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Install pymobiledevice3

Before acquiring data from an iOS device, we recommend installing pymobiledevice3. It provides command-line tools for generating iTunes-compatible backups and extracting crash logs.

Installation

Install pipx following the MVT installation instructions, then run:

pipx install pymobiledevice3

To update an existing installation:

pipx upgrade pymobiledevice3

On Linux, you also need usbmuxd to communicate with devices over USB. On Debian and Ubuntu, install it with:

sudo apt install usbmuxd

macOS includes the required USB device service. For other platforms and additional requirements, see the pymobiledevice3 installation documentation.

Verify connectivity

Connect the iOS device to your computer with a USB cable and unlock it. Accept the Trust This Computer prompt and enter the device passcode if requested. Then run:

pymobiledevice3 usbmux list
pymobiledevice3 lockdown info

These commands should list the connected device and display its details. If pairing is needed, run:

pymobiledevice3 lockdown pair

If no device is found, check the USB connection, make sure the device is unlocked, and, on Linux, check that usbmuxd is running. See the upstream troubleshooting guide for further help.

Once connected, follow the backup instructions.