Cordova Plugin: cordova-plugin-ios-devmode

Detect iOS device state: Normal, Developer Mode, Debugger, or Jailbroken.

Installation

Using local folder

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-ios-devmode

How to Use

In Ionic / Angular

1. Declare the plugin in your TypeScript file:

declare var cordova-plugin-ios-devmode: any;

2. Call the checkState function:

import { Component } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-home',
  templateUrl: 'home.page.html',
})
export class HomePage {
  state: string = '';

  ionViewDidEnter() {
    cordova-plugin-ios-devmode.checkState(
      (res: string) => {
        this.state = res;
        console.log("Device State:", res);
        // Possible values:
        // "NormalUser"               -> Installed from App Store, no dev mode
        // "DeveloperMode_Debugger"   -> App Store + Debugger attached
        // "DeveloperMode_Sideloaded" -> Sideloaded app, not from App Store
        // "Jailbroken"               -> Device is jailbroken
      },
      (err: any) => {
        console.error("cordova-plugin-ios-devmode error:", err);
      }
    );
  }
}

3. Use the state anywhere in your app:

if(this.state === "Jailbroken") {
  alert("Warning: Your device is jailbroken!");
} else if(this.state.includes("DeveloperMode")) {
  console.log("Developer mode is active");
}

Cordova Example (Plain JS)

<script type="text/javascript">
  document.addEventListener('deviceready', function() {
    cordova-plugin-ios-devmode.checkState(
      function(result) {
        console.log("Device state:", result);
      },
      function(error) {
        console.error(error);
      }
    );
  }, false);
</script>

iOS Support

• Tested on iOS 16+
• Requires Cordova iOS platform 6+

How it Works

1. Debugger attached → checks if process is being traced (P_TRACED)
2. App Store receipt → distinguishes App Store vs sideloaded apps
3. Jailbreak checks → looks for common jailbreak indicators like /Applications/Cydia.app, /bin/bash, /usr/sbin/sshd

License

MIT License

Steps After Adding the Plugin

1. Make sure the plugin is installed successfully:

cordova plugin ls

2. Build your iOS project:

ionic cordova build ios

3. Run on a device or simulator:

ionic cordova run ios --device

4. Verify plugin works by checking console logs for device state.

5. Use the state variable in your app logic to handle developer mode, debugger, or jailbreak alerts.