# pymobiledevice3

> Pure Python 3 library and command-line tool for communicating with iPhones, iPads and other iOS devices from Windows, Linux or macOS, implementing usbmux, lockdown and its services, DTX-based developer (DVT) services and the RemoteXPC tunnels that iOS 17+ uses for developer access. Commands cover device discovery and port forwarding, syslog and crash-report collection, AFC file access, app and profile management, PCAP capture of device traffic, Bluetooth HCI logging, WebInspector automation with a Chrome DevTools Protocol bridge for Safari and WebViews, and DVT tooling such as process monitoring and screenshots; firmware update, recovery/DFU and backups are also handled. Its protocol-internals documentation walks through the usbmux, lockdown, DTX and RemoteXPC layers, and helper scripts in misc/ sniff plist and RemoteXPC traffic.

- Type: Tool
- Targets: App · Protocol
- Category: Debugging and dynamic analysis
- Relationship: Foundation tool
- Sources reviewed: 2026-10-19
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/pymobiledevice3/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/pymobiledevice3/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/pymobiledevice3/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- Version v11.38.0 was published to GitHub and PyPI on 2026-10-19. The README names PyPI as the only official distribution channel and says third-party packages such as AUR may be outdated. Requires Python 3.9+.
- Needs a connected or networked iOS device the user controls. Windows needs iTunes for the Apple Mobile Device Service and Linux needs usbmuxd; macOS uses the system usbmuxd. OpenSSL is required for iOS versions before 13 and libusb for recovery/DFU. The tunnels guide says iOS 17.4+ developer commands open an in-process tunnel without root, while iOS 17.0-17.3.1 on Linux or Windows needs a root tunneld.
- Developer services require Developer Mode and Apple's Developer Disk Image. The auto-mounter's developer_disk_image dependency downloads Apple image files from a separate rehosting repository; Apple's files retain Apple's rights.
- GPL-3.0-or-later. The repository also ships a device-operator agent skill for driving devices through the CLI.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/docs/installation.md>
3. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/docs/guides/cli-recipes.md>
4. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/docs/guides/ios17-tunnels.md>
5. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/misc/understanding_idevice_protocol_layers.md>
6. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/misc/RemoteXPC.md>
7. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/pymobiledevice3/dtx/README.md>
8. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/misc/remotexpc_sniffer.py>
9. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/pymobiledevice3/services/mobile_image_mounter.py>
10. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/pyproject.toml>
11. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/docs/guides/codex-device-operator-skill.md>
12. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/blob/9ea94919e4740256ddd4fa13e3e5872d43851ff0/LICENSE>
13. <https://github.com/doronz88/pymobiledevice3/releases/tag/v11.38.0>
14. <https://pypi.org/project/pymobiledevice3/11.38.0/>

## More in Native binaries

- [dumpulator](https://awesomerea.org/resources/dumpulator/index.md) · Tool
- [McSema](https://awesomerea.org/resources/mcsema/index.md) · Tool
- [retoolkit](https://awesomerea.org/resources/retoolkit/index.md) · Tool
- [D-810 ng](https://awesomerea.org/resources/d810-ng/index.md) · Tool
- [Anvill](https://awesomerea.org/resources/anvill/index.md) · Tool
- [XRefer](https://awesomerea.org/resources/xrefer/index.md) · Tool

## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.