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Using iPhone to run Windows 11? Yes, these two devices and systems that have nothing to do with each other will eventually merge.

Although no matter from which direction you look at it, this is a very strange way of playing.But what this represents is the further loosening of the iOS ecosystem, and the Androidization of iOS seems to no longer be limited to functions and experience.

The people who came up with this new thing are the well-known overseas system streamlining team NTDEV. They successfully ran Windows 11 on the iPhone 15 Pro and it can be used normally, opening a new door for those who want to tinker with the iPhone.

Looking at the Windows 11 desktop on the iPhone screen, Xiao Lei was really curious about how NTDEV completed the system installation and what the actual experience was like. So, this article was written.

How to install Windows on iPhone?

Trying to run Windows systems on different mobile phones has always been an annual must-do for geeks. From the early Windows Mobile to the later Windows Phone, they are all the hardest hit areas for geeks. In addition to the systems customized by Microsoft for mobile phones,Geeks are also keen on flashing PC systems such as Windows XP/7/8 onto Android phones, allowing you to experience the fun of trying to identify the menu button and shutdown button on this 6-inch screen.

However, except for a few systems that meet the conditions for native installation, most systems are installed and started through virtual machines, simulators, etc., which is essentially a "cheap" route.

Before this year, even with a "cheat" method, it was impossible to run Windows on iOS, because the iOS App Store directly rejected all applications for simulator apps, and naturally there was no room for simulator apps to run.

However, this situation changed some time ago. Under pressure from the European Union, Apple decided to open a third-party app store and approved the first retro game console emulator's application for listing on the App Store in April this year. This news made emulator enthusiasts all over the world overjoyed, because this was the first time an application for a emulator App was approved since the launch of the App Store on iOS.

With the precedent of IGBA, many simulator authors have announced that they have submitted their apps for review. Although most simulator apps were rejected for the first time, some apps were finally approved after secondary compliance modifications, including our protagonist today - UTM SE.

Unlike retro game emulator apps, UTM SE is a virtual machine app that runs an "old version of Windows system". When it was first tried to be put on the shelves, it was ruthlessly rejected by Apple on the grounds that it did not meet the conditions of "specially simulating retro game consoles". In addition, the app also used JIT technology (just-in-time compilation function, Apple prohibits third-party apps from calling this function in the iOS system), which also caused UTM SE to fail the initial review.

Fortunately, the development team of UTM SE did not give up, but chose to cooperate with netizens, bypassing the App's need for JIT technology in a clever way, and successfully convinced Apple's review team to recognize that UTM SE is an emulator that simulates Windows XP and earlier Windows systems and provides players with a retro experience.

However, UTM SE is essentially a virtual machine software, which means that as long as your system installation package meets the running requirements of the App, it can be installed in UTM SE and started through the iPhone. Originally, in order to restrict users from running on the App, UTM SE restricted the system resources that the App could provide, so that the App could only run old versions of the system such as Windows XP, and it was basically impossible to install Windows 11.

Because Windows 11 not only requires more than 4GB of RAM and more than 64GB of system space, but also needs to verify whether the TPM 2.0 security module is enabled before it can be installed. Not to mention that the iPhone does not have a TPM 2.0 security module at all, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space also exceed the resource limit of UTM SE.

However, these restrictions did not stop NTDEV. They created a new streamlined version of Windows 11 for UTM SE, removed mandatory verification measures such as TPM 2.0 and 4GB of RAM, and deleted a large number of non-essential Windows official programs and applications, reducing the file size of Windows 11 after installation from 40GB to less than 4GB.

The streamlined Windows 11 finally meets the running requirements of UTM SE. NTDEV has not announced the flashing process, but it should be similar to the normal operation process, and the system was successfully started on the iPhone 15 Pro at the earliest. However, according to NTDEV, it takes more than 20 minutes just to start the system, and the subsequent software experience is also very poor. In addition, the system adaptation is not good, resulting in the system desktop being forcibly cut off, which does not look good.

If Windows XP on UTM SE can still play retro games, then Windows 11 is pure hacking, at least from the screenshots released so far, it is basically unusable. But this success story gives NTDEV great confidence that it only needs to continue to optimize, and sooner or later Windows 11 will be able to run normally on the iPhone.

