iFarmiFarm questions and answers
iFarm is a free Mac app that runs real iPhones from one Mac: see every phone live, control it with your mouse, record what you do once and replay it on every phone, and schedule it all. It needs a Mac on macOS 14 or later, Xcode, an Apple ID added in Xcode, and stock iPhones on iOS 16 or later.
About iFarm
What is iFarm?
iFarm is a free Mac app that runs real iPhones from one Mac: see every phone live, control it with your mouse, record what you do once and replay it on every phone, and schedule it all. It's made by Dean Hajjar, an independent developer.
Is iFarm really free?
Yes. Every feature is free, with no account, no subscription and no trial. The only optional costs are outside iFarm: the Apple Developer Program ($99/year, recommended for a farm) and any paid AI provider you choose.
Who is iFarm for?
People who run their own iPhones: app developers and QA testers, social media managers and creators managing their own accounts, agencies with client permission, and teachers and demo makers.
Does iFarm have servers or accounts?
No. iFarm has no servers and no accounts. Everything runs on your Mac.
Where do I download iFarm?
Only from the iFarm website, as a DMG. It isn't notarized by Apple yet, so the first open needs System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
Requirements
Which Mac do I need?
A Mac on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later, Apple silicon or Intel. 8 GB of memory runs about 5–10 phones comfortably, 16 GB about 10–20, and 32 GB or more about 20–30, limited by USB hubs. See phone farm hardware.
Do I need Xcode?
Yes. Xcode is free from the Mac App Store, and iFarm uses it to build the helper app it installs on each phone. You never need to write code in it.
Do I need a paid Apple developer account?
No, a free Personal Team works: the helper is re-signed every 7 days and iFarm renews it automatically. The Apple Developer Program ($99/year) is recommended for a farm: the helper lasts a year and you can register up to 100 iPhones a year.
Which iPhones work?
Stock iPhones on iOS 16 or later, with Developer Mode on. You need a data cable for the first connection.
Do I need to jailbreak the phones?
No. iFarm works with stock iPhones. It installs a small open-source helper (WebDriverAgent) signed with your own Apple developer team.
Phones and connection
How does iFarm control an iPhone?
It installs WebDriverAgent on each iPhone, signed with your own developer team. It appears on the phone as an app called "iFarm", and iFarm drives the phone through it. You never need to open that app yourself.
Can phones connect over Wi-Fi instead of USB?
Yes, after the first USB connection. USB is used whenever a cable is plugged in; measured on an iPhone 13 Pro Max, USB answers commands in about 6 ms and Wi-Fi in about 18 ms. Wi-Fi control is protected by a per-phone secret kept in the Mac's Keychain, and you can turn it off for USB only.
How many iPhones can one Mac run?
About 140 MB of Mac memory per phone, so 16 GB runs about 10–20 phones comfortably. Usually USB hubs, Wi-Fi and cables limit you first. iFarm's Health page shows "Room for about N more phones" for your Mac. More in how many iPhones a Mac mini can run.
Do I need a USB hub?
For 3 or more phones, use a powered USB hub. One hub carries about 10–15 phones; use several hubs on separate ports for more.
Automations and AI
Can I record something once and replay it on every phone?
Yes. Record taps, swipes, holds, buttons, typed text and pauses, then replay on any phone. Replays find buttons by the text on screen, so they work on other iPhone sizes. See automations.
Can automations run on a schedule?
Yes. Schedules run once or N times a day at random times inside a window, on chosen weekdays, per phone. Programs change by day from each phone's own Day 1, and flows chain automations with on success, on failure or always.
Do I need AI to use iFarm?
No. Live control, the grid, Mirror, recording, replay, schedules and TikTok drafts work without any AI. AI is only needed for auto mode, Ask iFarm, and posting to apps from drag and drop.
Which AI can drive the phones?
Claude (an Anthropic API key, or your own Claude Code on your plan), OpenAI, Google Gemini, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint such as OpenRouter or a local model with Ollama or LM Studio. The model must see images and call tools. Save as automation in a phone's AI box lets it replay later without AI, free.
Can Claude Code or another AI app control iFarm?
Yes. iFarm is a standard MCP server on the Mac (127.0.0.1, with a secret key), so Claude Code or any MCP-capable AI app on that Mac can list phones, see screens, tap, run automations and schedule them. See how Claude works with iFarm.
Posting and safety
Does iFarm post without asking me?
Not by default. iFarm asks before posting, sending or following, and you approve each post. You can turn that off in Setup → Preferences. Dropped files become drafts or go to Photos; with no answer in 30 minutes, a TikTok post is saved as a draft.
Can iFarm buy things?
No. iFarm never buys anything: taps on Buy or Pay are always refused.
Does iFarm hide automation from apps?
No. iFarm doesn't hide automation from apps: no spoofing, no detection tricks. Only automate phones dedicated to the farm, and follow each app's rules.
Can iFarm create accounts or type passwords?
No. iFarm never types passwords, so you log in to each account yourself on the phone. It isn't meant for creating fake accounts, fake engagement or spam.
How do I stop everything at once?
Press Stop, Stop all or ⌘. on the Mac. On the phone itself, hold volume up + volume down together: iFarm stops everything on that phone within a second, and nothing runs there again until you press Resume.
Privacy
What leaves my Mac?
Only the WebDriverAgent download (once, checksum verified), the community template list when you open it, and screenshots sent to the AI provider you choose. With a local model, no screenshots leave the Mac.
Where are passcodes and API keys stored?
Only in the Mac's Keychain. That includes phone passcodes, each phone's Wi-Fi secret and any AI API keys.
Does iFarm change my Mac's or phones' settings?
No. iFarm never changes system settings or the phones' network settings. Keeping the Mac awake is an app-held request that ends when iFarm quits.
Troubleshooting
macOS says it can't verify iFarm is free of malware. What do I do?
That's expected the first time, because iFarm isn't notarized by Apple yet. Click Done, then open System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
The phone says "Untrusted Developer". How do I fix it?
On the phone, open Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, tap your developer entry and trust it. Then press Try again in iFarm.
I can't find the Developer Mode switch on my iPhone.
The switch only appears after the phone has been plugged into a Mac with Xcode. Plug it in, trust the Mac, then look in Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode.
A phone keeps disconnecting or falling back to Wi-Fi.
Plug it into the Mac or a powered USB hub, not a monitor's hub, and use a data cable rather than a charge-only one. Quit Google Chrome if it's open: it probes USB devices and can grab the phone.