JS8 Mobile: JS8 on Your iPhone, No Laptop Required

October 26, 2026 2 min read

JS8 is one of my favorite modes: weak-signal, keyboard-to-keyboard messaging that gets through when voice won’t. The catch has always been the laptop. For portable, SOTA and POTA work, that’s one more thing to pack, power and protect from the weather.

JS8 Mobile runs JS8 natively on the iPhone. Plug your radio into your phone over USB-C and you’re on the air. NO laptop required (and one less thing for me to forget at home, right after my hat, which on this head is a real safety issue).

Status: JS8 Mobile is in beta through Apple’s TestFlight. It goes to the App Store once the licensing work below is finished.

What it does

Decodes all four JS8 speeds at once: Slow, Normal, Fast and Turbo.
Sends directed messages, heartbeats and CQs, including multi-frame messages.
Live waterfall with tap-to-tune and UTC cycle markers.
Stations list sorted by last heard, signal or distance, with distance and bearing worked out on the phone.
Text-message-style chat with quick replies like SNR?, GRID? and 73.
Logbook with worked-before checks and ADIF or CSV export by email.
GPS grid square and an automatic clock check, so your timing stays on.
PSK Reporter spotting, on by default, with an off switch in Settings.
Callsign lookups through callook.info, or HamQTH with your own login.

What you need

An iPhone running iOS 18 or later. It also runs on iPad in an iPhone-sized window.
A radio with USB audio, or a USB-C audio interface. iPhone 15 and newer have USB-C; older iPhones need Apple’s Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.

So far I’ve tested it on my Yaesu FT-891 with a DigiRig and on a QRP Labs rig, both plugged straight into the iPhone over USB-C. Other radios and interfaces are uncharted territory, which is exactly what the beta is for.

Working with the JS8Call developers

JS8 Mobile builds on the JS8Call-improved engine, and I asked the JS8Call developers for their blessing before going any further. They gave it, and we’re working together on licensing that fits Apple’s App Store rules. That’s the last step before release.

Free, always

Like all my ham radio software, JS8 Mobile will be 100% free. No accounts, no ads, no tracking. Your radio audio is decoded on your phone and never sent anywhere. This started as a fun challenge, and I want it in as many hands as possible.

Want to help test? Get in touch. The privacy policy explains exactly what JS8 Mobile sends and why.

73, Sal, W6SAL

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