iPhone App Guide

Cause: Your PC is missing Apple's USB communication service. File Explorer reads photos a different way, so seeing photos doesn't mean Medjed can reach the iPhone. "No phone detected" on the main screen has the same cause.

1. Search for "Apple Devices" in the Microsoft Store and install it (or install iTunes from Apple's website — either one)
2. Restart the PC after installing
3. Reconnect the iPhone and click "Re-check" in the wizard

Cause: The cable can only charge, not transfer data (we've seen a USB-C to Lightning cable do this — switching cables fixed it), or the phone is locked or hasn't trusted the PC yet.

1. Use a cable that can transfer data (an Apple cable is the most reliable)
2. Unlock the iPhone
3. When "Trust This Computer?" appears, tap "Trust" and enter your passcode
4. Click "Re-check" in the wizard

Cause: The phone doesn't trust this PC, or the trust record has expired (common after an iOS update).

1. Unlock the iPhone, unplug the USB cable and plug it back in
2. When the Trust prompt appears, tap "Trust" and enter your passcode
3. No prompt: on the iPhone go to Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset Location & Privacy, then reconnect (this resets location and privacy settings for all apps, so you'll need to allow them again)
4. Click "Re-check" in the wizard

Cause: iOS hides Developer Mode by default. The PC has to tell the phone to show the option first.

1. In wizard step 2, click "Show the option on iPhone"
2. On the iPhone: Settings › Privacy & Security, scroll to the bottom › Developer Mode › turn it on
3. Confirm when it asks to restart
4. After it restarts and you unlock it, tap "Turn On" and enter your passcode
5. Still not there: unplug and replug, click "Show the option on iPhone" again, or restart the iPhone once

Cause: The wizard sets up one phone at a time.

1. Leave only the phone you want to set up plugged in
2. Click "Re-check" and continue

Cause: iloader isn't installed, or isn't in the default location. SideStore is about 28 MB downloaded from GitHub, which can take several minutes on a slow connection.

1. Click "Get iloader" in the wizard (download only from the official site, iloader.app)
2. Install to the default location, then click "Re-check" → "Open iloader"
3. Sign in to iloader with your own Apple ID (preferably one just for sideloading, see the FAQ) → click "SideStore (Stable)"
4. Several minutes is normal, so don't close it. If you see "iloader is already open", switch to its window instead of opening a second one

Cause: The iPhone doesn't have a passcode set.

1. iPhone Settings › Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) → Turn Passcode On
2. Go back to iloader and click "SideStore (Stable)" again

Cause: SideStore itself also needs to be signed in to an Apple ID — the same one you used in iloader.

1. Open SideStore → Settings at the bottom
2. Sign in with the same Apple ID you used in iloader
3. Install Medjed again

Cause: The PC can only see whether LocalDevVPN is installed, not whether it's connected. SideStore can't install apps unless it's connected.

1. As in ①, open LocalDevVPN, tap Connect, and check for the VPN icon at the top right
2. Then install Medjed in SideStore

Cause: SideStore isn't installed yet, the PC is offline, or the phone is locked or doesn't trust this PC.

1. Finish step 3 (SideStore) first
2. Make sure the PC is online and the phone is unlocked and trusts this PC, then click again
3. Once it works, on the phone: open LocalDevVPN → SideStore "My Apps" → "+" at the top left → On My iPhone › SideStore → tap "Medjed.ipa" to install

Cause: Developer Mode is off, the phone is locked, Medjed isn't installed yet, or the iOS service just started and hasn't found the phone.

1. Make sure Settings › Privacy & Security › Developer Mode is on
2. Unlock the phone, and tap "Trust" if asked
3. Make sure Medjed is installed through SideStore
4. Click "Yes" when Windows User Account Control appears
5. Wait a few seconds and click again

Cause: The phone hasn't been paired yet, or the pairing file didn't arrive. Medjed picks up a pairing file from the PC automatically even while it's open, so there's no need to restart the app. If the wizard says it's done but you still see this, the file usually didn't copy completely, or Medjed was deleted and reinstalled afterwards.

