What it is

prod-FARM-IOS-Core, also called Phone Farm iOS, is an open-source TypeScript application for operating physical iOS devices from a Mac. It lives in the iOS device automation ecosystem around Appium, WebDriverAgent, the XCUITest driver, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and TikTok workflow tooling.

It solves the problem of running scheduled workflows on real iPhones while keeping control of devices, schedules, and execution history. The application provides guided device registration, WDA and Appium supervision, live video, remote input, PostgreSQL-backed scheduling, recurring jobs, uploads, execution history, a dashboard and API server, and a built-in TikTok automation plugin. It runs locally as-is, and authentication is optional on a loopback bind. Operators must supply an AuthProvider through PHONE_FARM_AUTH_PLUGIN and add process supervision for shared or exposed deployments. Tasks are persisted as pluginId, taskType, taskVersion, and JSON payload, so an old schedule cannot silently execute a new contract.

Key capabilities

• It supervises Appium and a signed real-device WebDriverAgent, enabling control of physical iOS devices from a Mac.
• It registers devices through guided flows and exposes live video and remote input for manual inspection.
• It stores schedules, recurring jobs, uploads, and execution history in PostgreSQL, so tasks persist across restarts.
• It includes a built-in TikTok automation plugin and can load additional ESM task plugins through PHONE_FARM_PLUGINS.
• It records tasks as pluginId, taskType, taskVersion, and JSON payload, preventing an old schedule from running a new contract.
• It exposes a dashboard and API server with plugin-provided panels, namespaced HTTP routes, and declared WDA extensions.

Who uses it and how

• Operators can run scheduled TikTok workflows across multiple real iPhones while keeping the farm on local hardware.
• Device automation engineers can use live video and remote input to diagnose taps, layouts, and account-switching steps on real iOS UI.
• Plugin authors can add task types, registration checks, device-page panels, and HTTP routes without changing core routing or scheduler code.
• Self-hosters can operate the system as four long-lived processes on a Mac or always-on host, supervised by launchd or systemd.
• Teams preparing exposed deployments can supply an authentication provider and harden the dashboard before binding outside loopback.

Getting started

Installation requires Node 22+, PostgreSQL, Xcode, a signed real-device WebDriverAgent, and Appium's XCUITest driver. The README shows npm install, environment setup, driver installation, database migration, and WDA preparation, then npm run appium, wda:service, worker, and web as long-lived processes.

When to use it — and when not to

It is suitable when operators need self-hosted control of real iPhones for scheduled TikTok or plugin-driven iOS workflows and can operate Node, PostgreSQL, Xcode, WebDriverAgent, Appium, and process supervision. It is not a turnkey hosted service, because the README describes local standalone operation and requires custom authentication and hardening before binding outside loopback. The project is also new, with a zero-year repository age and no listed contributors, so teams should plan for hands-on maintenance.

npm install
cp .env.example .env
npm run appium:install-driver
npm run db:up
npm run db:migrate
npm run wda:prepare

npm run appium
npm run wda:service
npm run worker
npm run web

npm run check