Boot a virtual iPhone via Apple's Virtualization.framework using PCC research VM infrastructure.
Prerequisites
Host:
Dependencies:
brew install python@3.13 aria2 wget gnu-tar openssl@3 ldid-procursus sshpass keystone cmake libusb ipsw zstd
Install
brew install zqxwce/tap/vphone-cli
Build
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/Lakr233/vphone-cli.git
./scripts/setup_tools.sh # install deps, build toolchain submodules, create the Python venv
./scripts/build.sh # build + sign vphone-cli, bundle the .app, cross-compile vphoned
cd .build/vphone-cli.app/Contents/MacOS/
vphone-cli --help
Quick Start
One command creates a VM end-to-end (download → patch → DFU restore → CFW install → first boot):
vphone-cli vm create myphone -V jb # -V / --variant
vphone-cli vm launch myphone
Commands
vphone-cli vm create runs the whole pipeline; the individual steps below let you drive it manually or re-run one stage.
Manage
vphone-cli vm list # list VMs (--json for scripting)
vphone-cli vm info myphone # show one VM
vphone-cli vm new myphone # create an empty bundle (cpu/mem/disk options)
vphone-cli vm config myphone --cpu 8 --memory 8192
vphone-cli vm clone myphone myphone-2 # fast APFS clone, fresh device identity
vphone-cli vm export myphone --out myphone.tzst # zstd fast by default (--max = xz -9); --out may be a dir (auto-names .tzst/.txz); skips restore dir + staging files
vphone-cli vm import myphone.tzst --name restored
vphone-cli vm rename myphone iphone16
vphone-cli vm delete iphone16
Build a VM manually (what vm create automates)
vphone-cli vm new myphone # 1. empty bundle
vphone-cli fw prepare myphone --iphone-version 26.1 # 2. download + merge IPSWs
vphone-cli fw patch myphone --variant jb # 3. patch the boot chain
vphone-cli vm launch myphone --dfu & # 4. boot into DFU (background)
vphone-cli restore myphone --get-shsh # fetch SHSH
vphone-cli restore myphone # DFU restore
vphone-cli vm stop myphone # stop the DFU boot
vphone-cli cfw install myphone --variant jb # 5. install CFW (host-mount; asks for sudo)
vphone-cli vm launch myphone # 6. first boot
Update to a newer iOS by pointing fw prepare at an IPSW: --iphone-source /path/to.ipsw --cloudos-source /path/to.ipsw.
Firmware Variants
Five patch variants with increasing security bypass — pass one to --variant:
| Variant |
Boot Chain |
CFW |
Notes |
less |
4 patches |
2 phases |
Patchless — keeps iOS mitigations enabled |
regular |
42 patches |
10 phases |
AMFI/SSV/Img4/TXM bypass |
dev |
53 patches |
12 phases |
+ TXM entitlement/debug bypass |
jb |
113 patches |
14 phases |
+ full jailbreak (Sileo, TrollStore auto-install on first boot) |
exp |
141 patches |
18 phases |
JB superset + anti-VM-detection research patches |
See research/0_binary_patch_comparison.md for the per-component breakdown.
Running & Connecting
- SSH (jailbreak):
ssh -p 22222 mobile@<vm-ip> (password alpine)
- SSH (regular/dev):
ssh -p 22222 root@<vm-ip>
- VNC:
vnc://<vm-ip>:5901
Locations
Everything vphone-cli creates lives under ~/.vphone/ — kept outside the repo and the .app so the signed bundle stays portable. Redirect the whole tree with $VPHONE_ROOT:
| Path |
Contents |
~/.vphone/ |
The per-user data root — override the entire location with $VPHONE_ROOT. |
~/.vphone/VMs/ |
VM bundles — one directory per VM. This is the library; override with $VPHONE_LIBRARY_ROOT. |
~/.vphone/ipsws/ |
Downloaded iPhone + cloudOS IPSWs, cached and reused across VMs. |
~/.vphone/tools/ |
Cached APFS seal-volume artifacts (apfs_sealvolume_<version>) fetched during fw prepare. |
~/.vphone/debs/ |
Cached .deb packages the jb/exp CFW install lays into the guest (Sileo, apt, …). |
~/.vphone/venv/ |
Auto-provisioned Python environment (see Python runtime; override with $VPHONE_VENV_DIR). |
Precedence: the per-item overrides ($VPHONE_LIBRARY_ROOT, $VPHONE_VENV_DIR) win over $VPHONE_ROOT, which wins over the ~/.vphone default. The ipsws/, tools/, and debs/ caches always sit directly under whichever root is active.
