Open source
Free to use, free to modify, free to distribute. Built transparently for the iOS developer community.
Why open source
Trace is open source by design. Network debugging tools require trust. Opening the codebase allows verification, contribution, and confidence in the tool.
Transparency
Network debugging involves sensitive data. Open source code enables security audits and verification that no data leaves your device. Build from source to ensure binary integrity.
Community driven
Contributions from iOS developers improve the tool for everyone. Feature requests, bug reports, and code contributions welcome. Community feedback shapes the roadmap.
Learning resource
Complete implementation of Network Extension and TLS interception. Demonstrates advanced iOS networking concepts. Reference for developers building similar tools.
No vendor lock-in
No subscriptions, no feature paywalls, no SaaS dependencies. Fork and modify for specific needs. Always available regardless of company status.
License
Trace is licensed under the MIT License, one of the most permissive open source licenses. This means you can use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and sell copies of the software.
The only requirement is that the license and copyright notice must be included in all copies or substantial portions of the software.
MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 Justin Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome from iOS developers of all experience levels. Whether you are fixing a bug, adding a feature, or improving documentation, your help makes Trace better.
Ways to contribute
Report bugs
Found an issue? Open a GitHub issue with reproduction steps and environment details.
Request features
Have an idea? Start a discussion or open an issue describing the feature and use case.
Submit pull requests
Code contributions via pull requests. Follow coding standards and include tests where applicable.
Improve documentation
Documentation improvements are valuable. Fix typos, clarify explanations, or add examples.
Share knowledge
Write blog posts, create tutorials, or help others in discussions and issues.
Development setup
Code of conduct
Be respectful and professional. Constructive feedback is encouraged. Focus on technical merit and user value. No tolerance for harassment or discrimination.
Build from source
Building from source ensures you know exactly what code is running on your device. No pre-built binaries required.
Requirements
Xcode 16+ with Swift 6.0 support
iOS 18+ (Control widget requires iOS 18+)
Apple Developer Team with Network Extension entitlements
Physical device (packet tunnel unavailable in Simulator)
Build steps
Clone repository and open Trace.xcodeproj (or Package.swift with SwiftPM)
Update signing for all targets (App, TraceVPN, TraceWidget) to your team
Set APP_GROUP_IDENTIFIER build setting to your App Group ID
Update bundle identifiers for App, TraceVPN, and TraceWidgetExtension
Update providerBundleIdentifier in VPNManager.swift if extension bundle ID changed
Build and run on device (root CA generated automatically on first launch)
Questions or feedback
Open an issue on GitHub for bug reports, feature requests, or general questions. The community and maintainers monitor issues and discussions.
Open an issue