1. Open Medjed Settings › Connection & Pairing (設定 › 連線與配對) — opening this page checks for the pairing file again — and look at the log (紀錄) at the bottom
2. iOS 27 or later: tap "Pair this phone (iOS 27+, no PC)" (配對這支手機（iOS 27 以上，不用電腦）) and follow Pairing inside the app
3. iOS 26 or earlier, or the log says the format is wrong (格式不對): connect to the PC and redo wizard step 6
4. When the status changes to "Not connected" (未連線), tap "Connect" (連線)

Cause: The installation is incomplete, or your antivirus quarantined Medjed's files.

1. Add the Medjed install folder to your antivirus exclusions (restore anything in quarantine first)
2. Reinstall Medjed (your favorites and settings are kept)

Cause: The Medjed installer isn't digitally signed yet, so Windows treats it as coming from an unknown publisher.

1. Blue SmartScreen window: click "More info" → "Run anyway"
2. If an older version is already installed, update from inside the app instead (no SmartScreen warning)
3. Blocked by Smart App Control: let us know on Discord. We don't recommend turning off system protection for this

Cause: iOS 17 and later need a background service that runs with administrator rights. Medjed starts it automatically after you connect an iPhone (a UAC prompt appears). If you click "No" or it times out, it won't pop up again on its own for 30 minutes.

1. Click "⚙ Tools › Start iOS service" → click "Yes" on the UAC prompt
2. Make sure your Windows account is an administrator
3. Add the Medjed install folder to your antivirus exclusions
4. Still not working: close Medjed and open it again

Cause: The iOS service hasn't picked up this iPhone: the service isn't running, Developer Mode is off, the phone doesn't trust the PC, or an iOS update reset the phone's trust.

1. Make sure "Start iOS service" shows 🟢 (if it's 🔴, see the item above)
2. Make sure Developer Mode is on
3. Unlock the iPhone → unplug and replug USB → tap "Trust" and enter your passcode
4. No Trust prompt: reset Location & Privacy as in You tapped "Don't Trust", then reconnect
5. Still Unauthorized: click "⚙ Tools › Copy diagnostic info" and paste it in a direct message to the admin on Discord (it contains your iPhone's name, its UDID and your Windows username, so don't post it in a public channel). We'll walk you through clearing the old pairing records on the PC (this needs administrator rights — please don't delete things on your own)

Cause: The background iOS service isn't running, or hasn't found this phone yet (Developer Mode off, not trusted, or just plugged in).

1. Click "⚙ Tools › Start iOS service" → click "Yes" on UAC, and wait for 🟢
2. Click "⚙ Tools › Detect device"
3. Make sure Developer Mode is on and the phone is unlocked, then send again

Cause: An app that's already open is still using the old location, or the iOS service isn't running.

1. Swipe the map app away in the app switcher, then open it again
2. Make sure "Start iOS service" shows 🟢
3. Keep the iPhone unlocked

Cause: A simulated location stays on the iPhone until it's cleared — unplugging doesn't clear it. After clearing, your real location comes back within 30–60 seconds (faster outdoors).

1. Before unplugging, click "⚙ Tools › Clear simulation before unplug" and wait until it says it's cleared (✅)
2. Already unplugged: on the iPhone, turn Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services off and on again
3. Or turn on Airplane Mode for 30 seconds, then turn it off
4. Restart the iPhone only as a last resort

Cause: With "Optimize iPhone Storage" on, originals are in iCloud and only thumbnails are on the phone, so no tool can export the originals. Photos also relies on the PC's iOS service.

1. To export originals: on the iPhone, change Settings › Photos to "Download and Keep Originals" and wait for the download to finish
2. Can't connect: on the main screen, make sure the iOS service shows 🟢 and the iPhone is listed, then reload

Cause: Medjed reaches the phone's own location service through LocalDevVPN. If LocalDevVPN isn't connected or is stuck, or the phone had no Wi-Fi while the connection was being set up, you'll see this.

1. Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect; the VPN icon must appear at the top right
2. Make sure Settings › Privacy & Security › Developer Mode is still on
3. Make sure the phone is on Wi-Fi or a hotspot (see the next item for why)
4. In Medjed, tap "Reconnect" (重新連線) on the red banner, or tap "Connect" (連線) in Settings › Connection & Pairing
5. Still no luck: disconnect LocalDevVPN and connect it again; if that doesn't help, close Medjed and open it again (with Wi-Fi or a hotspot)

Cause: To set up a new connection, the iPhone must be connected to a Wi-Fi network or hotspot — cellular alone won't work. Once the connection is up, you can turn Wi-Fi off and keep going on cellular.

1. Join any Wi-Fi network, or another phone's Personal Hotspot
2. Wait for Medjed to show "Connected" (已連線)
3. After that you can turn off Wi-Fi or the hotspot and continue on cellular
4. Connect somewhere with Wi-Fi before you head out. After the phone restarts or Medjed is closed, you'll need Wi-Fi or a hotspot again

Cause: Pairing files occasionally stop working on their own. They may also stop working after an iOS update or a phone reset.

iOS 27 or later (no PC)

1. Connect LocalDevVPN, with the phone on Wi-Fi or a hotspot
2. Medjed Settings › Connection & Pairing → gear icon at the top right → "Re-pair (no PC)" (重新配對（不用電腦）)
3. Then enter the code as in Pairing inside the app

iOS 26 or earlier

1. Connect the phone to the PC and open the desktop "iOS Setup Wizard"
2. Do step 6 to put the pairing file back

Cause: Pairing works by broadcasting on the local network, so the phone needs Wi-Fi or a hotspot, and Medjed needs Local Network permission. When you switch to the Settings app, the pairing code is sent to you as a notification.

1. Join Wi-Fi or a hotspot and turn on LocalDevVPN
2. Medjed Settings › Connection & Pairing → "Pair this phone (iOS 27+, no PC)" (配對這支手機（iOS 27 以上，不用電腦）). If it was paired before, use "Re-pair (no PC)" under the gear icon at the top right
3. Tap "Allow" if asked about notifications
4. Open iPhone Settings › Privacy & Security › Developer Mode, scroll down, and tap the Medjed entry (named "Medjed-" followed by letters and numbers)
5. Enter the 6-digit pairing code shown in Medjed (or in the notification), then go back to Medjed
6. If it fails, wait a few seconds before trying again — don't tap repeatedly

Cause: Medjed doesn't have Local Network permission. It needs it to reach the phone's own location service and to broadcast while pairing.

1. iPhone Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network
2. Turn Medjed on
3. Go back to Medjed and tap "Reconnect", or pair again

Cause: The phone's developer components didn't load. We're still looking into why.

1. Make sure Settings › Privacy & Security › Developer Mode is on
2. Take a screenshot and send it, along with the log, in a direct message to the admin on Discord (see Still stuck?)

Cause: The iPhone hasn't been unlocked since it restarted, so iOS temporarily won't let apps read data stored on the phone.

1. Unlock the iPhone
2. Wait a few seconds and try again

Cause: LocalDevVPN was turned off or dropped. Also, if Medjed is swiped away in the app switcher or the phone restarts, the location returns to your real one right away (the app is already closed in those cases, so there's no notification).

1. First stop using the app that relies on your location
2. Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect; Medjed recovers automatically (you'll get a "Medjed reconnected" (Medjed 已恢復連線) notification)
3. Or tap "Reconnect" on the red banner. If it doesn't recover and the phone is on cellular only, join Wi-Fi or a hotspot first (see cellular only)
4. Don't swipe Medjed away in the app switcher. After a restart, the phone needs Wi-Fi or a hotspot to reconnect

Cause: Background keep-alive is turned off, or Medjed has no location permission, so iOS suspends Medjed in the background. The silent audio is practically inaudible and won't interrupt your music; the locations that background location keep-alive receives aren't used by the app, and aren't uploaded to the Medjed server.

1. Medjed Settings › Connection & Pairing → gear icon at the top right
2. Turn on both "Silent audio keep-alive" (無聲音訊保活) and "Background location keep-alive" (背景定位保活)
3. iPhone Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Medjed → choose "While Using the App"

Cause: Medjed wasn't connected when you tapped stop (usually LocalDevVPN was off), so the clear command couldn't get through.

1. Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect
2. Go back to Medjed and wait for "Connected"; it clears automatically
3. Still stuck: turn iPhone Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services off and on again

Cause: Medjed isn't connected yet, or the phone isn't paired yet. "Simulating (connection lost)" (模擬中（連線中斷）) on the map has the same cause.

1. Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect
2. Put the phone on Wi-Fi or a hotspot
3. In Settings › Connection & Pairing, check that it says "Connected"; once connected, it sends the location or starts the route automatically
4. If it says it isn't paired yet (還沒配對), see Pairing file not imported

Cause: iPhone Location Services are off, or Medjed has no location permission.

1. Turn on iPhone Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services
2. On the same page, find Medjed → choose "While Using the App"

Cause: Medjed's notification permission is off. The app asks only once — the first time you tap Connect or Pair — so after that you have to turn it on in Settings. Without notification permission, refresh reminders aren't scheduled either, and you'll only see the red and orange banners inside the app.

1. iPhone Settings › Notifications › Medjed → Allow Notifications
2. Go back to Medjed (refresh reminders are rescheduled automatically when you return to the app)

Cause: The app can't read its own signing info, so it can't schedule refresh reminders.

1. Check how many days Medjed has left in SideStore › My Apps instead
2. Set a reminder in the iPhone Reminders app that repeats every 5–6 days

Cause: After an iOS update, SideStore's own pairing file may no longer be valid.

1. First go through "Refresh failed?" in ② (VPN icon, SideStore Apple ID)
2. Still failing: connect the phone to the PC, open iloader → "Manage Pairing File" → click "Place" for SideStore
3. Or redo step 3 of the desktop wizard to reinstall SideStore (with the same Apple ID)

Cause: SideStore can't install anything without LocalDevVPN. If Medjed can't find SideStore on the phone, it opens "④ Update Medjed" on this page instead.

1. Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect first
2. Tap "Update with SideStore" again
3. Still no luck: use method 1, 2 or 3 in ④

Cause: On a slow or unstable network, the download can drop partway through. Switching away from SideStore during the download may also interrupt it.

1. Connect to Wi-Fi
2. Keep SideStore on screen during the download
3. If it fails, tap again
4. Keeps failing: use method 3 in ④ to put it on the phone from your PC

Cause: The phone is offline, or the website can't be reached right now. Medjed also checks on its own when you open it (at most once every 6 hours).

1. Make sure the phone is online
2. After a few minutes, tap Settings › Other › Check for updates (設定 › 其他 › 檢查更新) again

Cause: Simulating location on an iPhone requires a license. Each iPhone can use the trial only once — deleting and reinstalling the app doesn't reset it — and only a limited number of trials can be started from the same network each day.

1. Never tried it: tap "Free 14-day trial" (免費試用 14 天)
2. Already subscribed: tap "Already subscribed: sign in with email" (已經訂閱：用 Email 登入)
3. Trial used up: subscribe, then sign in with your email
4. Too many trials on this network: try again tomorrow

Cause: A code is only sent to an email that currently has an active subscription, and the screen doesn't say why when nothing is sent. Common cases: the email isn't the one you paid with; you just paid and the payment platform hasn't notified our server yet; or the subscription has expired or is paused. Also, the same email can get a code only once every 60 seconds and at most 5 times an hour.

1. Use the email you entered when paying (the one on your payment receipt), and check your spam and promotions folders
2. Just paid: wait a few minutes, then tap "Resend" (重新寄送)
3. Subscription expired: renew on our website first. Paused: resume it in the Polar customer portal (don't pay again, or you'll end up with two subscriptions)
4. Told to wait: once the time shown on screen has passed, tap "Resend"
5. Still nothing: send the email you paid with in a direct message to the admin on Discord (not in a public channel, and never send your card number)

Cause: A typo, a code from an older email (once you tap "Resend", the old code stops working), or the code has expired. A code is valid for 10 minutes; after that, the screen may only say "Wrong code" rather than "expired".

