What is SwiftTerm?
SwiftTerm is a native iPhone and iPad terminal workspace for SSH sessions, SFTP transfers, snippets, local network diagnostics, host management, and privacy-safe support workflows.
FAQ
Clear answers before you trust a terminal.
SwiftTerm is built for real remote-access work, so the public FAQ keeps the product boundary as visible as the interface.
Which SSH authentication methods are live?
The current live SSH path supports password authentication and Ed25519 private-key authentication. RSA keys can be generated, imported, exported, and managed, but live RSA SSH private-key auth remains a deliberate future dependency decision.
Where do private keys live?
Private SSH key material is stored in Keychain. SwiftTerm also supports host-key review and pinned known-host fingerprints so operators can decide what they trust before connecting.
Does the local shell run system binaries?
No. The iOS local shell is sandboxed and runs app-owned commands for DNS, TCP reachability, WHOIS/RDAP, TLS checks, subnet math, SSH launch, and guarded Telnet launch. It does not spawn /bin/sh on iOS.
What can SFTP do today?
SwiftTerm supports live SFTP listing, upload, download, delete, rename, create-directory, local Files picker uploads, incoming file staging, and SFTP-backed upload/download sync execution.
Does SwiftTerm collect terminal data?
The current build is local-first, has no server-side credential store, and uses opt-in analytics with allow-listed, redacted properties. Diagnostics export is generated locally and omits terminal history by default.
How do subscriptions work?
SwiftTerm uses Apple In-App Purchase for Pro and Team subscription workflows. Purchase status is processed by Apple and used by the app to unlock premium surfaces.
What should not be treated as shipped?
Mosh, production CloudKit sync launch, collaboration backends, marketplace distribution, true delta rsync, guaranteed long-running background transfers, live RSA auth, and production AI execution remain roadmap or account-side work.