Redmi Note 12 Running iOS 16: Did It Really Work?

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Redmi Note 12 Running iOS 16: Did It Really Work.

A video shows iOS 16 booting on a Redmi Note 12. At first, this sounds like yet another failed fan-project idea, but according to Xataka, it is unprecedented: Android has run on iPhones for years, and now Apple’s operating system is set to run on an Android device.

For you, this is primarily a technical stunt rather than a production operating system for the Redmi Note 12. What makes the case exciting is that there is a concrete project behind the video: “ios-sweet” changes the system’s core and runs the unmodified iOS 16 files from an iPhone X on the Android chipset. The report also names Claude as part of the project’s assistance.

A look at the technical building blocks — and the limits of the result so far — explains how the project works and what it requires.

Why Running iOS on Android Suddenly Became Possible

The approach behind “ios-sweet”

Apple developed iOS exclusively for its own hardware. That is why most modding projects take the opposite approach: Android was installed on early iPhones using “iDroid,” for example. Later, Project Sandcastle launched Android 10 on an iPhone equipped with Apple’s in-house AIO chip.

“ios-sweet” takes the opposite route. The open-source project on GitHub replaces the Linux kernel normally used by Android devices with XNU, the kernel used in Apple’s own devices. The XNU kernel is also published as open source, making the swap technically possible.

In simplified terms, the Android device does not merely boot an image of iOS. It receives a system foundation suitable for the iPhone, on which the actual iOS files are then run.

The iPhone X Is Technically the Key

Why specifically the iPhone X device tree?

“ios-sweet” gives XNU an iPhone X device tree. The system therefore identifies itself as running on an iPhone X, even though the processor and the remaining hardware actually belong to an Android smartphone.

According to Android Authority, as cited by Xataka, the developer chose the iPhone X for a security reason: It is the last iPhone without PAC. This refers to Pointer Authentication, which Apple uses to detect unauthorized memory access. This process became part of the security concept starting with the iPhone X.

The Qualcomm chip in the Redmi Note 10 Pro does not support PAC. Newer iPhone software would therefore fail to boot. By using the iPhone X device tree, the project bypasses this obstacle, allowing unmodified files from iOS 16 to run on the Android phone’s chip.

This is precisely what makes the Redmi Note 12 shown here special: The video documents not just a graphical iOS interface, but the booting or execution of iOS 16 files on Android hardware.

What the Video Shows — and What Remains Unresolved

More Than a Static Image

Xataka references several social-media videos showing users running iOS on Android. The clip featuring iOS 16 on the Redmi Note 12 attracted particular attention. The project therefore follows in the tradition of “iDroid” and “Project Sandcastle,” although it does not adopt their basic idea without modification.

The available sources provide no stability figures, supported apps, or information about everyday usability. There is consequently no reliable evidence showing whether the system can be operated entirely like an iPhone or whether individual features are missing. The central technical achievement can be identified from the demonstrated boot: Apple’s kernel ecosystem is running on the Android chipset of a Redmi Note 12.

The prominently displayed headline of the report explicitly cites Claude as support for the project. The more detailed portion of the report, however, focuses on the architecture of “ios-sweet,” the iPhone X device tree, and support for unmodified iOS 16 files. The available source excerpt does not further describe which tasks Claude specifically handled.

What This Means for Android Fans

An Experimental Counterpart to Android on the iPhone

The success demonstrates how far the boundary between proprietary and open systems can shift. Apple provides the central component in XNU, while “ios-sweet” forms the bridge between Android hardware and the iOS 16 software package.

This does not turn the Redmi Note 12 itself into a full-fledged iPhone. Without information about operation, app compatibility, and stability, no conclusions about the everyday experience can be drawn from the video. What is certain is that, according to Xataka, the modding scene has successfully taken the reverse route for the first time — iOS is running on Android.

The project is technically fascinating in any case. The most exciting part will be what emerges from it next.