---
title: Prepare an iPhone
description: Set up an iPhone for a smartphone robot, from the iOS settings to the pairing session with Kapptivate support.
lastUpdated: "2026-09-21"
---

> **For AI agents:** the complete documentation index is at [llms.txt](/llms.txt). Append `.md` to any page URL for its markdown version.

Getting an iPhone ready runs in three stages. A few settings on the phone, then the cable into the robot, then Kapptivate support registering the device with Apple. Apple only allows automated testing on a registered device, and that last stage is the one you can't do yourself.

Plan for it. The registration takes 24 to 72 hours, so a new iPhone isn't testable the same day.

## Before you start

- The robot is installed, with its USB hub powered on: see [install a robot](/hardware/install-robot).
- The robot shows **Online** in the platform: see [configure the robot network](/hardware/configure-network).
- The iPhone runs a [supported iOS version](/questions/devices-os-versions).
- A USB-C to USB-A or Lightning to USB-A cable, preferably a new one. The hub's ports are USB-A, and the phone cables don't ship with the robot. A faulty cable is enough to make the link unstable.

<Warning>
  The iPhone needs internet access, over Wi-Fi or the mobile network, at all times. iOS checks the certificates the platform uses online, so without a connection the device stays stuck in **Configuration** and never reaches **Available**.
</Warning>

## First boot

Turn the phone on and go through the iOS setup: pick the language and country you want, skip every account, and connect it to the internet over Wi-Fi or a SIM with data. The labels quoted on this page are the English ones.

<Warning>
  Do not set a passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID. The screen has to stay unlocked for the platform to use the phone.
</Warning>

## Set up iOS

<Steps>
  <Step title="Turn off automatic updates">
    In **Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates**, turn off every **iOS Updates** entry. The platform supports [iOS 11 to 26](/questions/devices-os-versions), and an update can push the phone past the versions it covers.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Stop the screen from locking">
    In **Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock**, select **Never**.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Allow wired accessories (iOS 26 and later)">
    In **Settings > Privacy & Security > Wired Accessories**, select **Always Allow**. Earlier versions of iOS don't have this setting, so skip the step there.

    <Frame caption="Wired Accessories, set to Always Allow">
      ![The Wired Accessories screen with Always Allow selected](/images/hardware/prepare-iphone-01.webp)
    </Frame>
  </Step>
  <Step title="Connect the phone to the robot">
    Plug the phone into a free USB port of the hub. If it was already plugged in, unplug it and plug it back: the popup only fires on connection.

    When the iPhone shows **Trust This Computer?**, tap **Trust**.

    <Frame caption="The trust popup on the iPhone">
      ![The popup asking whether to trust the computer, with the Trust option](/images/hardware/prepare-iphone-02.webp)
    </Frame>

    Stand the phone up on a holder once it's plugged in. Air then moves behind the case instead of sitting against a flat surface.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Finish with support

These three stages are Apple's requirements and they run in this order. All three go through support.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Support reads the device identifier">
    Contact support@kapptivate.com to say the iPhone is connected and ready. If you went through [Set up iOS](#set-up-ios) and tapped **Trust**, there is nothing left to do on your side. Support reads the device identifier (UDID) directly from the robot.

    Tell support if the trust popup never appeared. They can make it appear again during the session below.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Apple registers the device">
    Support registers the UDID with Apple, which is what allows automated testing on that specific iPhone. Count 24 to 72 hours. You have nothing to watch for: support tells you once Apple has cleared the device, and the pairing follows.

    This stage only concerns an iPhone that has never been used with Kapptivate. A device already registered goes straight to the pairing.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Pairing and Developer Mode, with support">
    Ask support@kapptivate.com for a 5-minute slot to finish the setup. During the session you confirm the popups on the phone, then check one last setting:

    1. If the trust popup never appeared, support triggers it. Tap **Trust**.
    2. Support then triggers the Developer Mode activation popup. Confirm it. The iPhone may reboot afterwards.
    3. In **Settings > Developer**, turn **Enable UI Automation** on. That menu only shows up at the root of the Settings once Developer Mode is active.

    <Frame caption="Enable UI Automation, on">
      ![The Developer screen with Enable UI Automation turned on](/images/hardware/prepare-iphone-03.webp)
    </Frame>

    If iOS asks for a restart at any point, restart the phone and leave it connected to the robot.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Check that it worked

Open the Kapptivate platform and go to [**Agents**](/equipment/agents), where the platform lists your robots. Open yours: the iPhone appears in its device list and shows **Available** once it is ready to take tests.

A device only becomes available when its own status is **Available** and the robot it hangs off is **Online**. If the iPhone isn't in the list, check the robot first.

If the phone is registered, paired, and still absent, the two usual causes are a lost internet connection and a dismissed trust popup. Check the Wi-Fi, then unplug and replug the cable to bring the popup back.

## What's next?

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Prepare an Android smartphone" icon="mobile" href="/hardware/prepare-android">

    The same job on Samsung, with no registration to wait for

</Card>
  <Card title="Supported devices and OS versions" icon="mobile-screen" href="/questions/devices-os-versions">

    Which phones and iOS versions the platform runs tests on

</Card>
  <Card title="Equipment statuses" icon="signal" href="/equipment/statuses">

    What Available means on a device, and what the usage indicator adds

</Card>
</Columns>