Access iPhone on VirtualBox

Apr 1, 2025

When you need to connect iPhone to VirtualBox you may face a problem. It is not as simple as just plugging the device into your host machine once your VM is running. In this article, we will discuss an easy way to set up an iPhone in VirtualBox using either the native method or dedicated software.

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How to connect iPhone to VirtualBox

There are many reasons why you might need to use your iPhone with VirtualBox. A lot of iOS developers use this feature to test their apps, but sometimes they encounter an issue where an iPhone is captured but does not show up in VirtualBox. Whether you are going to back up some data, or transfer files the first thing you should do is install the latest version of VirtualBox and its guest additions on a guest operating system running on Linux or Windows.

As of March 2025, the latest release of Oracle VM VirtualBox is version 7.1.6. This version includes significant improvements and new features that enhance the virtualization experience. You can download the latest version and its Extension Pack from the official Oracle VirtualBox website.

Next, you need to install the VirtualBox extension pack.

The native method to provide access to an iPhone for a VirtualBox Guest:

1

Once the extension pack is installed, launch your virtual machine.

2

After the VM finishes its startup, connect your iPhone to a free USB port of the host computer.

3

Then, select “Devices” in your guest OS menu bar, navigate to “USB” and select your iPhone to share it with the virtual machine.

4

Once you click on the selected device, it gets mounted to the VirtualBox guest OS.

Now the iPhone appears in the Device Manager of the guest OS, and you can easily transfer any data in and out over a VirtualBox to iPhone connection.

Note:

1. You can establish a connection to your iPhone from one guest OS at a time.

2. Ensure that the USB Controller is enabled and set to USB 3.0 (xHCI) in the VM settings for optimal performance.

How to Make Your iPhone Detectable in VirtualBox Guest Using USB Network Gate

As we know, many virtualization apps do not provide USB support out of the box. If VirtualBox does not recognize your USB connection, you can resort to the help of a dedicated software tool called USB Network Gate. This solution allows redirecting an iPhone, iPad or any other USB device to virtually any VM. It works perfectly well with VirtualBox, VMWare, Hyper-V, and others.

USB Network Gate software uses advanced port redirection technology that allows forwarding USB peripherals to a virtual environment. The software lets you establish secure connections to remote devices over LAN and the Internet.

USB Network Gate

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Access iPhone in VirtualBox with USB Network Gate:

1

Download USB Network Gate and install it on the host computer to which your iPhone is connected directly.

2

Start the app, find the device in the program’s interface and click “Share”.

3

Then, install the software on the virtual machine from which you want to access your device.

4

Launch the app, go the “Remote Devices” tab. You will see a list of available devices where you can find the iPhone shared on the host. Navigate to the device and click “Connect”.

Now, the device will be connected to your VirtualBox as though you physically attached it to the guest OS.

May occur the problem on machines where VirtualBox is installed. After plugging a USB device into a USB port of the computer or after sharing/unsharing a USB device with USB Network Gate, VBoxUSBMon.sys driver may crash causing BSOD.

To fix this issue, you can stop VBoxUSBMon.sys driver or use another virtual machine instead of VirtualBox.

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Video Tutorial to connect iPhone to VirtualBox:

The advantages of connecting an iPhone to VirtualBox with dedicated software

If you are looking for a way to enable VirtualBox for iPhone connectivity, I’d recommend you to entrust this task to a solution that is proven to be efficient in redirecting USB devices to virtual machines. USB Network Gate by Electronic Team, Inc. is known for its reliability and stability. Connecting your iPhone to VirtualBox with this dedicated software has many advantages. These include:

The simplicity of use. You can share your iPhone and connect to it from a guest OS with nothing more than a couple of clicks.
Advanced encryption algorithm. You can be sure that the connection you establish between an iPhone and a virtual machine is reliably protected from unauthorized access.
The speed of data transfer. You’ll be able to work with a remote device just as if it were a physical connection.
Cross-platform compatibility. USB Network Gate gives you a way to create cross-platform connections between Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms.
Any virtual machines. This tool will let you share USB devices with not only VirtualBox but many other virtualization apps, etc.

USB Network Gate

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14-day Free Trial available

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