Install IPA on iPhone
Tiếng Việt

You opened this page inside ZaloMessengerInstagramTikTokLINEChromeFirefoxEdgeanother app (not Safari)

Installing apps and profiles only works in Safari. Please reopen this page in Safari:

  1. Tap the ⋯ button (or the share / compass icon) in a corner of the screen.
  2. Choose “Open in browser” or “Open in Safari”.

Can’t find it? Copy the link and paste it into Safari’s address bar.

See detailed instructions

You are on an Android phone. The install steps must be done on an iPhone. Open this page on your iPhone

Install guide

SideStore, free IPA installs with your own Apple Account

SideStore signs IPA files with your own free Apple Account, which is legitimate and avoids mass revokes. The catch is a computer once and a refresh every 7 days.

Updated 9 October 2026

At a glance

iOS version
15.0 and later (needs a computer)
Cost
Free
Certificate
Your free Apple Account
Developer Mode
Required
Computer needed?
Once, to install
Lifetime
Refresh every 7 days
Risk
Low
Time
about 30 min

Official site (opens in a new tab) Source code (opens in a new tab) Original guide (opens in a new tab) Open source

On this page
  1. What you need
  2. Part 1: Install LocalDevVPN on the iPhone
  3. Part 2: Install SideStore from a computer (once)
  4. Part 3: Finish on the iPhone
  5. Installing IPA files with SideStore
  6. Refreshing every 7 days
  7. Common problems

SideStore is an open-source app that signs IPA files with your own free Apple Account. Apple lets anyone install apps on their own device with a free account, so this method is legitimate. You don’t use someone else’s certificate, so your apps aren’t caught in mass revokes like shared certificates.

In exchange, there are three limits to know up front:

  • A computer is needed once to install SideStore. After that, everything happens on the iPhone.
  • Apps only run for 7 days. You must open SideStore to refresh them before they expire.
  • A free Apple Account allows only 3 apps active at once (SideStore included) and at most 10 App IDs per 7 days.

What you need

  • An iPhone on iOS 15 or later with a passcode set.
  • A Wi-Fi connection. SideStore’s docs say mobile data isn’t suitable.
  • A computer, once: Windows 8 or later (32-bit Windows and Windows 10 on ARM aren’t supported), macOS or Linux, plus a USB cable for the iPhone.
  • On Windows: install iTunes downloaded directly from Apple, not the Microsoft Store version.
  • An Apple Account, ideally a secondary one.

Part 1: Install LocalDevVPN on the iPhone

  1. Install and connect LocalDevVPN

    Get LocalDevVPN from the App Store: apps.apple.com/app/localdevvpn. Open it and tap Connect. If asked to allow a VPN configuration, tap Allow and enter your passcode.

    This VPN runs entirely on the device and sends no data anywhere. SideStore needs it every time you install or refresh an app.

    LocalDevVPN in the connected state Tap to view full size

Part 2: Install SideStore from a computer (once)

  1. Download iloader

    On the computer, download iloader from its official site:

    https://iloader.app

    Or from its GitHub releases page: https://github.com/nab138/iloader/releases

  2. Install SideStore with iloader

    1. Connect the iPhone with the cable. If the iPhone asks, tap Trust this computer and enter your passcode.
    2. Open iloader and sign in with your Apple Account. It’s case-sensitive.
    3. Select your iPhone in the list.
    4. Choose Install SideStore (Stable) and wait until it finishes.

Part 3: Finish on the iPhone

  1. Trust your Apple Account

    Open Settings › General › VPN & Device Management. Under Developer App, select the Apple Account you just used and tap Trust. On some iOS versions the button is Allow & Restart, followed by a passcode prompt.

    Developer App section with your Apple Account in VPN and Device Management Tap to view full size

  2. Turn on Developer Mode

    SideStore signs with a development certificate, so Developer Mode is required. See how to turn on Developer Mode.

  3. Open SideStore and refresh it once

    1. Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect.
    2. Open SideStore and sign in with the same Apple Account you used in iloader.
    3. Go to My Apps and tap the 7 DAYS button next to SideStore to refresh it for the first time.
    4. If asked whether to create a new signing certificate, choose Yes or Refresh Now.

    On success, SideStore returns you to the Home Screen with a notification and is usable again a few seconds later.

    SideStore's My Apps tab with the 7 DAYS counter Tap to view full size

Installing IPA files with SideStore

  1. Add an IPA

    Turn on LocalDevVPN (Connect). Open SideStore, go to My Apps, tap + and pick the IPA in the Files app. Wait for SideStore to sign and install it.

    The add button in SideStore's My Apps tab Tap to view full size

Refreshing every 7 days

Every app, including SideStore itself, expires after 7 days. Before that happens:

  1. Turn on LocalDevVPN and use Wi-Fi.
  2. Open SideStore, go to My Apps and tap Refresh All, or tap the day counter next to each app.

Common problems

Installing or refreshing fails

Check three things: LocalDevVPN is connected, the iPhone is on Wi-Fi, and Developer Mode is on.

SideStore reports a pairing file error

The pairing file can stop working after an iOS update, after resetting the device, or occasionally at random. You need the computer to create a new one with iloader. See the SideStore documentation.

Refreshing broke right after an iOS update

Some iOS updates have broken refreshing before, such as iOS 26.4 and 26.6.2. Wait for a SideStore update, and consider holding off on iOS updates if you rely on SideStore.

Is there a way to install SideStore without a computer on iOS 27?

Some tools claim so, but those tools themselves must be installed with iloader or similar software. We haven’t verified them, so we don’t recommend them yet.

Why not just use iloader’s “Import IPA” option?

Import IPA installs an IPA straight from the computer, also signed with your free Apple Account. That’s convenient for the first install, but the app still expires after 7 days. iloader can’t refresh it on the iPhone, and SideStore only refreshes apps it installed itself. So you’d have to plug into a computer every week.

Apps installed through SideStore refresh right on the iPhone, so you only need a computer once. Import IPA only makes sense if a computer is always at hand, or if you just want to try an app for a few days. The 3-app and 10-App-ID-per-7-days limits apply either way.

See more common problems.