SIP/AMFI Relaxation
Option A — fully disable SIP, then disable AMFI via boot-arg (most permissive).
In Recovery (long-press power → Terminal):
csrutil disable
csrutil allow-research-guests enable
Then reboot into macOS and set the AMFI boot-arg (needs SIP fully off to take effect):
sudo nvram boot-args="amfi_get_out_of_my_way=1 -v" # reboot after
Option B — keep SIP on (debug-only relaxed), then allowlist the binary with amfidont (leaves AMFI enabled system-wide).
In Recovery:
csrutil enable --without debug
csrutil allow-research-guests enable
Then reboot into macOS and:
vphone-amfidont # .build/vphone-cli.app/Contents/Resources/vphone-amfidont for local builds
Tested Environments
| Host |
iPhone |
CloudOS |
| Mac16,11 27.0b2 |
17,3_18.6.2_22G100 |
26.1-23B85 |
| Mac16,8 26.5.1 |
17,3_26.0_23A341 |
26.1-23B85 |
| Mac16,8 26.5.1 |
17,3_26.0.1_23A355 |
26.1-23B85 |
| Mac16,12 26.3 |
17,3_26.1_23B85 |
26.1-23B85 |
| Mac16,12 26.3 |
17,3_26.3_23D127 |
26.1-23B85 |
| Mac16,12 26.3 |
17,3_26.3_23D127 |
26.3-23D128 |
| Mac16,12 26.3 |
17,3_26.3.1_23D8133 |
26.3-23D128 |
| Mac16,11 26.2 |
17,3_26.4_23E246 |
26.4-23E5207q |
| Mac16,11 26.2 |
17,3_26.5_23F77 |
26.4-23E5207q |
| Mac16,11 27.0b2 |
17,3_26.5.2_23F84 |
26.4-23E5207q |
| Mac16,6 26.4.1 |
17,3_26.6_23G71 |
26.4-23E5207q |
| Mac16,11 27.0b2 |
17,3_26.6.1_23G83 |
26.4-23E5207q |
| Mac16,11 27.0b2 |
17,3_27.0_24A5380h |
26.4-23E5207q |
| Mac16,6 26.4.1 |
17,3_27.0_24A5390f |
26.4-23E5207q |
| Mac16,6 26.6.1 |
17,3_27.0_24A5408d |
26.4-23E5207q |
| Mac16,11 27.0b2 |
17,3_27.0_24A5418b |
26.4-23E5207q |
| Mac16,11 27.0b2 |
17,3_27.0_24A5424a |
26.4-23E5207q |
FAQ
zsh: killed ./vphone-cli — AMFI/debug restrictions aren't bypassed; see Prerequisites (amfi_get_out_of_my_way=1 or amfidont).
Virtualization is not available on this hardware — your Mac is itself a VM; PV=3 guest boot can't nest. Use a non-nested macOS 15+ host.
Stuck on "Press home to continue" — connect via VNC and right-click (two-finger click) to simulate the home button.
System apps won't install — during iOS setup, don't pick Japan or the EU as your region (extra regulatory checks the VM can't satisfy); pick e.g. United States.
App crashes on launch with EXC_GUARD / GUARD_TYPE_MACH_PORT — re-patch with vphone-cli fw patch <name> --variant <v> --force-exc-guard, then re-restore/install (#291). Always on for iOS 18 bases.
Install a .ipa/.tipa — use the running VM's Install menu (drag-drop or file picker).
cfw install hangs re-signing a system binary (e.g. Campo), memory climbing unbounded — known bug in ldid-procursus up to 2.1.5-procursus7 (the current Homebrew stable): bytes(uint64_t) calls __builtin_clzll(0) with no zero-guard, which is undefined behavior, and on this build resolves to a 0-length that underflows an unsigned loop counter — ldid spins writing one byte at a time into a growing buffer instead of terminating. Triggered by any entitlements plist containing an integer value of exactly 0 (some real Apple system binaries have these). Fixed upstream but not yet in a tagged release; rebuild from source: brew install --HEAD ldid-procursus && brew link --overwrite ldid-procursus. Kill the hung ldid process first (sudo kill -9 <pid>) if you already hit it.
Automation
vphone-cli exposes a host control socket (<bundle>/vphone.sock) for programmatic control — screenshots, touch, swipes, hardware keys, clipboard — each action returning an inline screenshot for AI-driven E2E testing. See vphone-mcp for an MCP server wrapping it.
Acknowledgements
Instagram Engineering
Shopify Engineering