diff --git a/macos/Sources/App/iOS/iOSApp.swift b/macos/Sources/App/iOS/iOSApp.swift
index 4af94491c..a1aafcc7d 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/App/iOS/iOSApp.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/App/iOS/iOSApp.swift
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 import SwiftUI
+import GhosttyKit
 
 @main
 struct Ghostty_iOSApp: App {
-    @StateObject private var ghostty_app = Ghostty.App()
+    @StateObject private var ghostty_app: Ghostty.App
+
+    init() {
+        if ghostty_init(UInt(CommandLine.argc), CommandLine.unsafeArgv) != GHOSTTY_SUCCESS {
+            preconditionFailure("Initialize ghostty backend failed")
+        }
+        _ghostty_app = StateObject(wrappedValue: Ghostty.App())
+    }
 
     var body: some Scene {
         WindowGroup {
diff --git a/src/renderer/Metal.zig b/src/renderer/Metal.zig
index 2aac285c6..6c7432d21 100644
--- a/src/renderer/Metal.zig
+++ b/src/renderer/Metal.zig
@@ -76,8 +76,11 @@ pub fn init(alloc: Allocator, opts: rendererpkg.Options) !Metal {
     errdefer queue.release();
 
     // Grab metadata about the device.
-    const default_storage_mode: mtl.MTLResourceOptions.StorageMode =
-        if (device.getProperty(bool, "hasUnifiedMemory")) .shared else .managed;
+    const default_storage_mode: mtl.MTLResourceOptions.StorageMode = switch (comptime builtin.os.tag) {
+        // manage mode is not supported by iOS
+        .ios => .shared,
+        else => if (device.getProperty(bool, "hasUnifiedMemory")) .shared else .managed,
+    };
     const max_texture_size = queryMaxTextureSize(device);
     log.debug(
         "device properties default_storage_mode={} max_texture_size={}",
@@ -123,7 +126,8 @@ pub fn init(alloc: Allocator, opts: rendererpkg.Options) !Metal {
         },
 
         .ios => {
-            info.view.msgSend(void, objc.sel("addSublayer"), .{layer.layer.value});
+            const view_layer = objc.Object.fromId(info.view.getProperty(?*anyopaque, "layer"));
+            view_layer.msgSend(void, objc.sel("addSublayer:"), .{layer.layer.value});
         },
 
         else => @compileError("unsupported target for Metal"),