Short answer: give every model a fixed home on one iPhone (or two if the model has more than eight accounts), label the phone physically and in software, and write the mapping down in one sheet everyone uses. Limit who can open each phone, keep two-factor codes with the account owner, and never move an account between phones casually.
The mapping sheet
Everything else depends on this table being right. Names are made up.
| Phone | Model | Accounts on it | Proxy | Owner of logins | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phone 1 | Model A | tt-main, tt-fit, ig, yt | Proxy 1 | Model A | — |
| Phone 2 | Model B | tt-main, tt-cook, ig, yt | Proxy 2 | Model B | — |
| Phone 3 | Model C + Model D | 4 + 4 accounts | Proxy 3 | Each model | Shared phone |
| Phone 4 | Spare | — | — | Agency | Swap-in if a phone fails |
Farmero runs up to eight accounts per iPhone, which is where the "4 + 4" limit comes from. How many accounts each model needs is covered in accounts per model.
One model per phone, or shared?
| One model per phone | Two models per phone | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | More phones | Fewer phones |
| Separation | A phone issue touches one model | Touches two |
| Access control | Easy: phone = model | Harder |
| Troubleshooting | Simple | Need to check which model |
| Proxy | One per model | Shared by two models |
If a model leaves the agency, one-phone-per-model also makes the handover cleaner. See account ownership and access.
Labeling
- A physical label on the back and on the cable: "Phone 3".
- The same name in iOS (Settings, General, About, Name) and in your posting tool.
- A numbered hub port per phone, so you can find it by cable.
- Keep a photo of the rack with labels visible in your ops notes.
Hardware basics are in iPhone phone farm setup on a Mac.
Access control
- Phone passcodes known only to operators who need them.
- Two-factor on every account, tied to the model's own number or authenticator, not a staff member's personal phone.
- Apple ID on the phone belongs to the agency or the model, recorded in the sheet.
- No personal use of farm phones.
- A log of who changed what on which phone.
Review the sheet whenever something changes: a new account, a phone swap, a staff change. Date each change. When a problem comes up weeks later, a dated sheet tells you what the setup looked like at the time instead of what it looks like now.
Setting up a phone with Farmero
Farmero is a Mac app (macOS 14+) that drives your own iPhones (iOS 17+) over USB. Each phone needs a small runner installed once with Xcode; with a free Apple ID it has to be re-signed every seven days, with a paid developer account it does not. Then you add the phone's accounts, and before any post or warm-up Farmero reads the profile header on screen to prove it is on the right account. Optional per-phone proxies live in Settings, Proxies. Automating these apps may breach their terms, and nobody can promise an account will never be restricted. Steps: connect iPhones.
FAQ
How many phones does an agency need per model?
Usually one, unless the model has more than eight accounts across platforms. Keep a spare phone for failures.
Should staff log in to model accounts on their own phones?
No. Keep accounts on labeled agency phones so access is visible and can be removed.
What happens if a phone is plugged into the wrong port?
Nothing breaks if phones are named consistently, but a port map saves time when you need to find one quickly.
Can two models share a proxy?
They can if they share a phone. If separation matters, give each model its own phone and proxy. See proxies per model.