Sideloading From iOS 18 to iOS 27: What Actually Changed

ByScarlet iOS Team Updated on

Sideloading From iOS 18 to iOS 27: The Honest Timeline

iOS 18 released in September 2024. Since then Apple has shipped iOS 26 in September 2025 and iOS 27, publicly available since September 14, 2026, with iOS 27.2, released October 26, 2026, as the current release. Along the way, Apple switched to year-based version numbers, which means iOS 19 through iOS 25 were skipped entirely and never existed. This is a straightforward look at what changed for sideloading across that stretch, and what it means for Scarlet iOS users today.

The EU DMA: The Real Turning Point, and It Started Before iOS 18

The biggest legal change for sideloading did not begin with iOS 18. It began with iOS 17.4, when the EU’s Digital Markets Act took effect and let users in the European Union install alternative app marketplaces and apps distributed directly from the web, outside the App Store. iOS 18, iOS 26, and iOS 27 have all carried that framework forward without removing it. Japan (since iOS 26.2) and Brazil have since allowed alternative marketplaces too, under their own rules. Elsewhere, none of this applies, and the App Store remains the only Apple-sanctioned channel on every one of these versions. What iOS 17 itself changed for sideloaders is in iOS 17 sideloading: new features and restrictions.

In practice, an EU alternative marketplace is still its own storefront, separate from the App Store, and the apps inside it still go through a notarization check from Apple before they can be installed. That has not changed across iOS 18, iOS 26, or iOS 27 either. For anyone outside the EU, Japan and Brazil, a certificate-based tool like Scarlet iOS has remained one of the most practical ways to install an app that Apple does not carry, across every one of these versions.

For details on how Scarlet iOS performs specifically on iOS 18 devices, see our Scarlet iOS iOS 18 compatibility guide.

Developer Mode and Certificates: What Stayed the Same

Across iOS 18 and iOS 26, the mechanics behind sideloading with Scarlet iOS did not change. The same two steps that applied on iOS 18 still apply today:

  • Depending on how an app is signed, Developer Mode, introduced back in iOS 16, may need to be turned on under Settings > Privacy & Security > Developer Mode, followed by a restart.
  • After installing an app, you still trust its certificate under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management.

A free Apple ID still signs apps for 7 days at a time with a maximum of 3 sideloaded apps active at once, and a paid Apple Developer account, at 99 USD a year, still extends that to up to a year. None of this is tied to a specific iOS version.

TrollStore Was Already Out of the Picture by iOS 18

TrollStore’s window closed before iOS 18 ever shipped. It only ever worked on iOS 14.0 through 16.6.1 and iOS 17.0, with no support for iOS 17.1 or anything released after it. That means TrollStore was never an option on iOS 18, and it is still not an option on iOS 26 or iOS 27. Anyone comparing sideloading methods on a current iPhone can rule it out from the start.

From iOS 18 to Year-Based Numbers

One change had nothing to do with sideloading mechanics at all, Apple’s version numbering. After iOS 18, Apple moved to year-based numbers, releasing iOS 26 in September 2025 and iOS 27 in September 2026. The iOS 19 through iOS 25 numbers were never used for a real release. Any article or forum post referencing iOS 19, iOS 20, or any number in that range is describing something that never shipped.

Where Scarlet iOS Stands Today

Scarlet iOS works on iOS 14 through iOS 26, which covers every iOS 18 release. Third-party reports say it also works on iOS 27, though that has not been officially confirmed as of October 2026. AltStore and Sideloadly are confirmed through iOS 26 only, and both still require a computer running AltServer or the Sideloadly desktop app. Scarlet iOS still needs none of that: it installs straight from Safari with no computer, and it signs with a shared certificate instead of your Apple ID. For what is confirmed on iOS 27 so far, see iOS 27 sideloading: what to expect.

Lined up side by side, the confirmed support picture across this whole stretch looks like this:

  • Scarlet iOS: confirmed iOS 14 through iOS 26, third-party reports of iOS 27 support that are not yet officially confirmed, no computer required.
  • AltStore and Sideloadly: confirmed through iOS 26, no confirmed iOS 27 support, both require a computer.
  • TrollStore: confirmed only on iOS 14.0 through 16.6.1 and iOS 17.0, not supported on iOS 18, iOS 26, or iOS 27.
  • EU alternative marketplaces: available since iOS 17.4 through iOS 27, but only for users physically in the European Union. Japan (since iOS 26.2) and Brazil now allow alternative marketplaces too, under their own rules.

For a fuller comparison of sideloading methods and why Scarlet iOS remains worth using, read our iOS sideloading safety guide.

Not Everything Needs Sideloading Anymore

One change over this period made sideloading unnecessary for at least one popular case. The Delta emulator has been available on the official App Store worldwide since April 2024, which means it has worked as a normal App Store app through all of iOS 18, iOS 26, and iOS 27 without needing Scarlet iOS, AltStore, or any other sideloading method at all. It is a useful reminder to check the App Store first for any specific app before assuming it has to be sideloaded.

What to Expect When Updating, Then and Now

This has not changed from iOS 18 through iOS 27, an update can temporarily stop a sideloaded app from opening, and reinstalling or re-signing it through Scarlet iOS usually fixes it. Apple can also revoke a certificate at any point, which produces the same symptom, the app simply stops opening until it is re-signed. Neither of these is new behavior tied to a specific iOS version, they have been part of sideloading since well before iOS 18.

Start Sideloading Today

Whether your device is still on iOS 18 or has already moved to iOS 27, the sideloading fundamentals through Scarlet iOS have stayed the same across every version in between: no jailbreak, no computer, and support confirmed through iOS 26 with iOS 27 reported working by third parties. Download Scarlet iOS now and get started.

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