Using PacketStream Residential Proxies on iPhone and iPad

Set PacketStream as the Wi-Fi HTTP proxy on iOS or iPadOS so Safari uses a residential exit, then check the exit IP.

Use the Wi-Fi proxy setting to send Safari on an iPhone or iPad through a residential exit. iOS and iPadOS save your PacketStream username and password with the proxy.

The setting applies to one Wi-Fi network at a time. It doesn’t cover cellular data.

Before you start

Copy these values from the Proxy Access page in your dashboard:

Field	Value
Server	`proxy.packetstream.io`
Port	`31112`
Username	Your Proxy Username
Password	Your Proxy Password (auth key), with optional suffixes

Leave Protocol on that page set to HTTP Proxy so it shows port 31112. Choosing a Location or Sticky IP adds the matching suffix to the Proxy Password for you.

Every app that follows the proxy sends its traffic through PacketStream. All of it is billed at $1 per GB, so turn the proxy off when you finish.

Configure

These steps follow Apple’s documentation for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Apple names the HTTP Proxy setting but not each field, so the labels on your device may differ slightly.

Open Settings > Wi-Fi.
Tap the info button (i) next to the network you’re connected to.
Under HTTP Proxy, tap Configure Proxy.
Tap Manual.
Enter proxy.packetstream.io in Server and 31112 in Port.
Turn on Authentication, then enter your username and password.
Tap Save.

Repeat these steps for each Wi-Fi network you want to use. To stop using PacketStream, go back to Configure Proxy and tap Off.

Verify your exit

Open ipinfo.io in Safari and check the IP and country.

If it shows your usual IP or an iCloud Private Relay address, the proxy isn’t being used. Check that you’re on the Wi-Fi network you configured and that your proxy settings were saved.

Country targeting and sticky sessions

Keep the username unchanged and add suffixes to the password in Configure Proxy.

Goal	Password
New exit per connection	`AUTH_KEY`
United States exit	`AUTH_KEY_country-US`
Keep one exit	`AUTH_KEY_session-browser42`
Both	`AUTH_KEY_country-US_session-browser42`

Without a session, each new connection can get a different exit, and one page load opens several connections. Use a session for logins and other multi-step browsing.
Use only letters and digits in the session label. Everything from the first other character is dropped, so my-phone becomes my.
A session ends after 60 minutes without a new connection. It also fails if the Packeter providing the exit disconnects; choose a new label to continue.
To get a valid code, choose the country in the Location list on the Proxy Access page; the generated password then carries the right suffix. An unrecognized code is ignored and you can get an exit in any country, so check the country at ipinfo.io after you change it.
If no exit is available in a recognized country, requests fail instead of using another country.

See rotation and sticky sessions and country targeting for details.

Which apps use it

Safari and apps built on Apple’s networking frameworks should use the proxy and its saved credentials.
Apps with their own network code may bypass it.
Traffic sent over cellular data, for example when your device switches away from weak Wi-Fi, doesn’t use the Wi-Fi proxy.

Why port 31112

PacketStream recommends its HTTPS endpoint on port 31111, which encrypts the connection to the gateway. iOS and iPadOS offer only a plain HTTP proxy. Port 31111 expects an encrypted connection from the first byte, so a proxy setting pointed at it fails.

With port 31112:

https:// sites stay encrypted end to end.
Your username, auth key, and the hostnames you visit reach the gateway unencrypted, and so do plain http:// pages.
Use the setup only on networks you trust. If your auth key may have been exposed, select Reset Proxy Password on the Proxy Access page.

On a computer, the Chrome and Firefox guides use port 31111 and keep that connection encrypted.

Limitations

The proxy applies to one Wi-Fi network. There’s no proxy setting for cellular data; only an organization’s managed (supervised) devices can get a global proxy that covers it.
Apple offers only an HTTP proxy here, with no SOCKS option.
The proxy carries web traffic over TCP only. Traffic over UDP, such as video calls (WebRTC), may still connect directly. Don’t rely on this setup for anonymity.

Troubleshooting

Safari asks for a password or shows an error. Check that Authentication is on and the username and password have no typos or extra spaces.
Pages don’t load. Confirm the port is 31112. Port 31111 doesn’t work in this setting.
The exit doesn’t change after a refresh. Safari reuses open connections, so a refresh can keep the same exit.

See proxy troubleshooting for authentication, targeting, and rotation checks.

Using PacketStream residential proxies on iPhone and iPad