Manual setup (advanced)

Tip

Mirrage Setup does all of this for you in about five minutes. This page is for people who already sideload apps and want full control.

1. Install Mirrage on your iPhone

Mirrage isn’t on the App Store, so it’s installed (“sideloaded”) with your Apple ID.

1. Download the Mirrage .ipa from the download page.
2. Install it with the sideloading tool you prefer - Sideloadly, AltStore or SideStore all work. Sign in with your Apple ID when the tool asks.
3. On the iPhone, open Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, tap your Apple ID under Developer App and tap Trust.

Free Apple IDs

A free Apple ID can have 3 sideloaded apps installed at once, and they stop opening after 7 days unless refreshed. See Keeping it working.

2. Turn on Developer Mode

1. Open Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the bottom and tap Developer Mode.
2. Switch it on and tap Restart.
3. After the restart, unlock your iPhone and tap Turn On.

Can’t see it? It only appears once a developer-signed app (step 1) is installed - see Developer Mode is missing.

3. Make the pairing file

Mirrage needs a remote pairing file - a small .plist with three keys: identifier, public_key and private_key. It must be made on a computer with the iPhone plugged in.

Not the USB pairing record

The older .mobiledevicepairing record (from jitterbugpair, 3uTools and similar) is a different format. Mirrage rejects it with “That’s a USB pairing record, not a Mirrage setup file.”

With Python 3.10+:

pip install pymobiledevice3

Save this as make_pairing_file.py, plug in and unlock your iPhone, and run it:

import asyncio, plistlib
from pathlib import Path
from pymobiledevice3.exceptions import RemotePairingCompletedError
from pymobiledevice3.lockdown import create_using_usbmux
from pymobiledevice3.pair_records import generate_host_id, get_home_folder
from pymobiledevice3.remote.tunnel_service import RemotePairingLockdownService

async def main():
    lockdown = await create_using_usbmux()
    udid = await lockdown.get_value(key="UniqueDeviceID")

    service = await RemotePairingLockdownService.create(lockdown)
    try:
        try:
            await service.connect(autopair=True)
        except RemotePairingCompletedError:
            # The phone drops the connection the moment pairing completes.
            await service.close()
            service = await RemotePairingLockdownService.create(lockdown)
            await service.connect(autopair=False)
    finally:
        await service.close()

    record = plistlib.loads(Path(get_home_folder(), f"remote_{udid}.plist").read_bytes())
    Path("pairingFile.plist").write_bytes(plistlib.dumps({
        "public_key": record["public_key"],
        "private_key": record["private_key"],
        "identifier": generate_host_id(),
    }))
    print("Saved pairingFile.plist")

asyncio.run(main())

python make_pairing_file.py

Keep it private

The pairing file contains a private key. Anyone with it can use developer services on your iPhone. Don’t share it or upload it anywhere.

4. Add it to Mirrage

Send pairingFile.plist to your iPhone (AirDrop, or save it in Files), then in Mirrage open Settings → Connection → Replace setup file and pick it. Mirrage confirms with “Setup file added”.

5. Switch on LocalDevVPN

Install LocalDevVPN from the App Store (free), open it and tap Connect. Mirrage uses it to reach your iPhone’s location settings - keep it on while you use Mirrage.

6. Activate your licence

In Mirrage, start a teleport - the subscription sheet appears. Paste your key, or point your iPhone camera at the QR code on your purchase page. Done.