Taimur Asad·

Someone Got Windows 11 ARM Running On An M2 iPad Air Via Emulation

The M2 iPad Air is a fast tablet, but some might argue that it is limited by the power of iPadOS, which is less than ideal for power users. However, one developer has now been able to bring Windows 11 ARM to the M2 iPad Air via the magic of emulation.

This move comes after the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations kicked in, making it more viable to run non-Apple software on devices like the iPad Air.

Developer NTDev has shared proof of Windows 11 running on an M2 iPad Air on both social media and YouTube, as spotted by Windows Latest. The emulation uses the EU’s new rules to side-load the software required to make Windows 11 run, as MacRumors explains.

UTM is the technology that makes it all possible, and emulates Windows 11 inside iPadOS by translating Windows code into ARM instructions as it runs. Technically, iPadOS restricts direct virtualization for third-party apps, but JIT compilation allows Windows 11 to boot and function smoothly without requiring jailbreak access. NTDev credits AltStore’s StikDebug helper app for enabling JIT compilation in the background.

The version of Windows 11 that has been used is called Tiny11, a barebones version of the software that has been optimized to run on lower-powered devices and requires less RAM and storage.

Performance isn’t great right now, but that could change as more work is put into making Windows 11 on an iPad an option for more people.

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