ZeptapLock and unlock
Lock the iPhone over USB, and unlock it from the Mac with a passcode saved in the Keychain - by hand or by an agent.
Zeptap can lock the iPhone and unlock it again from the Mac. The actions are in the main window's More menu, in Settings › Phones, and in the MCP tools lock and unlock.
Set up local unlock
- Open Settings › Phones and select the iPhone.
- Click Set Up Unlock… and enter the passcode you use to unlock that iPhone.
- Leave Let agents unlock this iPhone on to allow the
unlocktool, or turn it off to keep unlocking in your hands.
To change or remove the passcode, use Change passcode or Remove Passcode on the same page.
How locking works
Locking goes over USB, through the iPhone's diagnostics service. The screen turns off and the iPhone locks. No Developer Mode is needed. It needs the iPhone plugged in and trusting this Mac.
How unlocking works
- Zeptap wakes the screen with a keypress that types nothing (or a tap, if that doesn't wake it).
- It swipes up to show the passcode pad. If Face ID unlocks the iPhone first, it stops there.
- It types the saved passcode over the Bluetooth keyboard. 4- and 6-digit passcodes submit themselves; other passcodes get Return.
- It checks the screen with OCR to confirm the iPhone unlocked.
Each unlock makes exactly one attempt. If the passcode is wrong or out of date, Zeptap stops and says so, so a stale passcode can never count up failed attempts and disable the iPhone. Update it in Settings › Phones.
The unlock tool
The agent calls unlock with no arguments and gets back a message (and a screenshot when the screen is visible). The agent never sees or sends the passcode.
| Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
The iPhone is already unlocked. | Nothing to do |
Unlocked the iPhone (Face ID got there first). | Success without typing |
No passcode is saved for this iPhone… | The user needs to save one in Settings › Phones |
Unlocking by agents is turned off for this iPhone. Ask the user to unlock it. | The user turned off Let agents unlock this iPhone |
Not connected to the iPhone over Bluetooth… | Reconnect Bluetooth, then try again |
The iPhone didn't accept the saved passcode… | The saved passcode is wrong. Only the user can fix it |
Already locking or unlocking the iPhone. | Another lock or unlock is running; wait for it |
Where the passcode is kept
The passcode is stored in this Mac's login Keychain, marked non-synchronizable so it stays out of iCloud. Zeptap reads it only while unlocking. It is never logged, never passed to agents or through the MCP server, and never sent over the network. See Privacy and security.