vphone-cli: Run a Virtual iPhone on Apple Silicon
Summary
vphone-cli runs iOS virtual machines on physical Apple Silicon Macs using Apple's Virtualization.framework and PCC research virtual machines. It is aimed at security researchers, reverse engineers, and developers who need a controllable iOS guest for testing or automation.
At a glance
- Language
- Swift
- License
- MIT
- Stars
- 14.8k
- Forks
- 1.8k
- Added to OSRepos
- September 19, 2026
- Last analyzed
- October 4, 2026
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Overview
vphone-cli runs iOS in a virtual machine on an Apple Silicon Mac. It provides a graphical guest that can be inspected and controlled from macOS, addressing the need for a local iOS environment for security research, reverse engineering, and debugging.
The project includes VM management and an optional local HTTP and WebSocket automation interface. It is designed for people who need more access to a guest system than a standard simulator provides, and who can meet its host and firmware requirements.
Key Features
- Boots iOS guests using Apple's Virtualization.framework and PCC research virtual machines.
- Provides a graphical window for using the guest, browsing apps and files, and capturing screenshots or recordings.
- Uses pre-patched system firmware and supports installing a package environment in the guest.
- Supports exporting, importing, and cloning virtual machines.
- Offers an optional local HTTP and WebSocket API for automation.
- Provides a command-line interface for listing, launching, and exporting VMs.
Use Cases
- Security researchers can inspect and test behavior inside an iOS guest.
- Reverse engineers can explore apps and files in a virtualized environment.
- Developers can debug software against an iOS system without using a physical iPhone for every test.
- Automation developers can control a guest through the optional local API.
Project Facts
- Language: Swift
- License: MIT
- Stars: 14.8k
- Forks: 1.8k
- Topics: none listed
- Archived: No
Getting Started
Download a notarized Launchpad release from the latest releases, then follow the setup and machine creation steps in the README. The README links to detailed host setup, compatibility, and troubleshooting guides.
Considerations
- Requires a physical Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 15 or newer. It does not run inside a macOS virtual machine.
- Host setup requires changes to macOS Recovery security settings, specifically enabling research guests and relaxing debugging restrictions. Review the project’s host setup guidance before proceeding.
- Each VM uses a 64 GB virtual disk by default, in addition to firmware storage, and restoring a system requires an internet connection for signing tickets.
- Not every Launchpad release is notarized. The README points to available notarized versions and matching components.
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Source repository
Open the original repository on GitHub.
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