Charles Proxy enables the user to view HTTP, HTTPS, and HTTP/2 and enabled TCP port traffic accessed from, to, or via the local computer. This guide will help to proxy HTTP traffic from your Apple TV to Charles Proxy.

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NOTE: This guide will erase the Apple TV. All the content and settings will be deleted.

1. Prerequisites

  • Apple Configurator 2 to get the device ready to install the profile.
  • Charles Proxy
  • Connect Apple TV with mac using Xcode where you have installed Apple Configurator 2.

2. Supervise Apple TV

  • Open Apple Configurator and select the Apple TV you want to setup with Charles Proxy.

  • From the menu select "Action" > "Prepare"

  • Select Prepare with: "Manual Configuration" and select the checkboxes for "Supervise devices" and "Allow devices to pair with other computers", and uncheck all others. Click the Next button.
  • In the next screen, select "Do not enroll in MDM" and click the Next button.
  • Now enter your information on the Create an Organization, you will need your Apple ID for this step
  • Enter organization information in this step. Only a name is required.
  • Now select "Generate a new supervision identity" and click Next.
  • Keep all steps selected in "Setup Assistant" and click Prepare.

  • After selecting Prepare you may be asked to enter your macOS local username/password to make changes. Enter your macOS username/password and select "Update Settings".

  • Now, you will see a popup informing you that the device will be erased. Click Erase to proceed.

  • Now Apple Configurator will start preparing your device. Once it finishes check your Apple TV is shown in the "All Devices" tab.
  • You may need to re-paired the Apple TV if it is not visible in Apple Configurator.

3. Export and Trust Charles Root Certificate

  • Now, we have to set export the Charles Root Certificate and make it trustable otherwise Apple Configurator 2 may say "This root certificate is not trusted".
  • Export the Charles Root Certificate as .cer. In the Charles Proxy menu, select "Help" > "SSL Proxying" > "Save Charles Root Certificate..."
  • Make sure to save this certificate as .cer.
  • Now double-click on the exported certificate to add it to your login Keychain.
  • You can see the keychain says that "This root certificate is not trusted"
  • To make it a trusted certificate, right-click on the certificate and then select "Get information".
  • In the "Trust" section > "When using this certificate", select "Always Trust".
  • Now keychain will show this as a trusted certificate.

4. Create and Configure Profile

  • In the Apple Configurator menu, select "File" > "New Profile"
  • Give your profile a name and a unique identifier (if not pre-filled).
  • Now, select Wi-Fi on the left and click Configure.
    • Enter your Wi-Fi SSID
    • In Proxy Setup, select Manual
    • Enter the IP address of the machine running Charles Proxy and port 8888 (default port for Charles Proxy)
    • Select Wi-Fi security type and enter the Wi-Fi password
  • Select the "Certificates" on the left and click Configure.
  • This brings up a dialog to select the certificate. We need to select "Charles Root Certificate" which we have exported in Step 3.
  • Save this profile. You can edit the profile in the future if you want to make any changes (like Wi-Fi Name, Password, Charles machine IP Address or Charles Root Certificates, etc.)

5. Install the Profile

  • In Apple Configurator, select your Apple TV and Click on the "Add" button in the top bar
  • Select the "Profiles" option
  • Select the save profile from the last step
  • This will install the profile on your Apple TV.
  • Now, on your Apple TV, you will see a new screen prompting you to install a profile. Select "Install".
  • It will present a warning about "Unmanaged Root Certificate", "Network Monitoring" and "Unsigned Profile". Select "Install".
  • Select "Install" again on the next screen.
  • Now, on your Apple TV, open the Settings app and navigate to "General" > "About" > "Certificate Trust Settings"
  • You will see the "Charles Proxy CA" certificate here. Which is marked as "Not Trusted." Select this certificate.
  • You will see a warning about "Root Certificate". Select "Continue".
  • Now, you can see the "Charles Proxy CA" certificate marked as "Trusted".
  • Make sure your Apple TV is now connected to Wi-Fi and shows proxy details as well.
  • In the Charles Proxy, the first time you will receive a popup for a connection request from your Apple TV. Allow the connection from your Apple TV. (If not restart your Apple TV and Charles Proxy)
  • Now Charles Proxy will start showing all your network requests from Apple TV. You can utilize all Charles Proxy feature now.