OPEN BETA · IOS

IW4L Mobile for iPhone

Open beta test via TestFlight

Open betaTestFlight

Install through Apple's TestFlight app. Open the invitation on your iPhone, accept it, then tap Install.

Requirements: iPhone with iOS 17 or later. Recent models (iPhone 15 Pro or newer) run it best.

You need your own licensed copy of MW2 (2009) on Steam. See what you need before you start

LEGAL NOTICE IN SHORT

Legal notice in short

All game content (maps, models, textures, sounds, code) belongs to Activision Publishing, Inc. and its licensors.
IW4L Mobile does not include, distribute, upload or host any game files. Every player provides their own copy.
You need to own MW2 (2009) on your own Steam account. Pirated, cracked or copied game files are not supported.
You are responsible for following the license of your game and the Steam Subscriber Agreement. See Legal for the details.

GAME FILES

How you get the game files

IW4L Mobile never gives you game files. They always come from your own Steam copy:

Where they come from: Downloaded directly from Steam's servers to your iPhone
How ownership is checked: You sign in with Steam; only accounts that own the game can download it

In every case, the files go from Steam to your own device and stay there. They are never sent to IW4L's servers or to other players.

STEP 01

Install with TestFlight

Use Apple's TestFlight app to join the IW4L Mobile open beta. Open these links on the iPhone you will use to play.

Install TestFlight. Get TestFlight from the App Store on your iPhone.
Open the beta invitation. Tap Open beta test via TestFlight above, then tap View in TestFlight on Apple's invitation page.
Accept and install. If you are a new tester, tap Accept, then Install to download IW4L Mobile. Returning testers can tap Update or Open.
Open IW4L Mobile. Tap Open in TestFlight or launch it from your home screen, then follow the Steam setup below.

If no compatible build is available, check the device requirements shown on Apple's invitation page. TestFlight shows how long each build is available and notifies you when an update is ready.

STEP 02

Download your copy from Steam (first launch)

Open IW4L Mobile. The Sign in with Steam screen appears, together with a short How signing in works explanation. Read it and tap Got it.
Enter your Steam account name and password and tap Sign in. Your password is sent encrypted directly to Steam. IW4L Mobile does not store it and never sends it anywhere else. Prefer not to type your password? Tap Use a QR code instead and scan the code with the Steam app on another phone or tablet.
Steam Guard: open the Steam app and tap Approve on the sign-in for "IW4L Mobile", then come back. You can also type a Steam Guard code instead.
IW4L checks with Steam that your account owns MW2 (2009). If it doesn't, nothing is downloaded. If it does, you see Ready to download with the size and your free space. Tap Download.
Keep IW4L Mobile open and the screen on while it downloads (iOS pauses apps in the background). You can Pause and Continue at any time; finished files are kept.
When it says All set, close IW4L Mobile completely (swipe up from the bottom edge and pause, then swipe IW4L away) and open it again.

IW4L signs out of Steam when the download is done, and the sign-in is revoked. The game files are downloaded only from Steam and only to your iPhone. IW4L Mobile uses Steam's normal sign-in, but it is not a Valve app and is not endorsed by Valve.

STEP 03

First start of the game

Read the short "not affiliated" notice, choose the name other players see, and you are in the main menu.

Updates: open TestFlight and tap Update when a new build is available. You can also enable automatic updates in TestFlight. Send beta feedback through TestFlight's Send Beta Feedback option.

PLAYING

Playing

1v1 online: main menu → 1V1 RUST (SNIPERS). IW4L connects to the nearest relay server (Europe, Asia or the US) and finds an opponent; you see who you play, then a Starting in 5 countdown. You are matched with players on the same server.
Against bots: Create Game, pick a map, add bots and choose their skill. Works fully offline.
Trickshot Training: practise trickshots with a dummy bot and explosive bullets.
Classes and progress: Create a Class, Barracks (challenges, prestige). Items unlock as you level up, as in the original game.
iPhone controls: touch controls (left side moves, right side looks, buttons for aim, fire, jump and more). You can move and resize the buttons in Options → Controller → Touch Layout. Bluetooth controllers (PlayStation, Xbox) work too, and their buttons can be changed in Options → Controller → Customize Buttons.
iPhone graphics: Options → Video → Advanced Video → Graphics Quality. Low (the default) keeps the phone coolest and runs at 60 fps; Medium and High look sharper but make the phone warmer.

How online play works: matches are hosted by one of the players. Our relay servers only pass match traffic (like movement and shots) between players. No game files are ever sent over the network: every player loads the maps, models and sounds from their own copy. IW4L Mobile never connects to Activision's official servers and can't be used to play on them. More details: How multiplayer works.

Play fair: cheating, hacking or modifying game files is not supported or allowed in IW4L Mobile.

PRIVACY

Your data and privacy

No IW4L account and no tracking. IW4L Mobile does not create an account for you and has no ads or analytics.
Steam sign-in (iPhone and Mac only): your password is sent encrypted directly to Steam, is never stored, and never reaches IW4L's servers. The sign-in is revoked after the download.
Online play: like any online game, our relay servers (in Ashburn USA, Singapore and Falkenstein Germany) need your IP address to deliver match traffic. The name you choose is visible to other players, so don't use your real name if you'd rather not. Offline modes send nothing.
Log files stay on your device unless you choose to send them to us.
Where your progress is stored: Inside the app (included in your normal iCloud backup).

Questions about your data: iw4mobile@gmail.com.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Troubleshooting

The download stopped: Open IW4L Mobile again and tap Continue. Keep the app open and the screen on while downloading.
"Not enough space": Free up the space shown (Settings → General → iPhone Storage), then try again.
"This account doesn't own Modern Warfare 2": Sign in with the Steam account that bought the game. The game is only available to accounts that own it.
Steam sign-in fails: Check the account name (not your email) and password, and approve the sign-in in the Steam app. If you have signed in many times in a row, Steam may ask you to wait a few minutes.
1v1 search takes long: You are matched with players on your nearest server; while there are few players, waiting is normal.
Something else: Tell us in the Discord or email iw4mobile@gmail.com. Never send us game files, and never share your Steam password with anyone, including us.

LEGAL

Legal

Game content. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and all of its content, including maps, models, textures, sounds, music and code, are owned by Activision Publishing, Inc. and its licensors. IW4L Mobile does not include, distribute, upload or host any of it.

Your own copy. IW4L Mobile only works with game files from your own licensed copy of MW2 (2009) on Steam. On iPhone and Mac, the files are downloaded directly from Steam to accounts that own the game. On PC, they are read from your own Steam install. Pirated, cracked or copied game files are not supported.

Your responsibility. When you bought the game, you agreed to Activision's license for it and to the Steam Subscriber Agreement. Using IW4L Mobile does not change those agreements, and you are responsible for following them. Use your own Steam account only.

Free and non-commercial. IW4L Mobile is free, will never be sold, and has no ads, donations or paid features. It is an independent fan project made for personal use.

No changes to the game. IW4L Mobile never modifies, patches or replaces any official game files, and does not connect to Activision's official servers.

No warranty. IW4L Mobile is experimental software provided "as is", without warranty of any kind.

Rights holders. If you represent Activision, its licensors or Valve and have any concern about this project, please contact iw4mobile@gmail.com. We respond promptly.

IW4L Mobile is based on the IW4L game runtime by vladtrc and contributors. It contains no game content and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Activision Publishing, Inc., Infinity Ward or Valve Corporation. Call of Duty and Modern Warfare are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. Steam is a trademark of Valve Corporation. Apple, iPhone, Mac and TestFlight are trademarks of Apple Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.