AltStore Update Lets You Sideload Apps on Non-Jailbroken iPhones

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 13 Apr 2020

AltStore

Over the weekend, AltStore received an update that allows one to sideload any app on their iPhone. What this means is that you can sideload any app on your iPhone without having to jailbreak it.

All you need to do is simply download the IPA of the app you want to sideload and then use the Files app on your iPhone to install it. The ability to sideload apps is available for all AltStore users, free as well as for its patrons. However, free users are limited to having three active sideloaded apps at any given time, though they can install more than three apps. The app provides an easy interface to select the three active sideloaded apps.

AltStore is able to sideload apps on non-jailbroken iPhones by exploiting how Apple’s app developer license works. The downsides to this workaround is that users will need to refresh their installed apps using AltStore on their iPhone once every week which requires one to have access to a computer. You also must have access to a PC to install AltStore on your iPhone.

AltStore v1.3 also brings other major improvements including faster app refresh times and improved reliability while refreshing apps over Wi-Fi. AltStore was first released in September last year. It then shot to limelight when it was the default choice for sideloading the Unc0ver IPA for jailbreaking iPhones running iOS 13 – iOS 13.3.