How to Install SideStore on iPhone (2026 Setup Guide)

ByScarlet iOS Team Updated on

SideStore is a free, open-source app store for iPhone and iPad that installs apps with your own Apple Account and refreshes them on the device, so you need a computer only once. In 2026 the setup changed: the SideStore team now recommends a desktop tool called iloader for the first install, and the LocalDevVPN app from the App Store for every install and refresh after that. Many older guides still describe the previous method. This guide follows SideStore’s own documentation. Last checked: October 27, 2026.

The Short Version

  • SideStore is open source (AGPL-3.0) and free. Its latest release in October 2026 was 0.7.0-alpha (September 15, 2026), which fixed a “503” sign-in error.
  • You need a computer once, for the first install. After that SideStore refreshes apps on the iPhone over Wi-Fi.
  • With a free Apple Account, apps last 7 days before they need a refresh, you can have 3 apps installed at a time (SideStore counts as one), and you can install 10 different apps per week. If an app already stopped opening, see how to refresh an app that expired after 7 days.
  • LocalDevVPN must be connected whenever SideStore installs, updates or refreshes an app. It is a local VPN: SideStore says no remote servers are used.
  • On iOS 16 and later you have to turn on Developer Mode.

What You Need

From SideStore’s prerequisites page:

  • An iPhone or iPad on iOS or iPadOS 15.0 or later, with a passcode set.
  • A computer for the first install only: Windows 8 or later with iTunes installed, macOS High Sierra or later, Linux, or a Chromebook.
  • An Apple Account. It does not have to be the one signed in on the device.
  • A Wi-Fi connection. SideStore says mobile data is not suitable.
  • LocalDevVPN, free on the App Store (publisher: Coxson Engineering LLC).
  • A USB cable for the first connection.

On Windows, iTunes provides the USB connection software (usbmuxd) that iloader needs. macOS already includes it, and most Linux distributions include it or have it in their package manager.

Step 1: Install iloader on Your Computer

iloader is an open-source (MIT) “user friendly sideloader” by nab138. It installs SideStore, imports its certificate and places the pairing file SideStore needs, which used to be the hardest part of the setup. Its developer says the GitHub repository (nab138/iloader) and iloader.app are the only official download sources, so do not get it anywhere else. Version 2.4.0 was released on October 22, 2026.

  1. On Windows, install iTunes first.
  2. Download the latest iloader release for your system from iloader.app or its GitHub releases page, and install it.

Step 2: Install SideStore with iloader

  1. Connect the iPhone to the computer with a USB cable. If the iPhone asks, tap Trust and enter your passcode.
  2. Open iloader.
  3. Sign in with your Apple Account.
  4. Select your device.
  5. Select Install SideStore (Stable) and wait for it to finish.

iloader can also install LiveContainer together with SideStore, which is one way around the 3-app limit. If you are setting up for the first time, the plain SideStore install is simpler. The sideloading checklist for beginners lists what to have ready.

Step 3: Set Up SideStore on the iPhone

Trust your Apple Account

  1. Open Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.
  2. Under Developer App, tap your Apple Account.
  3. On iOS 15, 16 and 17, tap Trust “[your Apple Account]”, then Trust to confirm. On iOS 18 and later, tap Allow & Restart and enter your passcode.

If the trust option is missing or iOS shows “Untrusted Developer”, see how to fix the Untrusted Developer error.

Turn on Developer Mode (iOS 16 and later)

  1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security.
  2. Scroll to the bottom, tap Developer Mode and turn it on. The iPhone restarts.
  3. After the restart, confirm that you want to turn Developer Mode on.

iOS 15 has no Developer Mode, so skip this step there.

Connect LocalDevVPN and refresh SideStore

  1. Install LocalDevVPN from the App Store, open it and connect. Allow the VPN configuration when iOS asks.
  2. Open SideStore and sign in with the same Apple Account you used in iloader.
  3. Go to My Apps.
  4. Tap the 7 DAYS counter next to SideStore to refresh it, and accept any certificate prompts.

