Do you wish to sideload apps on your iOS device? Read on to know how you can get these apps, even from outside. So, let’s jump inside and see how we can do it.
What does it mean to sideload apps?
Sideloading means that you are installing an app on your phone from somewhere other than the official app store. On a computer, you do this all the time when you download software directly from a website. But phone makers, especially Apple, have made it slightly difficult to do, and thus, you have to know things a little better. They prefer you use their built-in store because it lets them vet apps for security and take a cut of the sales. Fair enough. But that is not something the people always want.
When you sideload, you simply bypass that gatekeeper. You download an app file directly from a developer or a third-party marketplace and force your phone to install it. But why is it so popular? Well, it gives you a lot more freedom to use modified apps or retro game emulators. It still comes with a darker side, and you have to be careful since you lose that official safety net that Apple was providing.
Steps to sideload apps on an iOS device
If you want to sideload the apps on an iOS device, then these are the steps that you can follow.
- Download AltServer on your computer from the official AltStore website and open it.
- Note that if you use Windows, make sure you download the older, standalone desktop versions of iTunes and iCloud directly from Apple, not from the Microsoft Store. This will make things handy.
- Now connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
- Here, Open iTunes or Finder, select your iPhone, and turn on the setting to sync over Wi-Fi.
- Click on the AltServer icon on your computer screen, click on ” Install AltStore, and select your iPhone.
- Here, you have to enter your Apple ID and password when prompted so the software can sign the app files.
- And after doing all of that, once the AltStore app appears on your iPhone screen, you can open your iPhone settings.
- In settings, go to General, then VPN and Device Management, tap on your Apple ID, and choose to trust it.
- Now simply jump to Privacy and Security in your settings and scroll to the bottom. This will give you the option to turn on Developer Mode and restart your phone.
- You can now download any app file ending in dot ipa using Safari on your phone.
- Finally, Open AltStore on your phone, go to the My Apps tab, tap on the plus icon, and select your downloaded file.
- You must keep your computer turned on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your phone so the apps can automatically refresh every seven days without you having to do much.
