DOWNLOAD · MACOS

IW4L Mobile for Mac

Download for Mac

IW4L-Mobile-1.0.1.dmg38 MB

Open the disk image and drag IW4L Mobile into your Applications folder.

Requirements: A Mac with an Apple chip (M1 or newer) running macOS 13 Ventura or later.

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 Mac
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

Download IW4L-Mobile-1.0.1.dmg (or the newest version you were sent).
Double-click the .dmg. A window opens with IW4L Mobile and an Applications folder.
Drag IW4L Mobile onto Applications.
Open IW4L Mobile from your Applications folder. The first time, macOS asks whether you want to open an app downloaded from the internet: click Open.

STEP 02

Download your copy from Steam (first launch)

MW2 (2009) is a Windows game on Steam, so on a Mac IW4L downloads your own copy directly from Steam:

The Sign in with Steam window appears, with the How signing in works explanation. Click Got it.
Enter your Steam account name and password and click Sign in (or choose Use a QR code instead and scan it with the Steam app on your phone). Your password is sent encrypted directly to Steam, and is never stored or sent anywhere else.
Approve the sign-in in the Steam app (Steam Guard), or type the code.
IW4L checks with Steam that your account owns MW2 (2009). At Ready to download, click Download (about 6 GB). Keep the window open; your Mac stays awake while it downloads.
When it says All set, click Play.

As on iPhone, IW4L signs out of Steam when the download is done, and the sign-in is revoked.

STEP 03

First start of the game

Read the "not affiliated" notice, choose your name, and you are in the main menu.

Updates: download the new .dmg and drag the new IW4L Mobile onto Applications again (choose Replace). Your game files and progress are kept.

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.

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: ~/Library/Application Support/IW4L Mobile

Questions about your data: iw4mobile@gmail.com.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Troubleshooting

"Not enough space": Free up the space shown (System Settings → General → 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: Send a description and the newest log file: ~/Library/Caches/IW4L Mobile/iw4l-artifacts/logs. 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.