Although there are only a few screenshots at present, NTDEV announced on Twitter that it will upload relevant testing and installation videos for everyone's reference. Friends who are interested can follow their Twitter account or wait for domestic bigwigs to move forward.

iOS is abandoning its "ancestral methods" and moving towards openness

The early success of iOS stems from its closed nature and strict restrictions on apps and systems, which allowed iOS to provide users with a better user experience during the rapid development of smartphones.In an era when Android phones often lag after one year and become heavily laggy after two years, iOS’ three-year smooth use experience has been deeply rooted in people’s hearts, making the iPhone one of the most popular smartphones.

However, the closed nature of iOS also poses hidden dangers to a series of subsequent problems.

The first and foremost issue is monopoly. In the United States and the European Union, Apple has been subject to multiple antitrust investigations and has paid huge fines for this.

The closed nature of iOS is also further affecting Apple's ecosystem construction. Some creative applications cannot be released on the App Store due to iOS restrictions.

As the Android system catches up and surpasses, iOS has now lost some of the advantages brought by its closed nature. In terms of system fluency, Android and iOS are currently on par with each other; and in terms of functionality, it is no longer news that Android has surpassed iOS. Even the latest iOS 18 has been criticized by many netizens for being "more and more like Android."

In Apple's view, the closed nature of iOS is its foundation, the "law of our ancestors", and it is absolutely impossible to abandon it. However, times are changing, and iOS must also make changes, especially when it was fined heavily by Europe and the United States in turn, iOS was forced to begin to embrace openness.

From allowing third-party App stores to allowing simulator-type apps to be listed, Apple is trying to increase the openness of the system to developers and users without changing the security of iOS. Although the above measures have not been implemented for a long time, they have already had many impacts on the iOS ecosystem.

First of all, it is compatible with third-party systems. This was almost impossible in the previous iOS environment, but now with the support of virtual machine apps, iPhone can run multiple systems such as Windows XP smoothly, which directly broadens the scope of use of iPhone. Although it can only be used for "entertainment purposes" in many cases, it can also be used as a portable Windows computer when necessary.

Secondly, third-party app stores are reducing Apple's control over the iOS ecosystem. Although apps launched on third-party app stores need to be reviewed by Apple, they are still given greater freedom, and apps downloaded from third-party app stores are not subject to "Apple tax", which is very tempting for developers who have been asking Apple to reduce its commission, and will further reduce Apple's iOS revenue.

“Not as secure anymore,” but iOS can’t go back to the way it was

For users, a more open ecosystem can improve the experience, but it is not all good. As Apple's control over the iOS ecosystem declines, security issues have become a new concern for users. Even with Apple's review as an initial guarantee, it is difficult to track subsequent updates like the App Store, making it difficult to ensure the long-term safety of the App.

Therefore, many users have called on Apple to maintain its regulatory efforts to prevent the security and privacy protections of iOS from being compromised. However, Apple is unlikely to return to its previous extremely closed ecosystem.

On the one hand, the sword of Damocles of antitrust is always hanging high, and Apple obviously does not want to be fined tens of billions of dollars for this.

On the other hand, ecological interoperability is becoming a trend. Domestic companies such as OPPO and vivo have begun to support some standards in the iOS ecosystem in their own systems. Apple's official applications have also become better adapted to the Windows ecosystem in recent years. Whether passively or actively, iOS is having more connections with other operating systems.

Moreover, in recent years, Apple has gradually shifted its revenue focus to software and content ecology. Although third-party application stores have a certain impact on software revenue, the bulk of profits are still on the App Store. Apple is also changing its commission strategy to attract more developers.

As for content revenue, Apple TV is becoming one of the most popular media platforms in the world. Apple TV+'s preferential subscription strategy is rapidly increasing the number of Apple TV+ users. Coupled with Apple's continued investment in the content ecosystem, its market position is also increasing.

The gradual opening of the iOS ecosystem is inevitable, so despite facing many new challenges, it undoubtedly brings more innovation and possibilities. For Apple, the key is to find a balance between openness and closure while maintaining system security and user privacy, so as to meet the growing needs of users and developers.

Running Windows 11 on iPhone will be a new beginning.