1. Use the 6-digit code from the newest email
2. After 10 minutes, or after 5 wrong tries with the same code, tap "Resend" to get a new one
3. If it says too many attempts, wait 10 minutes

Cause: This is rare. Codes are only sent to emails with an active subscription, so this usually means the subscription expired or was paused between receiving the code and signing in.

1. Expired: renew on our website first. Paused: resume it in the Polar customer portal (don't pay again)
2. Back in Medjed, tap "Resend" and sign in with the new code
3. Sure your subscription is active and still seeing this: send a direct message to the admin on Discord (see Still stuck?)

Cause: When the subscription expires or the trial ends, Medjed stops simulating automatically. The trial is one-time only; after it ends, you need a subscription to keep using it.

1. Tap "Renew" (續訂) and complete the payment (if your trial ended, this is where you subscribe)
2. Back in Medjed, tap "Renewed — sign in again" (已續訂，重新登入) and sign in with the email you paid with

Cause: The subscription has been paused on the payment platform (Polar).

1. Tap "Resume subscription" (恢復訂閱) — it opens the Polar customer portal
2. Resume the subscription there. Don't pay again, or you'll end up with two subscriptions
3. Back in Medjed, tap "Resumed — sign in again" (已恢復，重新登入)

Cause: The phone's clock is too far off from the correct time, so the security check fails.

1. iPhone Settings › General › Date & Time
2. Turn on "Set Automatically"
3. Try again in Medjed
4. If the whole screen is locked: subscribers tap "Renewed — sign in again" (已續訂，重新登入) and sign in with their email. On a trial, also tap "Renewed — sign in again" first, then on the sign-in screen tap back (top left) to return to My Account (我的帳號) and tap "Free 14-day trial" (免費試用 14 天) — this picks up your existing trial; it doesn't restart it

Cause: After the phone restarts, Medjed needs to go online once to confirm your license. If the phone has no internet at all for more than 30 minutes while in use, Medjed also stops simulating automatically and the location returns to your real one.

1. Get the phone online (cellular or Wi-Fi is fine)
2. Tap "Retry" (重試) or "Check again" (重新確認)
3. If it says the server is having temporary trouble (伺服器暫時異常), just wait — the app retries on its own
4. Send your location again. Keep this in mind before spending a long time somewhere without signal (mountains, basements)

Cause: One account can register 1 PC + 1 iPhone + 1 Android. You can switch phones once every 7 days (signing out the old phone first still counts as a switch).

1. Sure you want to switch: tap "Switch to this one" (換成這支), and the old phone gets signed out
2. Told to wait: sign in after the date shown on screen
3. To free the slot first: on the old phone, open Medjed Settings › My Account › Sign out this phone (設定 › 我的帳號 › 登出這支手機)

Cause: Someone signed in to the same account on another iPhone and chose "Switch to this one".

1. To keep using this phone: tap "Renewed — sign in again" (已續訂，重新登入), sign in with your email and choose "Switch to this one" (once every 7 days)
2. If you didn't do this yourself: contact us on Discord

Cause: Favorites, automatic backups and the pairing file are all stored inside the app, so deleting the app deletes them too. Trial history stays with the phone, so reinstalling doesn't reset it.

1. Before deleting: Medjed Settings › Data backup (資料備份) → "Export backup" (匯出備份), and save it to iCloud Drive
2. After reinstalling: tap "Import backup" (匯入備份) in the same place
3. Pair again: on iOS 27 or later, use "Pair this phone" in the app; on iOS 26 or earlier, connect to the PC and do wizard step 6
4. Subscribers: sign in again with the same email. Signing in again on the same phone doesn't count as switching phones. On a trial: go to Settings › My Account (設定 › 我的帳號) and tap "Free 14-day trial" (免費試用 14 天) again — this picks up your existing trial; it doesn't restart it

Cause: A new (or reset) phone needs to be set up and paired again, and one account can only register one iPhone at a time.

