Hacki OS is an independent research project that boots Apple's open-source XNU kernel (xnu-8796.121.2, the kernel of iOS 16.5) on Android phone hardware and runs the unmodified iOS 16.5 user space on top of it, from launchd through backboardd and SpringBoard to apps. The project relies on its own EFI loader, its own replacements for Apple's closed drivers, a UEFI port, and a Linux Wi-Fi driver running on a compatibility layer.
It runs in two places. On the POCO X5 Pro 5G (redwood, Snapdragon 778G), nothing is flashed: the UEFI is started with fastboot boot, the whole system lives in RAM, and after a reboot the phone returns to Android. It also runs under QEMU (virt, aarch64) on any Linux computer, with no phone needed. The project is split across two repositories: hackios-xnu-kernel holds the XNU patches, EFI loader, UEFI port, Wi-Fi work and QEMU scripts, while hackios-xnu-userland holds the custom init, injected libraries, launchd jobs, the APFS image builder and Metal/Mesa work. No Apple files are included. The fetch script downloads the iOS 16.5 IPSW directly from Apple's CDN to the user's own machine.
Working features include the lock screen, the home screen, cellular, Bluetooth, system gestures, Control Center, and apps such as Settings, Safari and Photos. Wi-Fi reaches 55 to 90 Mbit/s, and sound and the camera function. Data written by iOS survives a reboot. Not yet working are phone charging under this kernel, the touchscreen, App Store content, and Apple ID sign-in.
The project is a research bench rather than a ROM: each session lasts a set number of seconds before the kernel returns to the loader.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing