> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.intuitibits.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Capture iOS device packet traces

> Capture packet traces from an iOS device using Airtool 2.

You can capture packet traces from iOS devices using *Airtool 2*. A packet trace capture from an iOS device records traffic at the network layer passing through *all* interfaces, including Wi-Fi, AWDL, and cellular.

<Note>
  You cannot target a specific interface on your iOS device as you would do on the Mac, so *Airtool 2* saves information about the interface in the packet metadata. You can use your packet analyzer tool to display the interface for each packet and filter the trace based on that interface.
</Note>

## Requirements

*Airtool 2* uses a tool called Remote Virtual Interface (RVI) to capture packet traces from your iOS device. RVI is managed using a command-line interface called *rvictl*, which is part of [Xcode](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/).

Install Xcode from the [Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/xcode/id497799835?mt=12) if you haven't already. Then, launch Xcode and install the additional required components.

<Note>
  On a Mac with Apple silicon, you must also enable System Extensions. To learn more about enabling system extensions, see [About system extensions and macOS](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210999).
</Note>

<Note>
  If you're still unable to capture a packet trace after enabling system extensions, you may need to go to *System Settings* > *Privacy & Security* and click **Allow** to finish installing Apple's system extension required to use the RVI tool.
</Note>

To verify that *rvictl* is correctly installed, open Terminal and type:

```bash theme={null}
rvictl
```

If you get the message `command not found: rvictl`, then *rvictl* is not installed or it cannot be found. To troubleshoot RVI, see *Troubleshooting the Remote Virtual Interface (RVI)* in [Troubleshooting Packet Traces](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/network/recording_a_packet_trace/troubleshooting_packet_traces).

***

## Connect the device and start capturing

1. Connect your iOS device to your Mac via USB.
2. Choose the capture packet trace option for the connected iOS device from the *Airtool 2* menu.

As with other types of captures, *Airtool 2* features such as capture size limits, file rotation, and live captures are available when recording packet traces from iOS devices.

## See also

* [Do live captures with Wireshark](/airtool2/do-live-captures-with-wireshark)