Supported iOS Matrix
Exact OS build support from iOS 26.0 through iOS 27.3 Beta 1, why SystemGroup requires iOS 27, and hardware notes by iPhone/iPad model.
- Min OS: iOS 26.0
- MobileGestalt: iOS 27.x
- Latest tested: 27.3 Beta 1 (24C5037i)
iOS & iPadOS version compatibility matrix
Verified against the release notes, startup health checks, and build tables of kolbicz/WQFiles (v0.9.5), huamidev/GestaltX (v1.0.7), forcequitOS/worse_query, ichitaso/Regitela (v1.0.1), murk-sus/kamui-escape (v2.5.2), and adnan120hz/WorkTweaks (v3.13):
| iOS / iPadOS Version & Build | WQFiles | GestaltX | Regitela | KAMUI | WorkTweaks | Technical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iOS / iPadOS 26.0 – 26.7.1 | Supported (v0.7+) | Local plist only | Containers only | Class 7 (v2.5.2) | Blocks at launch | App Data, App Groups, Extension Data & Daemons open via LaunchServices DB; SystemGroup unreachable on 26.x. |
| iOS / iPadOS 26.7.2 (23H128) | Supported | Local plist only | Containers only | Class 7 (v2.5.2) | Build-checked | Latest iOS 26 release; WQFiles shows symbol tiles for app icons because 26.x blocks reading other apps’ bundle containers. |
| iOS / iPadOS 27.0 (24A437) | Supported | Full SystemGroup | Full support | Untested (#22) | Build-checked | Full access to /var/containers/Shared/SystemGroup/* and /var/containers/Data/System listing. |
| iOS / iPadOS 27.0.1 (24A446) | Primary tested | Primary tested | Full support | Class 13 / Class 7 | Primary tested | Primary development baseline for WQFiles, GestaltX, and WorkTweaks; SystemGroup parent is probed by known container names. |
| iOS / iPadOS 27.2 Beta 1–4 & RC (24B115) | Supported | Full SystemGroup | Full support | Primary tested | Build-checked | Apple patched old bad_query class-13 .. traversal in 27.2; worse_query class-7 symlink works cleanly. |
| iOS / iPadOS 27.2 (24B119) & 27.2.1 | Primary tested | Primary tested | Full support | Supported | Build-checked | xattr com.apple.containermanager.identifier is blocked on 27.2, resolved in WQFiles v0.7+ via container manager + LaunchServices map. |
| iOS / iPadOS 27.3 Beta 1 (24C5037i) | Fixed in v0.9.5 | Fixed in v1.0.7 | Untested | Untested | Build-checked | iOS 27.3 changed extension storage in the app database; fixed in WQFiles v0.9.5 (#50) and GestaltX v1.0.7. |
| iOS 17.x – 18.x (Rootless Jailbreak) | iOS 26.0+ min | iOS 26.0+ min | .deb package | iOS 26/27 only | iOS 26.7.2+ only | Regitela can also build a rootless jailbreak .deb for iOS 17.0+, whereas IPA sideloading targets iOS 26 & 27. |
Why iOS 26.x and iOS 27.x behave differently
According to forcequitOS/worse_query and kolbicz/WQFiles, the difference comes down to which MobileContainerManager classes can be opened on each major OS family:
- Reachable on both iOS 26.0–26.7.2 and iOS 27.0–27.3 Beta 1:
/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/*(App Data)/var/mobile/Containers/Shared/AppGroup/*(App Groups)/var/mobile/Containers/Data/PluginKitPlugin/*(Extension Data)/var/mobile/Containers/Data/InternalDaemon/*(Internal Daemons)
- Reachable only on iOS / iPadOS 27.x:
/var/containers/Shared/SystemGroup/*: holdssystemgroup.com.apple.mobilegestaltcache(wherecom.apple.MobileGestalt.plistlives) and configuration profiles (Supervision)./var/containers/Data/System: directory listing (contents are owned byroot).
Because SystemGroup cannot be opened on iOS 26.x, WQFiles automatically hides the System Data and System Groups rows on iOS 26, and GestaltX / Regitela require iOS 27.x for live on-device MobileGestalt and Supervised Mode edits.
What changed in iOS 27.2 and iOS 27.3 Beta 1
- iOS 27.2 container identifier xattr block (fixed in WQFiles v0.7): On iOS 27.2, reading the extended attribute
com.apple.containermanager.identifieron container folders is blocked. WQFiles v0.7+ queries the container manager for a path-to-identifier map and cross-references the LaunchServices database fromlsd’s container so every app displays its real name and bundle ID. - iOS 27.3 Beta 1 extension schema change (fixed in WQFiles v0.9.5 & GestaltX v1.0.7): iOS 27.3 Beta 1 (`24C5037i`) altered how app extensions are stored inside the LaunchServices database. WQFiles v0.9.5 (#50) and GestaltX v1.0.7 (`11130112`) updated their container parsers so extensions, Cache Cleaner targets, Wallpaper containers, and App Launch Images resolve cleanly on 27.3.
iPhone & iPad hardware support notes
| Device Family | SoC | Supported OS Range | Hardware & Tweak Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro / 18 Pro Max / iPhone Air / 17 series | A20 / A19 family | iOS 27.0 – 27.3 Beta 1 | Full WQFiles & GestaltX support; WQFiles v0.1–v0.6 was developed on iPhone 17 Pro Max (27.0.1), and GestaltX v1.0.5 added dedicated iPhone Air presets (#92). |
| iPhone 16 Pro / 16 / 16e / 15 Pro | A18 / A17 Pro | iOS 26.0 – 27.3 Beta 1 | Full container & MobileGestalt support on 27.x; hardware-eligible for Apple Intelligence when RegionCode is configured on restricted-region units. |
| iPhone 15 / 14 / 13 / 12 / SE (3rd gen) | A16 / A15 / A14 | iOS 26.0 – 27.3 Beta 1 | Full WQFiles & GestaltX support on 27.x; avoid applying Pro Max display scale presets on compact/notch displays (#125) and note that A14–A16 lack neural hardware for on-device Apple Intelligence (#15). |
| iPad Pro (M1–M5), iPad Air, iPad mini, base iPad | M-series / A-series | iPadOS 26.0 – 27.3 Beta 1 | Full WQFiles container access; GestaltX provides dedicated iPad presets for Stage Manager capability, Apple Pencil settings, and iPad app compatibility on iPadOS 27.x. |
Common questions
Does WQFiles work on watchOS 26.x (Issue #51)?
No. WQFiles compiles strictly as an iOS/iPadOS arm64 application (deployment target iOS 26.0) and does not run on watchOS.
Why does WorkTweaks stop at an "unsupported" screen on some iOS versions?
Unlike WQFiles (which runs a dynamic startup health check on any iOS 26.0+ build), WorkTweaks checks an explicit allowlist of 10 tested build numbers (23H128, 24A437, 24A446, 24B5084k, 24B5089g, 24B5099f, 24B5110a, 24B115, 24B119, and 24C5037i) before allowing tweaks.
Why do apps show symbol tiles instead of app icons in WQFiles on iOS 26?
On iOS 26, LaunchServices hands sandboxed apps placeholder icons and prevents WQFiles from opening /var/containers/Bundle/Application/* to read the .app bundle’s icon files, so WQFiles renders clean symbol tiles instead.