A real terminal on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, drawn by the same engine as Ghostty on the desktop. Start a command, leave the app, and come back — the shell is still running.
On a device running custom firmware, add the OwnGoal Studio repository in your preferred package manager:
Packages are also on GitHub Releases. Choose the file that matches your device.
| Device | Package |
|---|---|
| iPhone or iPad on custom firmware, roothide | iphoneos-arm64e |
iPhone or iPad on custom firmware, rootless (/var/jb) |
iphoneos-arm64 |
| Mac | iGhostVT-<version>-macos.zip |
| iPhone or iPad without custom firmware, to reach the devices above | GhostRemote-<version>.ipa (see Ghost Remote) |
Requires iOS 15 or later, or macOS 13 or later.
Unzip the archive, drag iGhostVT.app into Applications, then open it from there. The app uses a background helper to run your sessions. If approval is requested, follow the app’s prompt to enable it in System Settings.
Releases are ad-hoc signed. If macOS refuses to open the app:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/iGhostVT.appGhost Remote is iGhostVT's remote access on its own, for an iPhone or iPad without custom firmware: it opens terminals on your devices running iGhostVT and runs none of its own. Add this source to AltStore or SideStore:
https://owngoal-dev.github.io/iGhostVT/altstore.json
or install GhostRemote-<version>.ipa from GitHub Releases with Sideloadly or your own certificate. Turn on remote access on the other device, then tap + in Ghost Remote and pair with the code it shows. Both need the same release line: the first two numbers of the version match.
- Ghostty’s engine: GPU-drawn terminal, the Ghostty theme catalog, and extra keys on the software keyboard.
- Persistent Sessions: With Keep Sessions Running enabled, programs continue after you quit the app, and their sessions reopen on the next launch. Idle shells close when the app quits. Manage this setting in Settings → Advanced → Sessions.
- Tabs and Windows: Open multiple sessions, use the tab switcher, lock a tab to prevent accidental input, and open multiple windows on iPad and Mac.
- Copy and share: Copy Text, Copy as Image, or Export Text.
- Shortcuts: Run a command, open a tab, or read terminal output from the Shortcuts app. Use
ighostvt://session/<id>to open a specific session from another app. - Live Activities: View session status on the Lock Screen on supported devices with iOS 16.2 or later, and in the Dynamic Island on supported iPhone models.
- Command line:
ighostvt-clitalks to the same sessions the app is showing, without taking them over. - Remote access: Pair your devices with a six-digit code and open terminals on each other — on the same network, or from anywhere through a relay you run yourself (
docker compose up -d, then import the.vtrpscfile it writes; see Relay). Both devices need the same version of iGhostVT.
List sessions, capture terminal output, send input, or create and close sessions. Each command runs once and disconnects. Use ighostvt-cli list to find a session ID, then replace 1 in the examples below. The kill command closes that session.
ighostvt-cli list
ighostvt-cli capture 1
ighostvt-cli capture 1 --full
ighostvt-cli send 1 text "ls -la" key Enter
ighostvt-cli send 1 key C-c
ighostvt-cli new
ighostvt-cli new -- /bin/sh -l
ighostvt-cli kill 1On a Mac the tool is /Applications/iGhostVT.app/Contents/MacOS/ighostvt-cli.
make deb # iOS, roothide
make deb-rootless # iOS, rootless
make mac-zip # Mac
make testContributor notes are in AGENTS.md. Architecture is in Documents/ARCHITECTURE.md.
iGhostVT is available under the MIT License.
The iOS app requires custom firmware. They are not for the App Store. The Mac app does not require custom firmware.
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