GTA V on iPhone (5★ Port)

[!IMPORTANT] 📢 Get the app in the Five Star Port Telegram. Every new release is posted there first, with step-by-step help, answers to the common questions and a community that has been through the setup already. Questions about files and installs are answered there, not by email or DM.

A fan project that runs the WebAssembly build of GTA V natively on iPhone: the engine compiled to ARM64, a native Metal renderer with every shader precompiled, Story mode or free-roam Sandbox, touch controls that act as a real controller (with the game's own aim assist), gyro aiming, tilt steering and graphics presets up to near-native resolution.

This repository contains no game files and no game code. You need your own copy of the game files, and the app plays from your own copy on your phone.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive. Rights holders: contact kevin@aether.ee and the repository will be taken down promptly.

Website: fivestarport.site: the guides, the questions and answers and the translate page in one place.

On a Mac? The same app runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs with keyboard and mouse: gta5-macos-port (setup guide).

What you need

Your own game files	Web build 8b0b5899ed: the folder that contains data/ and b/8b0b5899ed/, about 21 GB.
An iPhone with 6 GB of memory	iPhone 12 Pro, 13 Pro, any iPhone 14 or newer, on iOS 16 or later, with about 30 GB free. Older 4 GB iPhones will most likely run out of memory.
The app (IPA)	From the Releases topic of the Five Star Port Telegram: join the group, the newest post there is the newest version. Or build it yourself on a Mac (see below).
SideStore or AltStore (free)	Installs the app with your normal Apple ID. Setting it up needs a computer once (an Apple rule). SideStore · AltStore

No paid Apple account is needed.

Install in 4 steps

1. Put your game files on your iPhone

Copy your game folder (the one with data/ and b/ inside) onto the iPhone, so it sits in the Files app under On My iPhone. Not iCloud Drive: iCloud can offload files to save space, and the game needs every file on the phone.

Any way that gets the folder there works, for example:

• AirDrop it from a Mac, or download and unzip it in the Files app.
• With a cable, once the app is installed (step 3): Finder on a Mac, or the Apple Devices app on Windows. Select your iPhone, open Files, and drag the folder onto GTA V Port. It then shows up in Files under On My iPhone › GTA V Port.

2. Get the app from the Telegram group

Join the Five Star Port Telegram and open its Releases topic: the newest post there is the newest version. Download GTA5Port-iOS-vX.Y.Z.ipa from it. Get it there rather than from random sites, which can have old or modified copies. (Have a Mac? You can also build it yourself, see Build it yourself on a Mac.)

3. Install it

Open SideStore or AltStore, go to My Apps, tap + and pick GTA5Port.ipa. A free Apple ID re-signs the app every 7 days; SideStore does that on the phone, and AltStore does it over Wi-Fi from your computer.

4. Give the app your game files and play

Put it in the GTA V Port folder: open the app once, then in the Files app touch and hold your game folder (or the .zip or .rar it came in), tap Move, and choose On My iPhone › GTA V Port. Moving within On My iPhone is instant. Open the app again: it finds the game by itself, at any depth (a mirror/playgta5.com/… folder works as is), and an archive gets an Unpack button: the app unpacks it and uses it up as it goes, so you need about 21 GB free, not double. In the app, Game files › Show me how walks you through each step with pictures.

Or from a link: on the Game files screen, paste a direct link to your zip or rar (or a download page; it opens in a built-in browser and takes the download over). The app downloads and unpacks it as it goes.

On a Mac, click Game files › Choose a folder… instead and pick the folder your game is in.

Whichever way, the app checks every game file before you play and tells you exactly what's missing or damaged.

Then choose Story mode (the campaign, with saves) or Sandbox (free roam) and press Play.

Everything plays from your phone: no server, no internet needed while playing.

