HackiOS FAQ
Is HackiOS a theme, launcher, or emulator?
According to the developers, none of those. HackiOS uses a custom UEFI and XNU kernel adaptation to boot iOS on Android hardware, rather than an iOS-looking launcher or theme inside Android, and rather than an emulator. There is no independent verification yet.
Is HackiOS smooth — can it match an iPhone?
There is no way to tell yet. The project is early, demos are short, and there is no public build to test. iOS is deeply optimized for Apple silicon; running on Android hardware needs heavy adaptation. Performance and battery life are unknown.
Can HackiOS use the App Store to download apps?
There is no public evidence that it can. The App Store and iCloud rely on Apple device attestation; non-Apple hardware may not sign in or download normally. Wait for developer announcements.
Do camera, Wi-Fi, sound, and other drivers work?
Media summaries of demos mention UI, partial GPU, Wi-Fi, sound, vibration, camera, and Safari at varying levels, but completeness is unknown. Driver adaptation is widely seen as the hardest part of the project.
How is HackiOS different from Cider and older projects?
Cider was a Columbia University research project around 2014 that ran iOS apps inside Android. HackiOS claims to boot the whole iOS system on the hardware — closer in spirit to a Hackintosh on PC.
Are there legal risks to using HackiOS?
Apple’s software license only allows iOS on Apple-branded hardware; running it elsewhere may violate that license. Risk varies by region. This site gives no legal advice. Flashing firmware also risks bricks and data loss.
Where can I download HackiOS?
There is no official download. So-called HackiOS downloads, flash packages, or APKs are not trustworthy — see the release status page.
Do HackiOS, hackios, and hack ios mean different things?
No. HackiOS, hackios, and hack ios all refer to the same project. People also mistype it as hackos or hakios.
Related: Release status · Supported devices · Home · 中文版
Sources: Sina Geek Frontline, The GEEK; Cider: Columbia University 2014 paper “Cider: Native Execution of iOS Apps on Android”.