According to Wired, a Reddit user recently used a software exploit to trick an iPhone into thinking it was an iPad, unlocking a host of iPadOS features. This hack enabled a landscape Home Screen, an iPad-style app switcher, and, most significantly, the ability to run desktop-grade apps and full windowed multitasking not available on iPhone. The performance was reportedly fast and fluid, showing the underlying code is already present. However, Apple has already patched this exploit in the current iOS 26.2 beta, effectively locking the feature away again. The Redditor accused Apple of artificially limiting older devices to push upgrades, though the company itself has made no announcement about such a capability.
The Phone-PC Fantasy Problem
Here’s the thing: this isn’t a new idea. Android’s been trying with Samsung DeX since 2017, and it’s basically a niche feature for tech enthusiasts. Barely anyone uses it. So you have to ask: if even an iPad struggles to be a “real computer” replacement in the public’s mind, what chance does an iPhone have? The classic argument is that for proper work, you need a proper computer with a big screen and a physical keyboard. Plugging your phone into a monitor on a train is clunky compared to just opening a laptop.
But What If It Actually Works?
And that’s where this gets interesting. Wired points out that an iPad can replace a computer for many people with the right accessories. So, if the software is literally the same—as this hack proves—then the same should be true for an iPhone. The demo showed the experience was polished, not some buggy alpha build. The apps are already there in the ecosystem. So why is Apple so determined to hide it? It seems like they’re further ahead on the “phone as PC” concept than anyone, despite never admitting they’re even working on it.
Apple’s Walled-Garden Logic
I think the reason is pure Apple product philosophy. They want each device to be optimized for its form factor. An iPhone is a pocket computer. An iPad is a tablet. A Mac is a desktop. Blurring those lines too much might cannibalize sales, or create a messy user experience. They’d rather sell you a MacBook and an iPhone than one super-device that does both imperfectly. Plus, can you imagine the support headaches? “My spreadsheet is too small on this 6-inch screen!” It’s easier to just keep the gates locked.
Where Does This Go From Here?
Look, the cat’s out of the bag now. The code is in there. The performance is good. The real signal will be if this “feature” ever escapes as a controlled, Apple-sanctioned product. Maybe for a future “iPhone Pro Ultra” or something. They could build a whole new ecosystem of profitable docks and monitors around it. But for now, it feels like a deliberate choice to keep a potentially powerful capability software-locked. It’s a reminder that with Apple, what your device can do is often less about hardware limits and more about business strategy. And that strategy, for now, says your iPhone stays in your pocket.