When the refresh finishes, SideStore is set up. From now on you can install IPA files and add sources inside SideStore, and refresh apps without the computer, as long as you are on Wi-Fi and LocalDevVPN is connected. Our Kodi guide is an example of an app you can install this way.

Keeping Apps Working

  • Refresh before 7 days run out. SideStore refreshes apps in the background, but check the counters in My Apps. If an app expires, it will not open until it is refreshed.
  • Keep LocalDevVPN connected while installing, updating or refreshing. You can disconnect it afterwards.
  • The pairing file can expire when you update or reset the iPhone. If SideStore stops refreshing after an iOS update, connect the iPhone to the computer and use iloader again.
  • Back up app data before you reinstall anything; see how to back up sideloaded apps and their data.

Common Problems

Sign-in fails in SideStore

SideStore’s FAQ says login errors often come from temporary problems with the Anisette server SideStore uses to sign in to Apple. You can change the Anisette server in SideStore’s settings. Its FAQ also warns that older shared Anisette servers can get accounts locked and recommends the official servers or a self-hosted one. If you see a “503” error, update to the latest SideStore release.

“Maximum number of apps” error

A free Apple Account allows 3 installed apps at once (SideStore included) and 10 new apps per week. Remove an app you do not use, or wait for the weekly limit to reset; our 3-app limit guide covers every fix. A paid Apple Developer Program membership ($99 a year) removes the 3-app limit and makes apps last a year; see Apple Developer account vs free sideloading.

Install or refresh does nothing

Check that you are on Wi-Fi, not mobile data, and that LocalDevVPN shows as connected. Then try again. For specific messages and error codes, see SideStore errors explained.

JIT for emulators

SideStore’s docs recommend StikDebug for JIT on iOS 17.4 through iOS 18. SideStore 0.6.2 and later also has built-in JIT (long press the app in My Apps and tap “enable JIT”, with LocalDevVPN connected) on iOS 16 and below or on devices about four or more years old. On iOS 26, SideStore says JIT works with only a few apps. The steps are in the Advanced section of SideStore’s docs. For one app that needs it, see Minecraft Java Edition on iPhone with Amethyst. For Geometry Dash mods, see Geode on iPhone.

Is SideStore Safe?

SideStore itself is open source and its code is public on GitHub. The main things to keep in mind:

  • You sign in to SideStore with an Apple Account. Many people use a secondary Apple Account for sideloading, so their main account is never involved; the docs confirm it does not have to be the account on the device. Turn on two-factor authentication either way; see two-factor authentication and sideloaded apps.
  • Download SideStore and iloader only from their official sites or GitHub pages.
  • SideStore installs whatever IPA you give it, so the apps are the bigger risk. Check them first; see how to scan IPA files for malware.

SideStore or a Certificate-Based Installer?

SideStore signs apps with your own Apple Account, so nobody else’s certificate can be revoked under you, but you live with the 7-day refresh and the 3-app limit, and the first setup needs a computer. Certificate-based installers such as Scarlet iOS need no computer and have no 3-app limit, but they depend on a certificate that Apple can revoke. Our free sideloading tools compared and Scarlet iOS vs AltStore cover the trade-offs, and Feather vs Scarlet iOS covers on-device signers.

FAQ

Do I still need a computer after installing SideStore?

Only if the pairing file stops working, for example after an iOS update or a reset. Normal installs and refreshes happen on the iPhone.

Is SideStore free?

Yes. SideStore is free and open source, and it works with a free Apple Account.

Does SideStore work on mobile data?

SideStore says mobile data is not suitable. Use Wi-Fi with LocalDevVPN connected.

What is the difference between SideStore and AltStore?

SideStore started as a fork of AltStore. AltStore Classic needs AltServer running on a computer on the same network to refresh apps; SideStore refreshes on the iPhone itself through LocalDevVPN. To find apps for it, see AltStore and SideStore sources, which lists the sources SideStore’s own docs recommend.

Which iOS versions does SideStore support?

SideStore’s docs list iOS and iPadOS 15.0 or later.

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