Quick Start

Protect your first iOS application in minutes. This guide walks you through installing Shield, creating a configuration, and protecting your app.

Step 1: Install Shield

The fastest way is the automatic setup script. Run this from your Xcode project directory:

bash <(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bytehide/shield-ios/main/scripts/setup.sh)

bash <(curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bytehide/shield-ios/main/scripts/setup.sh)

This installs the CLI, creates shield-ios.json, and configures your Xcode project automatically. See Automatic Setup for details.

Step 2: Get Your Project Token

Sign in to the ByteHide Cloud Panel and create a new Shield project for your iOS application.

Once the project is created, copy your project token from the project dashboard. It starts with bh_.

For detailed instructions, see Project Token.

Step 3: Create a Configuration File

If you used the automatic setup script, shield-ios.json was already created for you. Otherwise, generate a default configuration:

shield-ios init

shield-ios init

Open shield-ios.json and add your project token and the protections you want:

{
  "projectToken": "bh_YOUR_TOKEN",
  "protections": {
    "anti_debug": true,
    "anti_jailbreak": true,
    "string_encryption": true,
    "symbol_renaming": true,
    "control_flow": "medium"
  }
}

{
  "projectToken": "bh_YOUR_TOKEN",
  "protections": {
    "anti_debug": true,
    "anti_jailbreak": true,
    "string_encryption": true,
    "symbol_renaming": true,
    "control_flow": "medium"
  }
}

Step 4: Protect Your Application

Option A: Archive in Xcode (Recommended)

If you used the automatic setup script or configured the Xcode post-archive action, just archive your app normally:

1. Select Product > Archive in Xcode
2. Shield runs automatically after the archive completes
3. Distribute from the Organizer as usual (Xcode handles signing)

Option B: Protect via CLI

Protect an IPA directly:

shield-ios protect MyApp.ipa --config shield-ios.json

shield-ios protect MyApp.ipa --config shield-ios.json

Or protect an xcarchive (then export the IPA with Xcode):

# 1. Archive
xcodebuild archive \
    -project MyApp.xcodeproj \
    -scheme MyApp \
    -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive

# 2. Protect
shield-ios protect build/MyApp.xcarchive \
    -o build/MyApp.xcarchive \
    --config shield-ios.json \
    --no-sign

# 3. Export IPA (Xcode handles signing)
xcodebuild -exportArchive \
    -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive \
    -exportOptionsPlist ExportOptions.plist \
    -exportPath build/output

# 1. Archive
xcodebuild archive \
    -project MyApp.xcodeproj \
    -scheme MyApp \
    -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive

# 2. Protect
shield-ios protect build/MyApp.xcarchive \
    -o build/MyApp.xcarchive \
    --config shield-ios.json \
    --no-sign

# 3. Export IPA (Xcode handles signing)
xcodebuild -exportArchive \
    -archivePath build/MyApp.xcarchive \
    -exportOptionsPlist ExportOptions.plist \
    -exportPath build/output

What Happens

Shield processes your compiled Mach-O binary and applies the selected protections:

Shield iOS v1.0.0

✓ Unpacked: MyApp
✓ Anti-Debug: ptrace + sysctl checks injected
✓ Anti-Jailbreak: 12 detection vectors active (sensitivity: 1)
✓ String Encryption: 347 strings encrypted (XOR)
✓ Symbol Renaming: 182 symbols renamed (prefix: a)
✓ Control Flow: medium obfuscation applied to 94 functions
✓ Repacked: MyApp_protected.ipa (12.4 MB → 13.1 MB)

✓ Your iOS app is now protected!

Shield iOS v1.0.0

✓ Unpacked: MyApp
✓ Anti-Debug: ptrace + sysctl checks injected
✓ Anti-Jailbreak: 12 detection vectors active (sensitivity: 1)
✓ String Encryption: 347 strings encrypted (XOR)
✓ Symbol Renaming: 182 symbols renamed (prefix: a)
✓ Control Flow: medium obfuscation applied to 94 functions
✓ Repacked: MyApp_protected.ipa (12.4 MB → 13.1 MB)

✓ Your iOS app is now protected!

What's Next?