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Companion for Windows

Install and update your OpenV2 iOS app on an iPhone from Windows using Companion and USB.

OpenV2 Companion connects your Windows PC to your iPhone so you can install and test the native iOS app you build in OpenV2. You do not need your own Mac for this workflow.

OpenV2 prepares the device build. Companion signs it on your PC with your Apple account, installs it over USB, and attempts to launch it on your iPhone.

Before you start

  • A Windows PC with a 64-bit processor and an internet connection.
  • An OpenV2 Pro or Max account and an iOS native project. Companion is free to download; native builds require a paid OpenV2 plan.
  • An Apple account you can sign in to and verify when prompted. A free Apple account can be used for personal device testing, subject to Apple's signing limits.
  • An unlocked iPhone and a USB cable that supports data, not just charging.
  • Apple Devices on Windows if the iPhone is not detected. Check that Apple Devices can see the phone before retrying Companion. See Apple's connection troubleshooting.

1. Download and open Companion

  1. Download OpenV2 Companion for Windows, or select Get OpenV2 Companion in your project's device menu.
  2. If you receive a ZIP, extract the entire archive to a folder on your PC, then open OpenV2 Companion.exe from that folder. Keep the supporting files beside the application. If you receive a setup executable, follow its installation steps and open Companion.
  3. Keep Companion running while you configure the phone and install builds. Closing its window leaves it in the Windows system tray; Quit in the tray menu stops it.
  4. Return to OpenV2 in your browser. If the browser asks for permission to connect to applications on your computer, allow it for OpenV2 so it can detect Companion.

The download link points to the current configured Windows package. Use that link again when updating Companion.

2. Connect your accounts

In Companion, select the OpenV2 row. Complete sign-in and authorization in the browser, then return to Companion. The row should display your OpenV2 account email. Use the same account that owns or can access the project.

Select the Apple row and enter your Apple account details inside Companion. If prompted, enter the six-digit verification code from your trusted Apple device or the verification method shown. Wait until the Apple row displays your account.

Apple sign-in and device signing run locally on your PC. Enter your Apple password in Companion's sign-in form, not in the OpenV2 project chat or V2 Cloud secrets.

3. Connect and prepare the iPhone

  1. Connect your iPhone to the PC with the USB data cable and unlock it.
  2. On the iPhone, accept Trust This Computer and enter the phone passcode if requested. The iPhone row in Companion should display your device.
  3. On the iPhone, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode. Enable it, restart if requested, and confirm enabling it after restart. Apple describes this step in Enabling Developer Mode.
  4. Reconnect and unlock the phone after restarting. Check the Developer Mode row in Companion and complete any remaining instructions.

If Developer Mode is missing, select the Developer Mode row in Companion and follow the message shown, then check the phone's settings again. Companion may prepare the device's developer support; you still confirm Developer Mode on the iPhone.

Trust This Computer authorizes the USB connection. The developer-trust step below authorizes the installed app. Complete both when prompted.

4. Install from your OpenV2 project

  1. Open the saved iOS project in OpenV2 and select your connected iPhone in the device controls.
  2. Open the device menu and select Install on [iPhone name], or use Play with the phone selected.
  3. Keep the phone connected and unlocked while OpenV2 builds and Companion downloads, signs, and installs the app. Follow the installation progress; a successful simulator preview alone does not install anything on the phone.
  4. After installation, if iOS asks you to trust the developer, open Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, select the developer entry for your Apple account, and follow the trust prompts.
  5. Open the app from the iPhone Home Screen if it did not launch automatically. Check the screen and the device features you want to test.

Installed means the app was transferred to the phone. Running also confirms that Companion's launch attempt succeeded. An installed app may still need the trust step before you can open it.

Update and renew a test build

Save changes in OpenV2 and install again to test the newest revision. Reinstalling the same project updates its existing app. With the phone selected and Companion running, supported edit flows can reinstall automatically; use Install or Play if the phone still shows an older version.

After installation and any required trust step, you can disconnect USB and open the app on the phone. Features that use V2 Cloud or other online services still require an internet connection.

Free Apple Personal Team provisioning profiles expire seven days after issuance, so you may need to reconnect the phone and build, sign, and install again. See Apple's developer account limits. Companion does not provide a scheduled background renewal while the phone is disconnected.

If iOS reports the three-app limit for a free developer profile, remove a test app you choose on the phone before retrying. Deleting an app can also delete its local data. Reinstalling the same project normally replaces its existing app.

Troubleshooting

What you seeWhat to do
Companion is not detectedOpen it from the extracted folder or installed shortcut, allow the browser's local connection prompt, and retry the device menu. If Open does not launch it, start it manually.
The iPhone only charges or is missingTry a data cable and another USB port, unlock the phone, accept computer trust, and confirm detection in Apple Devices.
Developer Mode is incompleteEnable it on the iPhone, finish the restart confirmation, and reconnect USB. Follow the Companion row's instructions if the setting is missing.
Apple verification or sign-in failsUse the current verification code, check the account details, and complete any Apple account prompts before retrying in Companion.
OpenV2 session expiredSelect the OpenV2 row in Companion and authorize again with the browser account that has access to the project.
Build or signing failedRead the reported error. Fix build errors in the project; resolve Apple account or signing errors in Companion, then retry. A failed signing step does not install an unsigned app.
The free-account app limit is reachedRemove a test app you choose from the iPhone, then retry. Trust settings do not free an app slot.
Installed app will not openComplete developer trust and Developer Mode, keep the phone online for verification, and reinstall if the test profile has expired.
Installation takes too longCheck Companion and the phone for prompts. Keep USB connected, wait for the current job to finish, then retry if it failed.

For help, contact [email protected] with the step that failed and the error message. Keep passwords, verification codes, and account tokens out of support screenshots.

Publish your app

Companion's USB workflow is for testing your own native project on a connected phone. It does not submit the app to the App Store or distribute it through TestFlight. Use Native builds for the separate publishing workflow and Apple Developer requirements.