Tips

• Graphics. Settings has six presets, from Battery to Max, and a separate resolution choice that changes while you play. Presets above the recommended one show a warning. If a setting needs more memory than your iPhone gives the app, the game closes; on the next launch the app tells you and goes back to a setting that works. Settings that already ran fine on your phone are never lowered.
• Something went wrong? Settings › Send log to the developer sends this run's log and the previous one (the one from a crash) in one tap. Share log lets you save or send it yourself.
• Controls. Move, resize or hide every touch button with Edit controls layout (start screen or Settings). Assisted aim, gyro aiming and tilt steering are in Settings. Bluetooth controllers work too; the touch controls hide while one is connected (Settings and Mods stay). Prefer a fixed layout? Settings › Touch controls › Touch scheme › Controller buttons puts every Xbox button on screen. HUD layout moves the minimap, the FPS counter, the character wheel, the phone and the rest of the HUD. Settings › Controls › Airplane right stick optionally replaces the airplane throttle and rudder buttons with a visible second stick: drag vertically to set throttle (it stays set when released), and horizontally for rudder (it recentres). Helicopters keep their buttons.
• Updating. When a new version comes out, get the newest IPA from the Releases topic and install it over the old app, with the same installer and the same Apple ID. Your game folder and saves stay where they are.

Get the most performance

The biggest upgrade is more memory: iOS normally gives the app about half of your iPhone's RAM, which caps the graphics. You can unlock more, for free:

Unlock more memory with SideStore + GetMoreRam (free)

Players report this works great and makes the game far more playable.

1. The IPA from the Releases topic already asks for the extra memory. Install it with SideStore as usual.
2. Install GetMoreRam, sign in with the same Apple ID you use in SideStore, pick GTA V Port and add Increased Memory Limit.
3. In SideStore, refresh GTA V Port so it picks up the change. You do this once: updates installed the same way keep it.
4. Open the app: Settings shows the memory limit at the bottom. It should now be clearly higher than before (for example above ~3,500 MB on a 6 GB iPhone).

AltStore 2.3 or newer adds the extra memory by itself on a free Apple ID, and a paid Apple developer account or TrollStore gets you the same result without GetMoreRam (see Free vs paid below).

Then tune the game

• Graphics preset: with more memory, try one step higher (Balanced, Quality, Ultra). If a preset is too much, the app tells you on the next launch and steps back down, so trying is safe.
• Resolution: set it separately in Settings. It's the main lever for sharpness vs. frame rate. On iPhone and iPad it applies the next time you start the game; on Mac right away.
• Frame rate: Settings › Frame rate: 30 is steadiest and coolest, 60 is smoother, Unlocked goes up to 120 on ProMotion iPhones (13 Pro and newer Pro models), and 40 on those is smoother than Unlocked when the game runs between 40 and 60. Changes apply right away.
• Keep it cool: iPhones slow down when hot. Play without a case or near airflow, and avoid charging while playing if it gets warm.
• Close other apps before playing and keep Low Power Mode off.
• Game files on the iPhone: keep the game folder in On My iPhone, not iCloud Drive (iCloud can offload files and cause loading stutters).

What to expect on your iPhone

From the play stats of thousands of sessions (October 2026, sessions of 3 minutes or more). Every iPhone runs a steady 30 FPS at the default frame rate; the third column is what players average when they set the frame rate higher. Almost every iPhone gets warm with a game this big; the heat column says how often it gets hot enough that iOS slows the chip.

iPhone	Start with	Above 30 FPS, players average	Gets hot
XR, XS, 11, 11 Pro, 12 mini, 12, 13 mini, 13, SE	Ultra Performance (the app picks it)	40-49 FPS	9 of 10 sessions; some grey ground while driving fast is expected with about 2 GB for the game
XS Max, 11 Pro Max	Ultra Performance	45-48 FPS	9 of 10 sessions, and 1 in 10 (XS Max) to 1 in 4 (11 Pro Max) very hot: play at 30 FPS
12 Pro, 12 Pro Max	Ultra Performance (12 Pro Max), Battery (12 Pro)	42-44 FPS	These run hottest: on Battery or Performance the 12 Pro Max gets very hot in half of all sessions, on Ultra Performance in 1 of 5, and it runs smoother too
13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 15, 15 Plus	Battery; Performance or Balanced with extra memory	45-51 FPS	8 to almost 10 of 10 sessions
15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 16, 16 Plus, 16e, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max	Battery; Quality with extra memory	41-49 FPS	4-8 of 10 sessions
17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, Air	Battery; Quality with extra memory	48-53 FPS	5-7 of 10 sessions
iPads with an M chip, Macs	Quality and up	52-63 FPS	rarely

The preset marked (recommended) in Settings › Graphics already follows your iPhone's memory. If yours gets very hot, a step down or Frame rate 30 helps more than a lower resolution.

