Stealthpin Download

Setup / Developer Mode

Turn on Developer Mode

Developer Mode is a switch on your iPhone that Apple made for people who build apps. Stealthpin needs it on, because the setting it uses to change your location is one of the tools that switch unlocks. It takes about five minutes and one restart, and you don't need to be technical.

Is it safe?

When you turn it on, your iPhone shows a warning that Developer Mode reduces security. Here's what that means: with it on, a Mac you've trusted can use Apple's testing tools on your phone, like the one that sets its location. Your passcode, Face ID and everything else that protects your phone keep working as usual.

Good habits

  • Only tap Trust on Macs you own.
  • Keep your passcode on.
  • If you stop using Stealthpin, turn Developer Mode off again.

What you need

On iOS 15 or earlier there's no Developer Mode to turn on, so you can skip this page.

Five steps

  1. Connect your iPhone and trust this Mac

    Plug your iPhone into your Mac with the cable and unlock the phone. If it asks Trust This Computer?, tap Trust and enter your passcode.

    No question? Then your phone already trusts this Mac. Carry on.

  2. Make the switch appear

    Apple hides the Developer Mode switch until a Mac asks to show it. One command does that.

    Open Terminal on your Mac: press ⌘ Space, type Terminal and press Return. Copy this line, paste it into Terminal, and press Return:

    pymobiledevice3 amfi reveal-developer-mode

    Keep your iPhone unlocked while you do this. If Terminal prints nothing at all, that's fine: it worked.

  3. Turn it on in Settings

    On your iPhone, open Settings, then Privacy & Security. Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap Developer Mode. Turn the switch on, then tap Restart when your iPhone asks.

  4. Confirm after the restart

    When your iPhone has restarted, unlock it. It asks one more time whether to turn on Developer Mode. Tap Turn On and enter your passcode.

  5. Check it worked

    Back in Settings, Privacy & Security, Developer Mode should now be on. Open Stealthpin: the setup tour shows a green check next to Developer Mode is on.

    That's it. You won't need to do this again unless you turn it off.

If something doesn't go to plan

I don't see Developer Mode in Privacy & Security

Unlock your iPhone, make sure it's plugged in and that you tapped Trust, then run the command from step 2 again. Close Settings completely and open it again: swipe up from the bottom of the screen, pause, then swipe Settings away. The switch is the second to last item under Security.

Still missing? There's another way that always works: install Xcode, Apple's free app for developers, from the Mac App Store. It's a large download. Open it once with your iPhone plugged in and unlocked, and the switch appears.

Terminal says "command not found"

The helper tool isn't installed yet, or Terminal hasn't noticed it. Follow step 1 of the setup list, then quit Terminal and open it again before running the command.

Terminal says it can't find a device

Your Mac can't see the iPhone. Unplug it and plug it back in, unlock it, and tap Trust if it asks. A cable that only charges won't work: use the one that came with your iPhone, or another that carries data.

My iPhone didn't ask me to confirm after restarting

Go to Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Developer Mode, and check whether it's on. If it's off, turn it on again and restart. The question appears after you unlock the phone, so it's easy to miss if you unlocked it while busy.

Turning it off later

Open Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Developer Mode, and turn the switch off. Your iPhone restarts. The restart also ends any location Stealthpin was showing, so your iPhone is back to its real location. To use Stealthpin again, come back to step 3: the switch stays visible, so you won't need step 2.