Short answer: name the hardware, not the accounts: Phone 01, Phone 02 and so on, zero-padded so they sort. Put that name on the phone, both ends of its cable and its hub port, set it as the iPhone's name, and use it in your automation software. Keep one inventory sheet that maps each name to its model, iOS version, hub port, proxy, accounts and signing date.
Why hardware names
Accounts move between phones. Phones get repaired, swapped and re-cabled. If a phone is called "fitness-main", the name is wrong the day that account moves. A plain hardware name stays true for the life of the device, and the sheet tells you what is on it today.
A naming scheme
| Thing | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | Phone + two digits | Phone 07 |
| Rack or site | Letter | Rack A |
| Hub | Hub + letter | Hub B |
| Hub port | Hub + port number | B3 |
| Cable | Same as its phone | Phone 07 |
| Mac | Host + number | Host 1 |
| Proxy | Same as its phone | Proxy 07 |
With more than one rack, prefix: A-07. Keep it short enough to fit on a small label.
Set the iPhone's own name to match: Settings → General → About → Name. That name is what shows up in Finder and Xcode, which helps when you are installing or re-signing.
Labeling
- Phone: label on the back or the stand slot, readable from the front.
- Cable: a label at each end, near the connector.
- Hub port: a label or marker above each port.
- Power strip: label which shelf it feeds.
- Spare stock: a box labeled "spare cables" and "spare phone".
Color helps on bigger racks: one tape color per hub, so a cable in the wrong hub stands out.
The inventory sheet
One row per phone. A template:
| Name | Model | iOS | Battery health | Hub port | Proxy | Accounts | Signing expires | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phone 01 | iPhone 12 | (version) | 91% | A1 | Proxy 01 | @example.fitness, @example.recipes | (date) | — |
| Phone 02 | iPhone 11 | (version) | 84% | A2 | none | @example.travel | (date) | New cable 3 Sep |
Useful extra columns:
- Passcode reference — where the passcode is stored, never the passcode itself in a shared sheet. See account security.
- Purchase date and source for used phones — see the used iPhone checklist.
- Last battery check — see battery care.
- Signing expires — only if you use a free Apple account, where profiles expire after seven days. See 7-day signing.
Keep it current
- Update the row the moment you change something: a cable, an account, an iOS version.
- Do a monthly walk-through: label still readable, row still true.
- When a phone leaves service, keep the row and mark it retired, so you can see a model's history of faults.
With Farmero
Give each phone the same name in Farmero's Phones list as on its label, so a report that says a post on Phone 07 was refused points at one physical device. Farmero reports what posted, what didn't and what was refused, on the Mac and optionally to Telegram or ntfy. Rack layout is covered in rack setup.
FAQ
How should I name phones in a phone farm?
Name the hardware with a zero-padded number, like Phone 01, and track the accounts on it in a sheet. Accounts move; hardware names don't have to.
What should a phone farm inventory sheet track?
Model, iOS version, battery health, hub port, proxy, accounts, signing expiry if relevant, and notes on repairs.
Should the iPhone's own name match the label?
Yes. It shows in Finder and Xcode, which makes setup and re-signing less error-prone.
Should passcodes go in the inventory sheet?
No. Keep them in a password manager and note only where they are stored.