How to Keep Sideloaded Apps Updated on iPhone

Why Sideloaded Apps Do Not Update Themselves

Apps from the App Store update automatically because Apple’s servers know which version you have and which one is current. Sideloaded apps have no such link. When the developer of a sideloaded app releases a new version, nothing on your iPhone finds out on its own: you have to get the new IPA and install it over the old one. This guide shows a simple, reliable routine for doing that, and what the different tools can and cannot automate. Last checked: October 27, 2026, against the AltStore, SideStore and Sideloadly docs and Apple’s TestFlight tester page.

The Risks First

• An update can wipe an app’s data if it installs as a different app. Sideloadly’s FAQ says an installed app is only overwritten when the new IPA keeps the same bundle ID and you sign it with the same Apple ID.
• A newer IPA from a different source is a different file. A mirror can repackage an update with extra code, so get updates from the same trusted source as the original.
• Updates can drop support for your iOS version or break features. Keep the IPA you are on until the new one works.

What Each Tool Can Do for You

Tool	Finds new versions	Keeps signatures alive	What you still do
AltStore Classic	Yes, for apps from sources you added	Background Refresh via AltServer	Keep AltServer running; tap Update
SideStore	Yes, for apps from its sources	Background refresh on the phone	Keep LocalDevVPN connected
Sideloadly	No	Daemon refreshes near-expiry apps	Get the new IPA and sideload it
Scarlet iOS	Check the source yourself	Not needed (enterprise-signed)	Reinstall after a revocation
TestFlight	Yes	Builds work for up to 90 days	Turn on automatic updates

Two Different Things: Updates and Re-Signing

People often mix up two separate jobs:

• Updating means installing a newer version of the app itself, with new features or fixes.
• Re-signing means renewing the signature that lets the same version keep opening. With a free Apple ID (AltStore, Sideloadly) signatures last 7 days; with a paid developer account they last a year. Apps installed through Scarlet iOS are signed by Scarlet, so you do not renew anything yourself, but a certificate revocation can stop them until you reinstall.

Keeping apps working means handling both. The routine below covers each.

How to Update an App Installed With Scarlet iOS

1. Find where the app came from. If you installed it from the built-in library or from a repository you added, that source is where newer versions appear.
2. Open the app’s page in that source. Compare the version shown there with the version installed on your iPhone (Settings, General, iPhone Storage, then tap the app to see its version).
3. Install the newer version. Install it from the same source. A newer build of the same app normally installs over the old one and keeps its data, but some tweaked apps use a different bundle ID and install as a separate copy; check before deleting anything.
4. If you installed from your own IPA file, there is no source to check: get the new IPA from wherever you got the original, and install it the same way.

Repositories differ in how quickly they post new versions, so if an app matters to you, follow it in a source that is actively maintained. Our list of the best IPA repositories for 2026 is a good place to start.

A Simple Weekly Routine

• Pick one day a week to open your sources and check the apps you use most.
• Keep a short list (a note is enough) of each sideloaded app, where it came from, and the version you have.
• Before installing an update of an app you rely on, keep a copy of the current IPA in the Files app so you can go back if the new version breaks something.
• If you use AltStore or Sideloadly with a free Apple ID, re-sign in the same session so nothing expires mid-week.

What the Other Tools Automate

• AltStore (classic): refreshes the 7-day signatures of its apps in the background when your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network as a computer running AltServer. That keeps apps opening; it does not fetch new app versions from sources you did not add to AltStore. For apps from sources you did add, AltStore’s developer docs say that once a source lists a new version, AltStore spots the update by itself and tells you about it. It only shows updates that are compatible with your iOS version; others appear as unsupported updates in the My Apps tab. You can also set up a Siri Shortcut for refreshing from AltStore’s Settings tab.
• SideStore: a fork of AltStore that can refresh signatures on the device itself after a one-time setup with a computer. Its docs say it refreshes your apps in the background from time to time so their 7-day signature does not run out, using the LocalDevVPN app on the iPhone.
• Sideloadly: you re-sign and reinstall from the computer; nothing runs on the iPhone itself. If you turn on its automatic refresh option, the Sideloadly Daemon on your computer tries to refresh apps that are close to expiring whenever it finds the iPhone over Wi-Fi or USB. To update such an app, the FAQ says to add the new IPA “while using the same Apple/bundle ID” with automatic refresh enabled, and Sideloadly overwrites the previous version.
• TestFlight: for official betas, Apple says that from TestFlight 3 on you can turn on automatic updates, so new beta builds install by themselves. See using TestFlight alongside Scarlet iOS.
• Scarlet iOS: signs apps for you, so there is no weekly re-signing. Checking for new versions is a manual step, as described above.

Tracking Open-Source Apps on GitHub

Many sideloaded apps, especially emulators, are open source and publish each version as a GitHub release with the IPA attached. You can follow a project’s Releases page, or on GitHub use Watch > Custom > Releases to be notified of new versions only, then download the new IPA and install it. Always download from the project’s own Releases page, not from a mirror.

Staying on an Older Version

Sometimes an update removes a feature or breaks something. Because updates are manual, staying on a version is easy: simply do not install the new one, and keep the IPA of the version you want. For running two versions side by side, see our guide on running multiple versions of the same app on iPhone.

When an App Suddenly Stops Opening

That is almost never an update problem. It usually means a signature expired (7-day Apple ID signing) or a certificate was revoked. For expired apps, see how to refresh an app that expired after 7 days. For Scarlet, see what to do when the certificate is revoked; for the general picture, read what Scarlet iOS is and how it works.

Summary

• Sideloaded apps never update by themselves; check their source and reinstall.
• Updating and re-signing are separate jobs; Scarlet handles signing, AltStore and Sideloadly need regular re-signing with a free Apple ID.
• Keep a copy of the IPA you are on before updating an app you depend on.
• Follow open-source apps on their GitHub Releases page.
• Update over the top with the same bundle ID (and the same Apple ID for Apple ID tools) so the app keeps its data.

FAQ

Can a sideloaded app update itself like an App Store app?

Not through iOS. Some tools, like AltStore and SideStore, can tell you an update is available for apps from their sources, but you still install it. See AltStore and SideStore sources for how sources work.

Will updating reset my 7-day timer?

Installing a new version signs it again, so with a free Apple ID it gets a fresh 7 days. It still counts toward the 3-app limit (see how to handle the 3-app limit).

Does Scarlet need anything special on iOS 27?

Scarlet is confirmed on iOS 14 through iOS 26; iOS 27 support is reported by third parties but not officially confirmed. Check before updating iOS.

New to Scarlet? Get it from our Scarlet iOS install page.