Connect iOS mobile devices

You can connect iOS devices to the Digital Lab server, or to a connector machine.

In this topic:

Before you start

Before connecting devices to Digital Lab, check that your devices are supported, and remove all apps that were installed using a previous version of Digital Lab.

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Considerations for iOS 17

If you plan to connect iOS 17 devices directly to the server, a number of considerations should be taken into account.

Considerations	Details
Supported OS	UFT Digital Lab 24.2 and later/ ValueEdge Digital Lab: iOS 17 is currently supported only on a Mac connector and on a Linux Ubuntu version 22.04.3 connector (standalone or embedded). UFT Digital Lab 23.4: iOS 17 is currently supported only on a Mac connector. Refer to the support matrix for patch information for iOS 17 versions. For details, see Support matrix.
Internet connection	To fetch a signature key from Apple from time to time, the connector machine must have access to the following: http://gs.apple.com UFT Digital Lab 23.4: The connector machine must also have access to the following: time.apple.com devimages-cdn.apple.com itunes.apple.com itunes.com developerservices2.apple.com developerservices2.v.aaplimg.com OpenText recommends allowing access to all *.apple domains.
Other iOS 17 considerations	Dev access is not supported on iOS 17 devices. Connecting AWS Device Farm and WeTest devices is not supported. Force quit application is not supported. UFT Digital Lab 23.4: Patch 2 for iOS 17.4.x - WebView may not be detected. When this happens, steps on iOS 17.4.x devices cannot be recorded and replayed when testing unpackaged hybrid apps and web apps.

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Re-sign the Agent apps

The Agent apps are standard iOS applications that need to be installed on each device that you want to use with Digital Lab. These provide a communication channel between the device and Digital Lab.

The Agent apps must be re-signed with a development certificate of an Apple Developer Account, and a development provisioning profile belonging to the same account. These provide the identity of the developer, and the list of devices on which distribution of the app is allowed.

For details on how to re-sign these apps, see Re-sign the Agent apps.

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Initial device configuration

The first time that you connect a device, perform the following steps on each device you intend to connect to Digital Lab. These are one-time settings. After the initial connection has been set up, the device is "plug-and-play".

1. In Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-lock set the maximum time. When using a device running on iOS 12 or higher, make sure to insert a SIM card or a sample SIM card in the device. Alternatively, set the Auto lock option to 30 seconds.

2. Turn off automatic updates in Settings > General > Software Update.

3. For Safari browser support: Enable JavaScript and Web Inspector in Settings > Safari > Advanced.
4. Make sure that the Display Zoom, under the Display and Brightness settings, is set to Standard, and not Zoomed
5. Make sure that there is an active Internet connection.

6. Set your preferences (such as iCloud) to avoid unnecessary pop-ups.

7. Additional steps for specific iOS versions:
   

Version	Details
iOS 15 and later	We recommend not setting a passcode/ TouchID/ FaceID for iOS 15 and later unless it is necessary. If the passcode, TouchID or FaceID is not turned off on the device, when the WebdriverAgent-runner is launched, iOS requires the user to authenticate through the security mechanism configured. This requires manual intervention with the device.
iOS 16 and later	Developer mode must be enabled. Developer mode is enabled automatically for devices running on iOS 16 and later. Developer mode can only be enabled automatically if there is no passcode set on the device. We recommend not setting a passcode on devices used for testing. If the device has a passcode, enable the Developer mode option in Settings > Privacy & Security > Developer Mode. For more details on developer mode, see the Apple Developer documentation.

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Connect devices to Digital Lab

If you have not already done so, make sure that you have re-signed the Agent apps with your development certificate. For details, see Re-sign the Agent apps.

Devices can be connected using a USB cable to the UFT Digital Lab server or to a connector machine. For iOS devices that support cellular networks, a SIM card should be in the device. To connect devices directly to the UFT Digital Lab server, the server must be installed with the embedded connector. For details, see Windows Installation or Linux Installation.If you are connecting devices to a connector machine, see Install the connector on a Linux machine, Install the connector on a Windows machine or Install the connector on a Mac machine.

To connect a device to the UFT Digital Lab server:

1. Connect the device to the server machine using a USB cable.
   

Note: On some devices, when you connect the device, there may be notification, trust, or location pop-ups. Accept these pop-ups.

2. Wait until the Agent is running on the device.

If the agent does not start up on the device, verify that the devices are recognized:


Linux
1. Navigate to the linux folder:
   Server machine:<path to you server installation folder>/server/libimobiledevice/linux/ Default: /opt/UFTMobile/server/libimobiledevice/linux/
   Connector machine:<path to your connector installation folder>/connector/libimobiledevice/linux/ Default: /opt/Digital Lab/connector/libimobiledevice/linux/
   
2. Run idevice_id –l

The result of this command should be a list of devices IDs (UDID). If the command returns an empty result or ERROR message, try the following:
1. Log in as root on the Digital Lab server or connector machine.
2. Locate the process ID of “usbmuxd”"
   ps aux | grep '[u]sbmuxd'
3. Kill the process:
   kill –9 <processID>
4. Start usbmuxd again:
   usbmuxd
5. Run idevice_id –l again to see if the server recognizes the device.
Windows
1. Open a command prompt window and navigate to the following folder:
   Devices connected to server machine:<Path to your Windows server folder>server\libimobiledevice\win or
   Devices connected to standalone connector: <Path to your Windows Connector folder>\libimobiledevice\win
2. Run the following command: idevice_id –l
The result of this command should be a list of devices IDs (UDID). If there are no devices listed when a device is connected to USB port, this may mean that:
• The USB port is not working (hardware problem)
• iTunes is not installed, or you are not using the most up-to-date version of iTunes on the Connector computer. In this case, you should download the latest version of iTunes.

Additional considerations for iOS devices

If you have not already done so, enable UI Automation on the device in Settings > Developer > Enable UI Automation. Disconnect the device, wait 5 seconds, and then reconnect it.

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Troubleshooting iOS devices

For help with troubleshooting iOS devices see iOS devices.

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See also:

• Manage devices
• iOS options
• Workflow to connect a device
• Troubleshooting the Windows connector
• Troubleshooting and tips