ServiceCode</key>
            <string>10086</string>
            <key>ServiceName</key>
            <string>Voice Support</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>AllowEDGEEditing</key>
    <true/>
    <key>ShowCallForwarded</key>
    <false/>
    <key>ShowCallForwarding</key>
    <false/>
    <key>ShowDialAssist</key>
    <true/>
    <key>ShowTTY</key>
    <true/>
    <key>StatusBarImages</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>AllowPrefixMatching</key>
            <false/>
            <key>CarrierName</key>
            <string>TheOperator</string>
            <key>DefaultImage</key>
            <string>Default_CARRIER_THE_OPERATOR.png</string>
            <key>FullScreenOpaqueImage</key>
            <string>FSO_CARRIER_THE_OPERATOR.png</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>SupportedSIMs</key>
    <array>
        <string>12345</string>
    </array>
    <key>SupportsNITZ</key>
    <true/>
    <key>VVMIgnoresIntlDataRoaming</key>
    <true/>
    <key>VisualVoicemailServiceName</key>
    <string>ACDS</string>
    <key>apns</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>apn</key>
            <string>the_apn</string>
            <key>password</key>
            <string>the_pass</string>
            <key>username</key>
            <string>the_user</string>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>voicemail_context</key>
    <integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

Now the bundle is ready, we need to create a MCC/MNC symbolic link:

cd /System/Library/Carrier\ Bundles
ln -s /System/Library/Carrier\ Bundles/THE_CARRIER.bundle 12345

UPDATE: If your carrier has multiple operators, you need to add symbolic links for all of your operators.

Step 3: Activate Bundle

Now take the following steps to activate our bundle:

1. Insert your AT&T SIM (coming with your iPhone) and reboot once
2. Insert your local SIM and reboot once

Now iPhone should be displaying your customized logos.

TroubleShooting

If your logo is not displayed, login to iPhone to check the following folders:

/var/mobile/Library
/var/mobile/Library/Preferences

In folder /var/mobile/Library:

Carrier Bundle.bundle -> /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/12345
Operator Bundle.bundle -> /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/12345

In folder /var/mobile/Library/Preferences:

com.apple.carrier.plist -> /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/12345/carrier.plist
com.apple.operator.plist -> /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/12345/carrier.plist

If Carrier Bundle.bundle points to Unknown.bundle then your carrier is not detected, go back to check your bundle and MCC/MNC symbolic carefully.

If there are only two carrier symbolic links:

Carrier Bundle.bundle -> /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/12345
com.apple.carrier.plist -> /System/Library/Carrier Bundles/12345/carrier.plist

and missing Opeator Bundle.bundle and com.apple.operator.plist symbolic links, then you might have encountered an issue that your operator cannot be detected, check This Article for details.

Thanks flying out to Arnaldo who described some important concepts for me.