Windows 11 for ARM runs perfectly on iPad Air M2: EU and JIT make it possible
The Digital Markets Act forces Apple to approve alternative app stores. UTM with JIT is now available there. The first Windows 11 experiments are underway.
Windows 11 for ARM on an iPad: Yes, you can.
(Image: NTDEV / X)
Users within the European Union can now run the ARM version of Windows 11 in a sufficiently fast form on iPads with M-SoC. This is reported by hobbyist and developer NTDEV, whose software Tiny11 (and previously Tiny10) can be used to build a slimmed-down Microsoft operating system that should not contain any bloatware. This is possible thanks to the VM and emulation software UTM, which is now also available in the alternative app store AltStore PAL with support for just-in-time compilation (JIT). AltStore PAL is only available within the EU because alternative app stores are permitted here thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
AltStore Classic within AltStore PAL
However, some special work is required for JIT to work: In addition to installing AltStore Classic within AltStore PAL, the StikDebug JIT compiler must also be activated. This again requires some effort and a Mac or PC. The AltStore Classic is part of AltStore PAL and has been included as standard since version 2.2. It also allows you to run apps that have not been notarized – However, it remains to be seen whether Apple will tolerate this in the long term.
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NTDEV reports that he was able to use Windows 11 ARM on an iPad Air M2 – i.e., the previous model of the current M3 device – largely without any problems. This would hardly be possible without JIT. Tiny11 ensures that only the most important components are included. Windows code is not changed, but what many users consider to be unimportant is left out. This reduces both RAM and SSD requirements. “It was actually quite simple: for a few days now, EU countries have been able to install the AltStore Classic app, which allowed me to install the full UTM that integrates JIT compilation. For JIT to actually work, I had to use StikDebug, which allows it to run on the device without AltJIT or other external solutions,” NTDEV told the WindowsLatest blog. This is extremely useful, as you previously needed your server in your WLAN for AltJIT.
Booting only thanks to JIT
To install Windows 11 ARM on the iPad, however, the AltServer offered by AltStore is still required as a companion app for the installation. However, as you require a Mac or PC for JIT activation anyway, this is not a major issue. Basically, the installation has become much easier.
“Without JIT, [it] wouldn't even boot,” says NTDEV. The necessary ARM64 image is built on a PC with tiny11builder. AltStore Classic is used for sideloading UTM with JIT, followed by the activation of StikDebug. Windows 11 for ARM has already been installed on iPhones via – jailbreak – and is also already running on Android devices.
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