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

A latest experiment demonstrated that the iPhone 17 Professional Max is able to functioning equally to a transportable PC, because of a modification that enabled the machine 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 response to the consumer, the flaw allowed the iPhone as well and run iPadOS whereas supporting the working system’s full multitasking capabilities when related to an exterior monitor. Within the photos posted on-line, the iPhone seems linked to a bigger show by means of a single cable, displaying a number of home windows organized concurrently—an expertise corresponding to a Mac desktop atmosphere or Samsung’s DeX mode, which transforms appropriate Android telephones into desktop-like methods.

The exploit was short-lived, nevertheless. 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 problem. Regardless of being shortly resolved, the demonstration highlighted the spectacular {hardware} capabilities of the A19 Professional chip and the machine’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 persistently averted enabling comparable desktop-like modes on iPhones. Analysts and customers usually interpret this as a deliberate strategic alternative designed to keep up the iPad’s worth inside Apple’s product ecosystem by maintaining sure options unique to tablets.

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

Nonetheless, the broader market affect of those desktop modes stays restricted. Most customers 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.