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Getting started

Install PinDrift, pair your iPhone, and run your first teleport. About ten minutes the first time. PinDrift runs on Windows and macOS and drives an iPhone’s GPS over USB (or Wi-Fi after the first pairing). There’s no license key and no account to start: every install gets a free teleporting trial.

1. Before you begin

You’ll need:

A Windows 10 (22H2+) / 11 PC or a Mac (macOS 13+, Apple Silicon or Intel)
An iPhone running iOS 17 or newer (iPhone 13 / SE 3rd-gen and later). PinDrift is iPhone-only. There is no Android version.
A USB-C or Lightning data cable for the first connection (charge-only cables won’t work)
Your iPhone’s passcode: iOS requires one to enable Developer Mode

No card, no key, no account to start

Every install gets a real free trial: 8 hours of teleporting time. The clock only starts on your first successful teleport and only counts while a teleport is actually running, so installing, pairing, and setup don’t burn any of it. When the trial runs out you pick a plan and PinDrift unlocks automatically. There’s nothing to “activate.” Plans: $3.99 10-Day Pass, $5/mo, $25/yr, or $50 once (Lifetime). See pricing.

2. Install PinDrift

Windows

Download PinDrift-Setup.exe from pindrift.app. The installer isn’t code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may warn you the first time. Click More info → Run anyway. (More on that warning.)
Run the installer and launch PinDrift from the Start menu. It ships only PinDrift: no bundled toolbars, no “PC optimizer,” no third-party offers.
Install Apple Devices from the Microsoft Store if you don’t already have it (or iTunes). It provides the iPhone USB driver Windows needs to see your phone.

macOS

Download the Mac build from pindrift.app and open the .dmg.
Drag PinDrift into Applications.
First launch: right-click PinDrift → Open to clear Gatekeeper (the app isn’t notarized yet). After the first time it opens normally. macOS already has the iPhone drivers built in. Nothing extra to install.

3. Pair your iPhone

Two one-time switches on the phone, then PinDrift can drive its GPS. No Mac required for either, no Xcode, no jailbreak.

3a. Plug in & Trust

Plug the iPhone into the computer with a data cable and unlock it.
iOS asks “Trust This Computer?” Tap Trust and enter your passcode. You only do this once per (phone, PC) pair.

Trust prompt didn’t appear?

Unlock the iPhone, unplug it, and re-plug it. iOS only shows the prompt to an unlocked phone. On Windows, make sure Apple Devices (or iTunes) is installed so Windows can talk to the iPhone.

3b. Enable Developer Mode (iOS 17+)

iOS 17 added Developer Mode as a security gate, and PinDrift needs it on. The toggle lives on the phone. No Mac required.

In PinDrift’s Device panel, click Reveal Developer Mode. This makes the toggle appear in iOS Settings (it stays hidden until then).
On the iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security → scroll to the bottom → Developer Mode → turn it on.
Restart the iPhone when prompted. After it reboots it shows a one-time “Turn On Developer Mode?” → tap Turn On and enter your passcode.
PinDrift detects Developer Mode the moment it’s on and moves you forward. You’ll see “Device connected and ready.”

A passcode is required

iOS won’t enable Developer Mode without a device passcode set (Settings → Face ID & Passcode). The confirmation tap after reboot is Apple’s anti-coercion gate. Even Xcode requires it. Once on, it stays on until you turn it off.

4. Run your first teleport

Open the Teleport tab in the sidebar.
Pick a place: drag the red pin, click anywhere on the map, search an address, type lat/lng directly, or pick a Favorite/Preset.
Click Start Teleporting. Your iPhone’s GPS now reports the picked location to every app.
Verify on the phone: open Apple Maps, tap the locate button, and confirm the blue dot lands where you put the pin. (Force-quit and reopen Maps if it shows your real spot first; Maps caches GPS aggressively.)

Stopping the teleport

Click Stop Teleporting and the phone returns to real GPS within a few seconds. The teleport also clears on its own when you unplug the phone or close PinDrift. That’s an iOS limitation, not a PinDrift one.

5. Go wireless (optional)

After the first USB pairing you can ditch the cable. Plug in over USB once and accept the Trust prompt, then unplug. PinDrift keeps talking to the iPhone over the network as long as both devices can see each other: the same Wi-Fi, your PC’s mobile hotspot, or the iPhone’s Personal Hotspot. Wireless setup →

What breaks wireless

iCloud Private Relay and full-tunnel VPNs running on the phone block the local connection. Turn them off for PinDrift’s network, or stay on USB.

6. Multiple iPhones at once

Yearly and Lifetime unlock teleporting up to 10 iPhones at the same time on one PC (multi-tunnel). Pair each phone once (steps 3a–3b on each), and they all appear in PinDrift’s Device panel so you can drive any subset together. Multi-device guide →

7. Compatibility

What PinDrift works with today. We update this within a week of every iOS release.

Host computer

OS	Status	Notes
Windows 11	Supported	Primary target. Tested here first.
Windows 10 (22H2+)	Supported	Fully supported. Earlier 10 builds aren’t tested.
macOS 13+	Supported	Universal binary, Apple Silicon and Intel.

iPhone compatibility

iPhone	Status
iPhone 17 series (17, Air, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max)	Supported
iPhone 16 series (16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 16e)	Supported
iPhone 15 series (15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max)	Supported
iPhone 14 series (14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max)	Supported
iPhone 13 / SE 3rd gen (on iOS 17+)	Supported
iPhone 12 and earlier	Not supported

If your iPhone runs iOS 17 or newer, PinDrift supports it. iOS 17 introduced the Developer Mode framework PinDrift relies on; older iOS doesn’t have it.

iOS versions

iOS	Status	Notes
iOS 26 (current)	Supported	Including 26.x point releases.
iOS 18	Supported
iOS 17	Supported	Minimum supported version.
iOS 16 and earlier	Not supported	Lacks the Developer Mode framework PinDrift requires.

USB cables & ports

PinDrift works with any cable that carries data. Charge-only cables won’t work.

Cable	Status
Apple-supplied USB-C and Lightning cables	Always works
Third-party MFi-certified data cables	Works
USB-C-to-USB-C with data support	Works
Charge-only cables (common with car chargers)	No data, won’t work
USB hubs	Sometimes	Direct PC ports are most reliable; powered hubs beat bus-powered ones.

What we don’t support, on purpose

Jailbroken iPhones. PinDrift is a clean tool. Nothing here depends on jailbreak.
Android. PinDrift is iPhone-only.
iPads. Possible in principle, not tested. Contact us if you need it.
Enterprise-managed iPhones. Most carrier locks don’t affect Developer Mode, but an MDM profile can. If your phone is managed, your IT admin’s policy applies.

8. What’s next

Feature tour: routes, multi-device, favorites, presets, match clock
Wireless: ditch the cable and run over Wi-Fi
FAQ: common questions answered

Stuck? Send your iPhone model and iOS version via the contact form.