Installation
Install Trace and complete the initial setup for capture.
System requirements
- iOS version: iOS 16.0 or later
- Device: physical iPhone or iPad
- Storage: enough free space for capture data (requests, bodies, exports)
Note
Network Extension packet tunnels do not work in the iOS simulator.
Installation options
How you install Trace depends on how your team distributes builds.
If your team ships an App Store build, install from the App Store as usual.
Initial setup
1. Grant VPN permission
- Launch Trace.
- Approve the system prompt to add a VPN configuration.
- Authenticate with Face ID/Touch ID or passcode.
Note
This VPN configuration is local-only and routes traffic to the on-device proxy.
2. Install and trust the root CA (optional)
To decrypt HTTPS traffic, install and trust the Trace root certificate.
- In Trace, go to Settings → Certificate and tap Install Certificate.
- In iOS Settings, install the profile.
- Enable trust under Settings → General → About → Certificate Trust Settings.
Tip
You can remove the profile and trust at any time. Without it, HTTPS bodies remain encrypted.
3. Verify capture
- Start capture from Network.
- Confirm the VPN indicator appears.
- Load a page in Safari and verify requests appear.
Optional settings you may want
- Disable body capture if you only need headers and timing.
- Set a max body size to avoid large payloads filling storage.
- Enable favorites or tags for requests you want to track over time.
Uninstall or reset
- Remove the Trace profile from Settings → General → VPN & Device Management.
- Disable trust under Settings → General → About → Certificate Trust Settings.
- Delete the app to remove all on-device captures.
Troubleshooting
- No requests appear: Ensure capture is started and the VPN indicator is visible.
- HTTPS bodies are empty: Confirm the root CA is installed and trusted.
- Simulator: Capture does not work in the simulator.