An avid tech YouTuber gets Windows XP to run on the iPhone, but Apple’s JIT restrictions prevent the OS from firing on all cylinders

An avid tech YouTuber gets Windows XP to run on the iPhone, but Apple's JIT restrictions prevent the OS from firing on all cylinders

What you need to know

  • An avid tech enthusiast installs Windows XP on the iPhone but cites degraded performance, longer boot times, and more.
  • The user attributed the issue to Apple’s strict Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation, which limits UTM SE’s capabilities.
  • The YouTuber attempted to install a VirtualBox on the emulated Windows XP hoping to run Windows 98, but encountered performance issues.

As a tech enthusiast with years of tinkering under my belt, I must say that Michael MJD’s endeavor to run Windows XP on the iPhone using UTM SE is nothing short of remarkable. The spirit of experimentation and pushing boundaries is what keeps the tech world exciting!


Emulators provide innovative avenues for tech enthusiasts to explore and test software in unusual methods. For example, YouTuber Michael MJD recently endeavored to make Windows XP operate on an iPhone.

Originally, Apple imposed stringent rules that made it challenging for app developers to include emulators in their App Store submissions. Yet, the corporation has now relaxed some of these limitations, although there still exist specific benchmarks and relevant legal standards to ensure safety and avoid issues such as piracy, among others.

Michael successfully operated Windows XP on an iPhone using the UTM SE emulator, but encountered some performance difficulties due to the absence of Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation in this particular version of UTM SE, unlike its original variant.

It appears that running Windows XP at its best on an iPhone proved challenging for the user. Michael mentioned it took around 2 hours to install the operating system, followed by another 30 minutes just for booting.

In an effort to enhance both performance and speed up the boot process, Michael opted for a change by setting up UTM via AltStore instead. Notably, it delivered improved performance and a quicker boot time as promised.

In his subsequent endeavor, he aimed to experience the classic Half-Life 1 shooter game on an unlikely platform – the iPhone. However, due to a recognized compatibility issue with the iPhone’s version of Windows, there were initial hurdles. Nonetheless, he successfully got the game functioning, albeit with some frame rate and performance sacrifices. Adjusting the settings provided a modest improvement.

Michael MJD’s endeavors became a bit intriguing when he installed VirtualBox onto an emulated Windows XP, aiming to operate Windows 98. Successfully booting up Windows 98, he faced numerous hurdles, including frequent system crashes. In the end, he tried running Windows 95, but his attempts were unsuccessful, as the system crashed yet again, despite significant progress in its setup process.

Windows 11 spots similar issues on the iPhone 

An avid tech YouTuber gets Windows XP to run on the iPhone, but Apple's JIT restrictions prevent the OS from firing on all cylinders

In July, we reported on the story of a developer attempting to install Windows 11 on the iPhone 15 Pro using Tiny11 Core and UTM SE. Like Michael MJD, the developer encountered several issues throughout the process, including a degraded user experience and long boot times of up to 20 minutes.

As an enthusiast, I must admit that I managed to run Windows 11 on my iPhone, but the user interface feels quite constrained compared to the ample screen space it usually enjoys. The resolution and aspect ratio seem off, making everything look a bit squashed and hard to navigate.

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2024-09-02 12:09