Since the grand unveiling of Apple’s EU-exclusive features, such as the tantalizing option of third-party app stores and the freedom to uninstall Safari, envy has coursed through my veins. Yet, it appears that I am not alone in my covetous desires. There exists another bold individual who, through a cunning ruse, has succeeded in convincing his iPhone that he dwells in Italy whilst actually residing in Australia.
Adam Demasi, a fellow enthusiast chronicled on kirkblog, has managed to breach the confines that separate us from the EU-exclusive wonders. However, the path to such forbidden fruits is winding and treacherous, not meant for the faint of heart. With the advent of iOS 17.4, Apple has instituted a stringent system known as eligibility, which in conjunction with the country designation, pinpoints the user’s location. Various internal parameters are scrutinized before the gates to geo-restricted features are unlocked.
To bestow access to these coveted features, Apple deploys a file named “plist”, containing a myriad of exclusive functionalities concealed behind geographical barriers. Demasi elucidates, “At present, there exist 24 (albeit one is amiss), and the file was most recently updated on the 5th of April. Prior to this week, alterations to its contents had eluded our notice.”
The journey undertaken by Demasi is not for the faint of heart. Armed with an antiquated iPhone 12 Pro Max, he embarked upon an arduous quest. Disabling location services, inserting an Italian SIM card, and associating with an Italian Apple ID proved futile. Undeterred, he endeavored to manipulate a WiFi router to masquerade as though it resided within a European realm. The channels were altered, yet the iPhone’s logs and country configuration files persisted in exposing his true antipodean origins. Not even a complete device reset could sway the iPhone from its resolute certainty of his Australian locale.
Undaunted, Demasi retreated to his subterranean sanctuary, devoid of cellular signals, and reset the iPhone once more. Lo, upon opening Safari, an unexpected prompt materialized, beckoning him to select a browser. With the iPhone ensconced in Airplane mode, shielding itself from ensnaring mobile signals, a subtle victory was achieved. The iPhone, beguiled into believing it lingered in the Mediterranean expanse, granted access to the coveted EU-exclusive features.
Alas, the subterfuge and intricate machinations required to unlock these dormant possibilities were nothing short of a Herculean task. Maintaining access to the EU features necessitates the iPhone remaining in perpetual Airplane mode and tethered to a meticulously configured WiFi network, mimicking the exotic lands of Europe.
Is the setup sufficient to put these features to the test? Verily. Would one willing endure such trials and travails for a glimpse of forbidden delights? Perchance not. Yet, for those daring souls who yearn to sample the fruit of forbidden trees, a pathway exists.