1. If you're switching phones, first on the old phone: Medjed "Export backup" to iCloud Drive → Settings › My Account › Sign out this phone
2. Connect to the PC and go through the "iOS Setup Wizard" from the start (install SideStore, add Medjed, pair; on iOS 27 or later, pairing can be done in the app)
3. In Medjed on the phone: "Import backup" → sign in with your email

Cause: An iOS update can invalidate the phone's trust in the PC and Medjed's pairing file.

With a PC

1. Unplug and replug USB, then tap "Trust" again
2. Make sure Developer Mode is still on
3. Still "Unauthorized": see Unauthorized

Phone on its own

1. Pair again as in The pairing file is invalid
2. SideStore refresh failing too: see After an iOS update, SideStore refresh keeps failing

Cause: A license can only be used on one PC at a time, and you can switch PCs once every 7 days.

1. Old PC still available: on the old PC, click "Switch PC (unbind this machine)", then enter the same license key on the new PC
2. Subscription with email sign-in: sign in on the new PC and confirm when asked "Move it to this PC?" (the old PC gets signed out)
3. Old PC already wiped and can't be unbound: send the old PC code shown in brackets (or your license key) in a direct message to the admin on Discord and we'll take care of it. Never post the code or your license key in a public channel (a license key works like a password — someone else could use it)
4. On the new PC, tap "Trust" on the iPhone again. If Medjed on the phone was already connecting fine, leave it; if it can't connect, do wizard step 6 on the new PC

Cause: The wrong file, an invalid GPX file, or a bad point in the route.

1. Make sure you picked a .gpx file, or a backup file made with Medjed's "Export backup"
2. A route needs at least 2 points
3. If it says one segment is … km long (有一段長達 … km) after importing: open that route, tap "✏️ Edit points" (✏️ 編輯點) and delete the bad point (e.g. 0,0)

Medjed isn't on the App Store, so you install it with SideStore using your own Apple ID. The limitation of a free Apple ID is that you have to refresh every 7 days.

No. Your Apple ID is only entered on your phone (in SideStore) and in iloader. Medjed can't access it. We recommend using your own Apple ID, not one someone else gives you, and ideally a separate one just for sideloading (see the next question). Your Medjed account itself has no password (you sign in with an email code), so there's no Medjed password that could leak.

We recommend creating a separate Apple ID just for sideloading, with two-factor authentication turned on. Use it only to sign in to iloader and SideStore. If something happens to that Apple ID (for example, Apple asks you to reset its password or temporarily locks it), your everyday iCloud, photos and payments aren't affected.

1. Create the new Apple ID on Apple's official site, account.apple.com (you need an email address that isn't already used for an Apple ID)
2. You don't need to sign out of iCloud on your phone. Sign in with the new Apple ID only in iloader and SideStore
3. iloader and SideStore must use the same Apple ID

Good to know: to refresh every 7 days, SideStore stores this Apple ID's password in your phone's Keychain. iloader only saves it on your PC if you tick "Save Credentials", so don't tick it on a shared PC. Only download iloader from iloader.app. Don't use an Apple ID someone else gives you, and don't give yours to anyone. An extra Mac in your Apple ID's device list is normal (iloader and SideStore sign in as if they were a Mac).

Already installed with your everyday Apple ID? You don't have to switch. Switching means reinstalling: first "Export backup" in Medjed as described in this item, then reinstall following the "SideStore won't open either" row in ③ (this time sign in to both iloader and SideStore with the new Apple ID), then import the backup and pair again.

A free Apple ID can only have 3 self-installed apps like this at a time (SideStore itself counts as 1). Remove apps you don't use in SideStore › My Apps to free up a slot.

See New phone, reinstall, iOS update, new PC in "⑤ Troubleshooting".

Yes. Once you've finished the whole setup wizard, your phone can change its location on its own as long as LocalDevVPN is on; while a connection is being set up, the phone needs to be on Wi-Fi or a hotspot (see ⑤). You do need a PC for the first install (including a new or reset phone), when SideStore itself has expired and won't open (see ③), and when SideStore refresh keeps failing after an iOS update (see this item in ⑤). If the pairing file stops working, iOS 27 or later can re-pair inside the app; only iOS 26 or earlier needs a PC for that. Updates can be done on the phone (see "④ Update Medjed").