How to Install Kodi on iPhone Without Jailbreak (2026)

ByScarlet iOS Team Updated on

Kodi is a free, open-source media center from the XBMC Foundation that plays your own videos, music and photos and can stream from your home server or NAS. Team Kodi publishes official builds for iPhone and iPad, but Kodi is not on the App Store, so on an iPhone without a jailbreak you have to sideload it. This guide shows where the official build comes from, how to install it, and how to use Kodi legally. Facts are from kodi.tv, the official Kodi wiki and Kodi’s download mirrors. Last checked: October 27, 2026.

The Short Version

  • The current stable Kodi is v21.3 Omega. Its iOS build (iphoneos-arm64) is on Kodi’s official mirrors, and a 22.0 release candidate followed on October 10, 2026.
  • Kodi for iOS comes as a .deb package. The Kodi wiki explains how to turn it into an .ipa file, which you then sideload.
  • With a free Apple Account the install lasts 7 days and then needs a refresh, as the Kodi wiki warns.
  • Kodi itself contains no movies or TV shows. Use it with your own media and add-ons from the official Kodi repository.
  • Third-party “builds” and add-ons that stream pirated content are a legal and security risk, and Team Kodi gives no support to installs that use them.

What Kodi Does

  • Plays your own video, music and photo files, stored on the iPhone or on a network share
  • Connects to a NAS or home server over common network protocols, so you can watch your library on the iPhone
  • Organizes movies and TV shows into a library with artwork and information
  • Extends itself with add-ons from Kodi’s official repositories, which Team Kodi maintains

Where to Get the Official Build

Download Kodi only from Team Kodi: the iOS page on kodi.tv, or the official mirrors at mirrors.kodi.tv/releases/darwin/ios-arm64/. In October 2026 the files there were:

File Type Date
21.3 (Omega) Stable Late 2025
22.0 RC1 Test Oct 10, 2026

Use the stable version unless you want to test. The Kodi wiki warns to back up your userdata folder before using development builds. All current iPhones and iPads need the 64-bit (arm64) package; the 32-bit builds are only for very old devices.

Ready-made Kodi IPAs on other sites, often bundled with add-ons, are not official. You cannot check what was added to them.

How to Install Kodi Without a Jailbreak

Step 1: Turn the .deb into an .ipa

The Kodi wiki describes this on Windows with the free 7-Zip tool. The same steps work with any archive tool on a Mac or Linux:

  1. Download the Kodi .deb (arm64) from the official mirror.
  2. Extract the .deb, then extract the data.tar file inside it.
  3. Open the extracted data folder, then Applications. You will find Kodi.app.
  4. Create a folder named Payload (capital P) and move Kodi.app into it.
  5. Compress the Payload folder as a .zip file and rename the result to Kodi.ipa.

Step 2: Sideload the IPA

Install Kodi.ipa with the sideloading tool you use:

  • SideStore or AltStore: signs with your own Apple Account. With a free account, Kodi has to be refreshed every 7 days, and it counts toward the 3-app limit. See how to install SideStore on iPhone.
  • Scarlet iOS: import the IPA as described in how to sideload IPA files with Scarlet. It uses a shared certificate, so the app stops opening if that certificate is revoked.
  • A paid Apple Developer account: signs Kodi for a year; the Kodi wiki also describes a Mac method with Xcode and iOS App Signer.

Then trust the developer in Settings > General > VPN & Device Management if iOS asks. On iOS 16 and later, apps signed with your own Apple Account also need Developer Mode.

Step 3: Add your media

  1. Open Kodi and go to Videos > Files > Add videos (or Music, Pictures).
  2. Browse to a folder on the iPhone, or add a network share from your NAS or computer.
  3. Set the content type (movies, TV shows) so Kodi can build its library.

Add-ons: Stay With the Official Repository

Kodi comes with two official repositories, Kodi.tv Add-ons and Kodi.tv PVR Add-ons, both maintained by Team Kodi. You install from them in Add-ons > Add-on browser > Install from repository. They include add-ons for media services, music, weather, skins and live TV through your own TV tuner or PVR backend.

The Kodi wiki says that once you install an add-on from a zip file outside these repositories, it “becomes the user’s responsibility” to check it. Team Kodi’s list of banned add-ons explains that it offers no support when an install includes add-ons that break its piracy policy.

A Note on Piracy Builds and Add-ons

Search results for Kodi are full of “builds” and add-ons that promise free movies, sports and TV channels. We do not list or recommend any of them, because:

  • They stream content without permission. Watching or sharing it can break copyright law in many countries.
  • They are a security risk. Unofficial add-ons run code inside Kodi that Team Kodi has not reviewed, so you cannot know what they do with your device or network.
  • They break often. Streams disappear when sources are taken down, and broken builds are hard to clean up.

If you want streaming, use the official add-ons for services you have access to, or Kodi with your own media server.

Keeping Kodi Working

  • Refresh before it expires if you signed it with a free Apple Account (every 7 days).
  • Back up your Kodi userdata before you reinstall or try a test build; see how to back up sideloaded apps and their data.
  • Update by making a new IPA from the newer .deb and installing it over the old app with the same tool.
  • Storage: the 21.3 package is about 159 MB, and the library and thumbnails grow over time; see how to free up iPhone storage.

FAQ

Is Kodi on the App Store?

No. Team Kodi distributes the iOS version through its own website and mirrors, so it has to be sideloaded on a device without a jailbreak.

Is Kodi legal?

Yes. Kodi is free, open-source software. What can be illegal is the content some third-party add-ons stream. Using Kodi with your own media and official add-ons is legal.

Which Kodi version should I install?

The current stable release, 21.3 Omega, in the 64-bit (arm64) package. The 22.0 release candidate is a test build.

Why does Kodi stop opening after a week?

It was signed with a free Apple Account, which lasts 7 days. Refresh it in SideStore or AltStore, or sign it again.

Can I use a jailbreak instead?

The Kodi wiki also covers installing on a jailbroken device with a package manager such as Sileo, Zebra or Cydia. Most people do not need a jailbreak for Kodi.

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