What's new

See CHANGELOG.md for every version.

Self Radio (your own music)

Since v1.4.5 your own songs play on the car radio, as on PC. Add them in Settings › Self Radio › Add songs…, or copy them into On My iPhone › GTA V Port › Self Radio (subfolders work too). MP3, M4A/AAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF and FLAC play; songs from Apple Music or Spotify are protected and can't be added. With 3 songs or more, Self Radio is the smiley next to Los Santos Rock Radio in the radio wheel (the game calls it User Music FM). Play order is Shuffle by default; Shuffle and In order start each song from the beginning, and the Next song button next to Radio skips one. Like a radio station joins songs midway, as the PC does. Songs added while you play reach the station at the next start.

Mods

PC mods work as downloaded: car and character replacements, add-on cars, OpenIV packages (.oiv), data files and Script Hook V scripts (.asi), trainers included. Install them in Settings › Mods by picking the downloaded file, or put the files in On My iPhone › GTA V Port › Mods yourself. See docs/MODS.md.

Cheats

Settings › Cheats has a vehicle spawner (search any vehicle the game has, it appears in front of you), God mode and Never wanted switches, repair and clean, time of day and weather, Set money and the game's own story cheats. See docs/CHEATS.md.

Anonymous play stats

Since v1.4.4 the app sends a few anonymous numbers so we can see what to fix first: how many people play, on which iPhones and versions, FPS, crashes, and which missions fail. No names, saves, game files, mod names or IP addresses. Exactly what is sent: docs/STATS.md.

Translate the app

Anyone can add a language to the app or finish one with the Translate page on the website. Vietnamese, Arabic, Uzbek, Ukrainian, Filipino, Bulgarian and Turkish are community translations. See docs/TRANSLATING.md.

Community and help

Questions and answers: the answers to the most common questions (install, game files, memory, controls, missions, crashes), the same ones the helper bot gives.

Five Star Port on Telegram has everything: every new release as it comes out, help with installs, and a community that has solved most problems before. Please ask there instead of by email or DM.

Found a bug or have an idea? Report it on the report board, where you can also vote on what gets fixed next. For a bug, send your log first from Settings › This device › Send log to the developer right after it happens; the app then offers to open the report page with the log attached. Bugs can also go to this repository's Issues.

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Build it yourself on a Mac

Needs an Apple Silicon Mac with Xcode (free) and brew install xcodegen. Point the script at your game folder:

./build_ipa.sh --mirror /path/to/your/game-folder          # asks for extra memory (works with any account)
./build_ipa.sh --mirror /path/to/your/game-folder --free   # only if your installer refuses the app

This makes GTA5Port.ipa next to the script (about 30 to 60 minutes); install it with SideStore or AltStore. Don't want 21 GB on your phone? Serve the game folder from your computer over Tailscale (tailscale serve --bg "/path/to/your/game-files") and build with ./build_ipa.sh https://my-pc.tailnet-name.ts.net: the app then streams the files while you play. To install straight from Xcode instead, open app/PlayGTA5Native.xcodeproj (created by the script), choose your iPhone as the destination, pick your Apple ID under Signing & Capabilities (free accounts appear as Personal Team; change the bundle identifier to something unique if Xcode asks), and press Run.

Free vs paid Apple account

	Free Apple ID	Paid Apple Developer account (99 USD/year)
Works	yes	yes
Memory iOS allows the app	normal limit (about 3,000 MB on a 6 GB iPhone)	Increased Memory Limit + Extended Virtual Addressing (about 4,000 MB)
Experience	smooth on the lighter presets: about 25 to 31 FPS on an iPhone 13 Pro Max	the same, plus room for higher presets
Re-sign	every 7 days	once a year

Settings shows the memory limit iOS gave the app at the bottom.

