For Trace Eagle proxy-based HTTPS decryption, install and trust a capture certificate on the target device. Other capture methods—including direct NIC capture, targeting a specific program, and app-layer plaintext capture—do not require that certificate, according to Trace Eagle’s TLS Decryption guide, last updated July 29, 2026.
When does Trace Eagle require a capture certificate?
The requirement depends on how you capture traffic. HTTPS is encrypted by default; Trace Eagle says its decryption process uses available session keys to interpret captured traffic. For proxy-based HTTPS decryption, its guide instructs users to install a capture certificate on the target device. The certificate lets the target trust the proxy connection used for capture.
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Trace Eagle identifies several alternatives that do not need a capture certificate:
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- Direct NIC capture: captures traffic through a network interface.
- Targeting a specific program: focuses capture on an individual process.
- App-layer plaintext capture: captures data at the application layer rather than relying on proxy-based HTTPS decryption.
These methods differ in scope and setup. Choose proxy capture when you need its HTTPS inspection capabilities, including rewriting or replay. Choose a certificate-free method when it fits the traffic you need to observe or when installing a trusted certificate is unsuitable.
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How does the documented mobile proxy setup work?
Trace Eagle’s iOS and Android guides describe the same basic proxy flow: point the device’s Wi-Fi proxy at the computer running Trace Eagle, then scan a QR code to install the capture root certificate. This is the documented high-level sequence; the available guidance does not establish exact wizard selections, trust-store screens, or certificate-removal clicks, so those should not be guessed.
iPhone and iPad
For proxy-based HTTPS decryption, configure the device’s Wi-Fi proxy to use the computer and follow the QR-code flow to install the root certificate. Trace Eagle also documents certificate-free iOS capture options, including system-level, NIC, and app-layer methods. App-layer capture may have separate app-signing prerequisites.
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Android
The Android guide likewise describes pointing the Wi-Fi proxy at the computer and scanning a QR code to install the certificate. Trace Eagle warns that newer Android versions do not trust user-installed certificates by default and calls out Android 14 as stricter. Its FAQ promotes certificate-free capture alternatives where certificate trust makes proxy capture unsuitable.
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Why is HTTPS still encrypted after certificate installation?
Work through the likely causes in this order:
- Check the capture method. The certificate is relevant to proxy-based HTTPS decryption, not to every capture mode.
- Confirm the certificate is installed and trusted by the target. Merely having a certificate file is not enough for the target to trust the proxy.
- Start capture before the TLS connection begins. Trace Eagle says a connection already underway may not be decryptable because key material is obtained at connection establishment. Stop and start the connection with capture already running.
- Consider certificate pinning or custom encryption. An app that pins certificates may reject the proxy even when the capture certificate is present and trusted. Trace Eagle recommends app-layer plaintext capture for pinned or custom-encryption apps.
- Allow for apps that expose no usable keys. Trace Eagle notes that a few programs may still provide no usable keys; in those cases, only raw encrypted traffic may be available.
Is installing a capture certificate safe?
A capture certificate changes what the device trusts, which is why it should be used only for authorized testing. Trace Eagle’s FAQ, last updated July 15, 2026, advises: “Only trust a capture certificate on devices you own or are authorized to test, and remove it when you’re done.” Keep proxy capture to devices you own or are authorized to assess, and remove the certificate after testing. If you cannot safely change certificate trust on a device, use an appropriate certificate-free capture method instead.
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