DeX Mode On iPhone: Machine Runs iPadOS Thanks To iOS 26.1 Vulnerability

A current experiment demonstrated that the iPhone 17 Professional Max is able to functioning equally to a moveable PC, due to a modification that enabled the gadget to run iPadOS as a substitute of its native iOS. The modification took benefit of a safety vulnerability present in iOS 26.1, permitting the smartphone to function with options usually restricted to Apple’s tablets.

The invention was made by the Reddit consumer TechExpert2910, who shared particulars of the method within the “iPad” subreddit. In line with the consumer, the flaw allowed the iPhone besides and run iPadOS whereas supporting the working system’s full multitasking capabilities when related to an exterior monitor. Within the pictures posted on-line, the iPhone seems linked to a bigger show by a single cable, displaying a number of home windows organized concurrently—an expertise corresponding to a Mac desktop surroundings or Samsung’s DeX mode, which transforms appropriate Android telephones into desktop-like programs.

The exploit was short-lived, nonetheless. The vulnerability used to attain this transformation existed solely in iOS 26.1 and was promptly patched by Apple in iOS 26.2 beta 1, the place it was categorized as a severe safety situation. Regardless of being shortly resolved, the demonstration highlighted the spectacular {hardware} capabilities of the A19 Professional chip and the gadget’s 12 GB of RAM, displaying that the iPhone 17 Professional Max has greater than sufficient energy to run iPadOS and its superior options.

The occasion additionally reignited dialogue about Apple’s longstanding separation between iPhone and iPad performance. Whereas Apple has launched subtle multitasking options in iPadOS, it has constantly averted enabling related desktop-like modes on iPhones. Analysts and customers typically interpret this as a deliberate strategic selection designed to take care of the iPad’s worth inside Apple’s product ecosystem by conserving sure options unique to tablets.

This omission has led to comparisons with main Android producers, resembling Samsung and Motorola, which have provided desktop or PC-like modes on smartphones for years. By 2025, even mid-range Android units can change to a portable-desktop interface, a functionality as soon as restricted to high-end flagship fashions. In distinction, iPhones nonetheless lack official assist for such performance regardless of having {hardware} highly effective sufficient to assist it.

Nevertheless, the broader market affect of those desktop modes stays restricted. Most shoppers both don’t require such options or lack the technical familiarity to make use of them successfully. In consequence, whereas the demonstration emphasizes the iPhone’s untapped potential, it additionally displays the comparatively small demand for smartphone-to-PC experiences in on a regular basis use.

Filed in Cellphones. Learn extra about Apple, Hack, iOS, iPadOS and Mod.