iFarmThe iFarm blog
Practical, answer-first articles about running real iPhones from one Mac: how to control and mirror several at once, how many a Mac mini can run, and what a phone farm is and isn't for. Every number comes from iFarm's own measurements or a linked source.
Latest articles
New posts are listed below, newest first. For step-by-step setup, start with the guides; for quick answers, see the FAQ.
What is a phone farm?What a phone farm is, legitimate uses like device labs and managing your own accounts, what platforms prohibit, and the hardware a small farm needs.Run a local AI model to control an iPhone: which Mac you needRun a local AI model with Ollama or LM Studio to control an iPhone from your Mac: which Mac memory fits which model, setup in iFarm, and honest limits.Record an iPhone automation once and replay it on every screen sizeReplay an iPhone automation on any screen size: why tap coordinates break, how iFarm finds buttons by their text, and how to edit, test and share steps.How to test your iOS app on real iPhones without a device cloudHow to test an iOS app on real iPhones without renting a device cloud: Xcode and XCUITest, cloud farms, or a device lab on one Mac with record-and-replay.How to save a TikTok draft from your MacTwo ways to save a TikTok draft from a Mac: the TikTok Studio web uploader, or drag a video onto a real iPhone in iFarm and it becomes a TikTok draft.How to let Claude control an iPhone (with MCP)How to let Claude control a real iPhone with MCP: iFarm is the hands, Claude is the brain. Setup, example requests, tools, safety rules and costs.How to keep iPhones running 24/7 for automationKeep iPhones running 24/7 for automation: Auto-Lock, passcodes, charge limits, heat, powered hubs, Mac sleep and the iFarm settings that keep a farm up.How to control multiple iPhones from one MacFive ways to control multiple iPhones from one Mac, compared fairly: iPhone Mirroring, Switch Control, mirroring apps, Appium code, and iFarm.How to automate an iPhone from a Mac without jailbreakingHow to automate a stock iPhone from your Mac without jailbreaking: WebDriverAgent, Developer Mode, signing with your Apple team, and what iOS allows.How many iPhones can a Mac mini run?How many iPhones a Mac mini can run with iFarm: about 140 MB per phone, 10–20 phones on 16 GB, and why USB hubs, power and Wi-Fi limit you first.Free vs paid Apple developer account for testing on your own iPhonesFree Personal Team or the $99/year Apple Developer Program for testing on your iPhones? 7-day signing, device limits, and which to pick for a phone lab.Can you mirror more than one iPhone to a Mac?Apple's iPhone Mirroring shows one iPhone at a time. Here's how to see several iPhones on one Mac, and how to control them too, not just watch.