Before you begin
Connect your iPhone to a Mac or Windows worker. For Windows, follow the Windows signing guide.
Complete the Mac worker setup, including Xcode and your Apple signing team. Finish the iPhone’s initial setup so it reaches the Home Screen, rather than the Hello screen.
Keep the iPhone connected to the internet, unlocked and plugged into the Mac with a USB data cable during setup.
Phones connected to Windows
For iPhones on Windows, use Sign iPhones on this PC from the Phonebay tray menu with a paid Apple team and Admin API key. See the Windows setup guide. The steps below describe the existing direct-USB Mac worker setup.
1. Trust your Mac
Connect your iPhone. If it asks Trust This Computer?, tap Trust and enter your iPhone passcode. Approve any corresponding connection prompt on the Mac.
If Xcode is preparing the device or downloading support components, let it finish before continuing in Phonebay Setup.
2. Enable Developer Mode when required
On iOS 16 or newer, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode. Turn it on, follow the restart prompt, then confirm Turn On after the phone restarts.
If the option is missing, connect the phone to Xcode first and let it pair. Apple’s Developer Mode instructions explain this process.
iOS 15 does not have this switch. Continue to the next step.
3. Install the Phonebay driver
Return to Phonebay Setup on your Mac and complete the iPhone installation step. Setup builds, signs and installs the driver using your selected Apple team.
Leave the phone connected and unlocked. If Setup shows an error, keep the message and follow Troubleshooting; a worker appearing online does not mean the iPhone driver finished installing.
4. Approve developer trust if prompted
If your iPhone asks you to trust the developer, open Settings → General → VPN & Device Management → Developer App and select the Apple account used for signing. Follow the trust or verification prompts.
Keep the phone online while it verifies. If there is no Developer App entry and no trust warning, proceed to the dashboard. The exact prompts depend on the iOS version and signing account.
5. Open Watch
Open your dashboard, find the iPhone and select Watch. Keep the physical phone unlocked for this first start. Approve Enable UI Automation if the phone asks.
The first launch may take longer while the driver starts. Once you see the screen, try a tap and a scroll with Your first session.
Adding another iPhone
Connect and prepare each new iPhone using the same steps. A new phone may require the driver to be signed and installed for that device before it can be used. Complete that preparation in Setup on the Mac connected to it.
If an existing phone stops working after a signing or iOS change, check the displayed error before reinstalling. Do not erase the phone or delete your Phonebay account as a troubleshooting step.