Using a paid account: the IPA and the Mac script ask for both memory entitlements, so sign with your paid Apple ID (for example in Sideloadly or AltStore). On a Mac (most reliable): open app/PlayGTA5Native.xcodeproj, pick your paid team under Signing & Capabilities, change the bundle identifier to something unique (e.g. com.yourname.gta5port), check that Increased Memory Limit and Extended Virtual Addressing are listed, choose your iPhone and press Run. If Settings still shows the free limit, the tool dropped the entitlements; try another one or use the Mac route.

How it works

• The engine (game.wasm from your files) is translated to C with wasm2c and compiled to ARM64 at build time; iOS does not allow compiling code on the phone.
• Graphics use this project's own Metal renderer (app/Source/MetalRenderer). It runs the game's Direct3D 11-style command stream directly on Metal. At build time, the game's shaders from your files are translated to Metal with app/ShaderTool (built on Google's Tint, BSD-3-Clause/Apache-2.0, prebuilt in this project's releases) and precompiled into the app, so nothing is compiled on the phone while you play.
• Touch input feeds the engine's own controller code, so GTA's controller features (assisted aim, analog driving) work.
• Game files are read straight from the folder on your phone, or streamed from your server into a block cache.
• Script Hook V mods (.asi, Windows x64 code) run in a built-in x86-64 interpreter (Blink, ISC license) whose memory is the engine's own, so a mod's game commands go straight to the engine's handlers.

License

The code written for this project is MIT licensed (see LICENSE). It does not cover the game, its data, or the third-party files fetched at build time. Those keep their own licenses: WABT and SIMDe (Apache-2.0, MIT), bcdec (MIT), libarchive (app/Vendor/LICENSE-libarchive.txt) and libopus (app/Vendor/LICENSE-libopus.txt), both BSD, and Blink (app/Vendor/LICENSE-blink.txt, ISC).

Thanks

This port is better because of people outside the project:

• @k49kg9xmsd-prog: the app in 13 languages and swipe-to-look (#4).
• @ITSUPERVISOR: the story cheats in Settings (#9).
• @TomerGamerTV: the ideas behind the v1.3.2 fixes for pedestrian spawning crashes, the Replay editor's free space check and flickering props.
• @gfejer: the Cheats menu with the vehicle spawner, God mode and Never wanted (#22).
• @m1337v: the airplane right stick (#12) and retrying interrupted game-file reads (#13).
• Players who opened issues that shaped v1.3.4: @aliiscoding2122 (Story money reset to $0, #10), @k49kg9xmsd-prog (pause when leaving the app, #11) and @phakamaec (an old version being handed out, #14).
• Players who opened issues that shaped v1.4: @k49kg9xmsd-prog (aim and duck while driving, #15), @abtastic-hub (five bugs from the barber to Set money, #19), @mmts7hrnb5-jpg (the photo crash, #16), @Blue7366 (mods, #3) and @sonubhutani1979-afk (the sign-in, #18).
• Players who opened issues that shaped v1.4.2: @abtastic-hub (the Handler in Scouting the Port, calls while walking, switching back from Chop, aiming while driving and more, #20).
• Players who opened issues that shaped v1.4.3: @abtastic-hub (the trailer, the Handler, switching back from Chop and the engine sounds, #20).
• Translators: @lekhoi2811 (Vietnamese), @uk9_v and hoSAM (Arabic), @muhammadiminov_007 (Uzbek), @waven (Ukrainian), Ricjayson (Filipino), g_m1sh3vvw_ (Bulgarian), Efe Tokdemir (Turkish) and Hot (Latin American Spanish), from the Translate page.
• Everyone who sent logs from Settings › Send log to the developer, especially those who described exactly what failed and added their own analysis. Those reports found the Story mode bugs fixed in v1.3.3: the crash at the end of Marriage Counseling, the lock-ups after long sessions, and the lag with stuck buttons.