In iOS development, capturing a request is only the first step. The real needs are often like:
- Confirming whether a certain field was actually sent
- Reproducing an online issue
- Observing app behavior under abnormal network conditions
At this point, packet capture is not just about whether data exists, but whether the captured data is complete, controllable, and reproducible.
Scenario 1: What parameters were actually sent in the API?
A common issue:
- Client code looks fine.
- The data received by the server does not match expectations.
Verification via proxy packet capture
Using Charles, Proxyman, or SniffMaster:
- Launch the tool
- Configure the iPhone Wi-Fi proxy
- Install and trust the certificate
- Trigger the request
If the request appears and you can see:
- URL
- Header
- Body
it means the request went through the proxy.
Note: If the request does not appear at all, it indicates the app is not using the proxy.
Scenario 2: Request exists, but proxy cannot capture it
This situation occurs with SDKs or certain network libraries.
Switch the capture method
Use SniffMaster to capture packets via a USB connection directly to the iPhone.
Steps
- Connect iPhone via USB
- Keep the device unlocked
- Tap “Trust This Computer”
- Launch SniffMaster
- Select the device
- Install the configuration profile
- Enter HTTPS brute-force capture mode
- Tap Start

The results directly show:
- Request domain
- Request path
- Header
This confirms that the request does exist, but it bypassed the proxy.
Scenario 3: Parameters exist, but Body is not visible
In SniffMaster, sometimes you see:
- URL is normal
- Header is normal
- Body is empty
To verify, check the data fields:
- IsBase64Body
- Content-Length
Possible reason: The app is not signed with a development certificate.
Resolution steps
- Obtain the IPA
- Sign it with a development certificate
- Reinstall
- Capture packets again
Changes
After recapturing:
- Body is visible
- Response can be parsed
Scenario 4: Only want to see a specific API
When there is a lot of packet data, you need to quickly locate the relevant requests.
Filtering in SniffMaster
- Tap Select App
- Check the current development app
- Trigger the request again

Add another layer of filtering
Use URL keywords:
/api/login
Only related requests are displayed.

Scenario 6: Analyzing network anomalies
For example:
- Request timeout
- Connection interruption
Steps
- Use SniffMaster to capture the data stream
- Export as pcap
- Open with Wireshark

You can see
- TCP connection establishment
- Data transmission
- Reason for disconnection
This is independent of HTTPS.
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Charles / Proxyman | Modify requests, debug APIs |
| SniffMaster | Capture real device traffic |
| Wireshark | Analyze network connections |
Using them in combination is more reliable than a single tool.
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