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The HackiOS project says it can boot Apple’s open-source XNU kernel and an unmodified iOS 16.5 user space on a POCO X5 Pro 5G, an Android phone. The experimental system runs from RAM and leaves the phone’s storage untouched, but it lacks key functions such as cellular service, Bluetooth and Apple ID sign-in; it is a research bench, not a replacement ROM.
An independent research project called HackiOS says it can boot the iOS 16.5 user space on a POCO X5 Pro 5G, an Android phone, using Apple’s open-source XNU kernel and custom hardware support. The experimental setup runs from the phone’s memory rather than installing a replacement operating system, and the project also provides a QEMU version for Linux computers.
The project describes a boot sequence that starts with its own EFI loader and UEFI port, then runs XNU version 8796.121.2, identified in the repository as the kernel used by iOS 16.5. Above it, the project launches the iOS user space, including launchd, backboardd and SpringBoard. HackiOS says it supplies replacements for Apple’s closed drivers and uses a Linux Wi-Fi driver through a compatibility layer.
On the supported POCO X5 Pro 5G, known by the device code redwood and powered by a Snapdragon 778G, the loader is started with Android’s fastboot boot process. The project says the operating system runs in RAM and does not write to the phone’s storage; rebooting returns the handset to Android. A session runs for a set period before control returns to the loader. The repository also documents a QEMU build for ARM64 virtual hardware, which can run on a Linux computer without a phone.
HackiOS lists a working touchscreen, multitouch, home screen, lock screen and several built-in apps, including Settings, Safari, Photos and Notes. Its project notes also report working Wi-Fi, sound, camera preview and photo capture, as well as support for up to eight CPU cores. Those are project-reported results, not independent test findings. The same documentation lists cellular, Bluetooth, charging under the project’s kernel, video and Live Photo recording, App Store content and Apple ID sign-in as unavailable. It says Metal support is in progress.
A Demonstration, Not an Android ROM
The project matters as a hardware and operating-system compatibility experiment: it attempts to run Apple’s software stack on a commercial Android phone rather than merely reproducing the appearance of iOS. Its reported working interface, apps and selected hardware features suggest that some parts of the system can be adapted to hardware for which Apple did not build iOS.
That does not make the result a practical iPhone substitute or a general method for putting iOS on Android devices. The repository identifies one tested phone model, and core functions remain absent. Apple account services are a particular limitation: the project says there is no Secure Enclave support and that the FairPlay daemon exits, leaving Apple ID sign-in and App Store content unavailable. Readers should treat it as a limited research bench rather than a daily-use operating system or consumer-ready installation.
The RAM-based boot method also shapes the project’s implications for device owners. According to the repository, the normal phone storage is not flashed, so a reboot returns the handset to Android. That is a project-specific description and does not remove the need to follow its requirements, including an unlocked bootloader, or establish that every setup is risk-free.
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How HackiOS Builds the System
The project is split between two GitHub repositories: hackios-xnu-kernel, which contains kernel patches, loader and hardware-support work, and hackios-xnu-userland, which holds the init process, injected libraries, launch jobs and tools for building system images. The developers say neither repository contains Apple files. Instead, their instructions download the iOS 16.5 IPSW from Apple’s CDN to the user’s own machine and extract required components there.
The phone version also depends on firmware taken from the device itself for components such as graphics, Wi-Fi and audio. The project’s documented setup requires a POCO X5 Pro 5G with an unlocked bootloader, along with Android Debug Bridge and fastboot tools. For the QEMU path, the repository lists Linux, free disk space and memory requirements, and says the lock screen appears after roughly two to three minutes. These details describe a technical research setup, not an installer intended for unsupported phones.
HackiOS identifies itself as an independent project by OOSEX GANG and says it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. Apple’s names and trademarks remain Apple’s. The project notes describe the iOS-derived software as being extracted locally from Apple’s distribution rather than included in its repositories.
““It is a research bench, not a ROM.””
— HackiOS project documentation
USB-C fastboot data cable for Android phone
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Limits and Independent Verification
The supplied project material does not establish whether the reported functions have been independently tested or reproduced by outside researchers. It also does not provide a broader compatibility list beyond the POCO X5 Pro 5G and QEMU configurations described. Results on other Android phones, including devices with different chips and drivers, remain unknown.
Several capabilities are explicitly incomplete or unavailable, and the repository does not state when those gaps will be addressed. Its notes list Metal support as in progress and report that 293 of 456 system shaders run on the Adreno GPU, but this is a project metric rather than an independently assessed benchmark. The precise stability, session-to-session reliability and status of each app are also not established in the supplied material.
There is no release date or independent assessment attached to the source material provided here. The repository says prebuilt images are available for releases, but the supplied description does not specify which release is current or how long-term project support will continue.
USB-C OTG adapter for Android smartphone
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Further Driver and App Support
The project’s stated work includes continuing Metal and GPU compatibility, while its current feature list leaves cellular, Bluetooth, charging, video recording and Apple account services unresolved. The repository also offers a QEMU route for people who want to try the work without a supported phone, subject to its Linux requirements and locally built system image.
No schedule for additional hardware support or missing features is given in the supplied material. The next meaningful indicators will be updates to the repositories documenting new supported devices, driver functions, reproducible test results and changes to the list of working or unavailable iOS features.
Snapdragon 778G Android development phone
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Key Questions
Does HackiOS install iOS as a permanent replacement for Android?
No. The project says its POCO X5 Pro setup boots from RAM and does not flash the phone’s storage. Rebooting the device returns it to Android.
Which Android phone does the project support?
The phone configuration described by HackiOS is the POCO X5 Pro 5G, code-named redwood, with a Snapdragon 778G. The project also documents a QEMU build for Linux, but the supplied material does not establish support for other Android phones.
Can users sign in with an Apple ID or download App Store content?
The project lists Apple ID sign-in and App Store content as unavailable. Its notes cite the lack of Secure Enclave support and say the FairPlay daemon exits.
Does the system have working phone features?
HackiOS reports working Wi-Fi, audio and camera preview and photo capture, along with core touchscreen and interface functions. It lists cellular and Bluetooth as not working, so the system is not described as a fully functional phone.
Is HackiOS affiliated with Apple?
No. The project describes itself as an independent research effort and says it is not affiliated with, authorised by or endorsed by Apple.
Source: hn
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