ideviceinfo
Get information about connected iOS devices
TLDR
Display detailed information about the connected device
Show information about a specific device by UDID
SYNOPSIS
ideviceinfo [-u UDID] [-k KEY] [-m] [-s] [-x] [-d LEVEL] [-V] [-h]
PARAMETERS
-u, --udid UDID
Target device with specific UDID (use idevice_id -l to list).
-k, --key KEY
Output only the specified domain/property key (e.g., UniqueChipID).
-m, --minimal
Minimal output: key names and values only, no extra plist formatting.
-s, --simple
Simple text output without quotes or escapes for easier parsing.
-x, --xml
Output in XML plist format instead of default binary/text plist.
-d, --debug LEVEL
Enable debug logging (1=errors, 2=debug, 3=verbose, 4=protocol).
-V, --version
Print version and exit.
-h, --help
Print help/usage and exit.
DESCRIPTION
ideviceinfo is a command-line utility from the libimobiledevice project, designed to extract comprehensive information from iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS devices connected via USB. It leverages the cross-platform libimobiledevice library and the usbmuxd daemon for communication using Apple's proprietary protocols, without needing jailbreaks, iTunes, or proprietary drivers.
Running without options outputs a full property list (plist) with hundreds of keys, including DeviceName, ProductType, ProductVersion, SerialNumber, UniqueChipID, hardware details like CPU architecture, model, WiFi/Bluetooth MAC addresses, battery info, and filesystem stats. This makes it essential for device identification, debugging, forensics, and automation in Linux environments.
Supports filtering to specific keys, simplified or XML output for scripting/parsing. Requires the device to be unlocked, trusted (accept host dialog), and usbmuxd operational. Primarily used on Linux but cross-platform.
CAVEATS
Requires libimobiledevice & usbmuxd installed/running; device must trust host & be unlocked; may fail on locked/sim-locked devices; no WiFi support.
EXAMPLE USAGE
ideviceinfo -k DeviceName
DeviceName = "iPhone 14 Pro"
ideviceinfo -u 00008030-... -s
Simple key-value pairs for scripting.
KEY PROPERTIES
Common keys: ProductType (e.g., iPhone14,5), BuildVersion, WiFiAddress, BatteryPercent, DiskUsage.
HISTORY
Developed as part of libimobiledevice (2007) by Nikias Bassen & contributors for open-source iDevice access post-iPhone launch; evolved with iOS versions, now at v1.3+ supporting latest devices.
SEE ALSO
idevice_id(1), idevicesyslog(1), idevicepair(1), usbmuxd(1)
