Connect an iPhone or iPad

Use AirDrop or a QR code for HTTPS trust, configure the Wi-Fi proxy, and check or repair the connection from your app.

AirDrop sends the trust profile. The setup URL tells Wi-Fi where to send traffic. If you want to read HTTPS responses, do both. If you only need to see whether your app makes a connection, skip the profile and go straight to Wi-Fi setup.

Use a test device you administer, on Wi-Fi that can reach your Mac. Note its existing proxy settings before changing anything. Start the proxy on the Mac, then open Guided Setup & Repair → iOS Setup Guide.

AirDrop the trust profile, or scan the certificate QR code

  1. On the Mac, choose AirDrop to iPhone or iPad and select your device. Accept the transfer on the device. This path doesn’t depend on its default browser.
  2. If AirDrop isn’t available, under Alternative: open the profile URL in Safari, choose Show QR Code. Scan Scan to Install Certificate with the device’s Camera. The code is designed to open Safari. If Camera offers no link or another browser just saves a file, open the displayed profile URL directly in Safari. Export Trust Profile is another option if the profile server is unavailable.
  3. On the device, open Settings → Profile Downloaded. If you don’t see it, check Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. Review the JoesProxy profile from your test Mac, tap Install, enter your passcode if prompted, and confirm.
  4. Go to Settings → General → About → Certificate Trust Settings and enable full trust for JoesProxy Root CA. If the trust setting isn’t there, check that installation finished. Downloading the profile isn’t the same as installing or trusting it.

Scan the Wi-Fi setup QR code or enter the proxy manually

This is a different QR code. In the Mac guide’s Automatic URL section, choose Show QR Code to open the proxy configuration file on the device, or use Copy Setup URL. Scanning does not change the device’s Wi-Fi settings.

On the device, open Settings → Wi-Fi → ⓘ beside the connected network → Configure Proxy → Automatic. Paste the setup URL and tap Save. Leave the Mac proxy running; the setup window itself can close. For manual setup, choose Manual host and port in the guide and Manual on the device. Enter the Mac address and port shown in the guide, not the phone’s localhost.

Verify a request from your app

On the Mac, choose Verify Routing → Watch for Device Traffic. Within 60 seconds, refresh a known screen in your app. Choose View in JoesProxy and match the device, host and time. Fetching the setup file doesn’t count, and traffic from another client doesn’t prove your phone is routed. To verify HTTPS inspection separately, enable inspection for your authorized test host and look for a recognizable field in a fresh response.

Repair the part that failed

  • No traffic after a network change? Check the device is on Wi-Fi, not cellular. In the guide, choose Refresh Address. Recheck the current network’s saved URL or manual host and port. If you changed the automatic configuration’s direct-fallback option, paste the new URL and save again. With fallback enabled, the app can keep working without the proxy. Choose Try Again and generate a fresh request.
  • Safari appears, but your app doesn’t? Routing worked for Safari. Retry the app itself; some apps don’t use the system proxy. Don’t replace a working certificate to fix missing traffic.
  • A connection appears, but no response body? Check the host’s inspection policy and the device’s full-trust switch first. A tunneled connection can be intentional. If the app rejects the test certificate, respect its trust policy.
  • JoesProxy reports that the Mac certificate needs repair? Open Guided Setup & Repair → Repair Certificate… and follow the certificate flow. If the device still has an obsolete unmanaged JoesProxy profile, remove that profile on the device under VPN & Device Management, then AirDrop the current profile, install it and enable full trust again. Leave managed profiles to their administrator. Repeat the same app request to verify the repair.

Restore the device

Return Configure Proxy to the value you recorded for this network. Remove the temporary trust profile if you added it for this test, stop the proxy, and confirm your app works on its usual connection.