nfzerox/VirtualMacOniPad

People have dreamed of running macOS on iPad for more than a decade. Today, that dream comes true. With Virtual Mac, iPad finally breaks free from iPadOS, enabling pro apps like Xcode, Terminal, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and Pixelmator Pro to run directly on device. Requires iPad Pro (M1, M2) or iPad Air (M1) running iPadOS 14 up to 16.3.1.

What it solves

Virtual Mac on iPad allows users to run full versions of macOS on compatible iPad Pro and iPad Air models. This enables the use of professional software that is otherwise unavailable on iPadOS, such as Xcode and Terminal.

How it works

The project uses hardware CPU virtualization and graphics acceleration by extracting and modifying Apple's macOS virtualization stack (including Hypervisor and Virtualization frameworks). It employs a custom tool called uncache.py to make extracted arm64e libraries loadable on iPadOS, restamps the platform to iOS, and shims missing APIs. To handle macOS installation, it uses a userspace shim to forward virtual USB endpoint traffic to MobileDevice and usbmuxd components, bypassing the lack of the AppleUSBUserHCI kernel service in iPadOS.

Who it’s for

Users with jailbroken iPad Pro (M1, M2) or iPad Air (M1) running iPadOS 14 through 16.3.1 who want to run macOS applications and development tools on their tablets.

Highlights

  • Supports macOS 12 Monterey through macOS 26 Tahoe (with experimental support for macOS 27 Golden Gate).
  • Provides hardware-accelerated CPU and GPU performance similar to VirtualBuddy or UTM on M-series Macs.
  • Supports professional tools like Xcode and Logic Pro.
  • Includes a virtual keyboard and touchscreen support for users without a Magic Keyboard.

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