LiveContainer on iPhone: Run More Than 3 Sideloaded Apps (2026 Guide)
LiveContainer is a free, open-source app for iPhone and iPad that runs other iOS apps inside itself, so they never have to be installed one by one. Its main use is getting around the free Apple Account limit of 3 sideloaded apps: you sideload LiveContainer once, and the apps you open inside it do not take extra slots. This page explains what LiveContainer is, how to install it, what does not work in it and how it fits next to Scarlet iOS. Facts come from the LiveContainer GitHub page and its official documentation at livecontainer.github.io. Last checked: October 27, 2026.
The Short Version
- LiveContainer is an app launcher, not an emulator. It loads iOS apps (IPA files) inside itself.
- It lets you run as many apps as you like with only one app and one app ID, so the 3-app and 10-app-ID limits of a free developer account do not apply to the apps inside it.
- It needs iOS or iPadOS 15 or later (16 or later for its multitasking feature) and is installed with SideStore or AltStore, signed with your own Apple Account.
- It is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. The latest stable release is 3.8.0 (July 17, 2026); nightly builds were still coming out in October 2026.
- Not every app works inside it. Push notifications, widgets and other app extensions, and features that need a paid developer account do not.
What Is LiveContainer?
When you sideload an app with a free Apple Account, every app takes one of your 3 app slots and one of your 10 app IDs per week (when you hit that limit you see the maximum number of installed apps error). LiveContainer works differently: it is a single app that loads the code of other apps and runs them inside its own space. iOS only sees LiveContainer; the apps inside it are its guests.
This brings a few extras the project lists itself:
- Many apps in one slot. Import as many IPA files as you need.
- Several versions of the same app, and several data containers per app, for example two accounts in one app. The project allocates up to 128 separate keychain groups for this. Our guide to running multiple versions of the same app on iPhone covers the other ways to do this.
- Multitasking (iOS 16 or later): open several apps at once in resizable windows, with Picture-in-Picture; on iPad, apps can open in their own system windows.
- Home Screen shortcuts to launch a guest app directly, and an option to hide apps.
- Tweak support through its built-in tweak loader.
The Two Versions
| Version | What you get | Free account slots used |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone LiveContainer | The LiveContainer app only; you keep SideStore or AltStore as a separate app | 1 for LiveContainer, plus 1 for SideStore or AltStore |
| LiveContainer + SideStore | LiveContainer with SideStore built in, which refreshes LiveContainer and other apps | 1 |
For most people with a free Apple Account, the LiveContainer + SideStore version is the better pick, because it leaves two slots free for other apps.
How to Install LiveContainer
The official guide offers three ways to install the LiveContainer + SideStore version. You need a computer for the first install, and on Windows you need iTunes installed so the tool can talk to your iPhone.
- Impactor, a desktop sideloader for Mac, Windows and Linux. Sign in with your Apple Account, drag in the LiveContainer + SideStore IPA, keep “Only Register Main Bundle” selected and click Install.
- iloader, the tool SideStore itself now recommends. Follow SideStore’s install steps and pick “LiveContainer+SideStore” instead of “SideStore”. Our SideStore install guide walks through it.
- An existing SideStore. If you already use SideStore, install the LiveContainer + SideStore IPA from it and choose “Keep All Extensions (Use Main Profile)”. This works as an upgrade and keeps your data.
After installing, go to Settings, General, VPN & Device Management on your iPhone and trust the app. Then finish the setup inside the app:
- Open the built-in SideStore from the button at the top left of LiveContainer’s Apps page, go to its settings and sign in with your Apple Account (sign out and in again if it already shows you as logged in).
- Connect LocalDevVPN, open “My Apps” and tap “Refresh All”.
- Go back to LiveContainer, open its settings and tap “Import Certificate from SideStore”.
- Open “JIT-Less Mode Diagnose” and run the test. “JIT-Less Mode Test Passed” means you are ready.
To add an app, tap the + button in LiveContainer and pick an IPA file. Long-press an app to manage it.
The LiveContainer team says these tools are explicitly not supported for installing it: Sideloadly, i4 and 3u Tools, NB Tool and most online signers. They also warn against closed-source third-party builds of LiveContainer: every app you run inside it lives in its space, so a modified build could read all their data, including saved logins. Download it only from the official GitHub releases.
What Does Not Work in LiveContainer
The project is open about its limits:
- Not every app runs. The project keeps a compatibility list of apps with known problems on GitHub. Games are the hardest case, and the team asks users to keep expectations low there.
- No remote push notifications, and features that need entitlements only paid developer accounts get (such as push, Siri or iCloud) will not be fixed.
- No widgets or other app extensions for the apps inside it.
- App permissions are shared. A permission you give (for example the camera) applies to LiveContainer as a whole.
- Guest apps are not walled off from each other. One app inside LiveContainer can read another one’s data. Do not mix apps you do not trust with apps that hold important logins.
- Some apps need the “Fix File Picker” or “Fix Local Notifications” switches in their app settings to work properly.
The team also says it does not support game cheats, cracked apps or hack clients.
Do You Still Have to Refresh Every 7 Days?
Yes. LiveContainer itself is signed with your free Apple Account, so it expires after 7 days like any other app sideloaded that way. You refresh it with SideStore (or the built-in SideStore) as usual, and the SideStore auto-refresh shortcut works with it too. In its default mode, LiveContainer signs guest apps with the same certificate it imports from SideStore or AltStore. On iOS versions before 26, if JIT is available, signing of guest apps can be skipped entirely.
LiveContainer and Scarlet iOS
They solve different problems. Scarlet iOS signs and installs each app with a certificate it provides, so you do not need your own Apple Account and there is no 3-app limit, but that shared certificate can be revoked by Apple. LiveContainer works with your own Apple Account through SideStore or AltStore, which avoids shared-certificate revokes but brings the 7-day refresh. LiveContainer’s documentation does not list Scarlet as a supported way to install it, so install it the way its guide describes.
Many people use both: Scarlet for quick installs without a computer, and SideStore with LiveContainer for the apps they cannot afford to lose to a revoke. Our free sideloading tools comparison and AltStore vs Scarlet iOS vs Sideloadly help you choose. If you have a paid developer account, see Feather vs Scarlet iOS as well.
Is LiveContainer Safe?
The official app is open source, so anyone can read its code, and it is actively maintained (the project has more than 13,000 stars on GitHub). The main risks come from what you put inside it: guest apps can read each other’s data, and an unofficial build could read everything. Use the official releases only, and scan IPA files from unknown sources before importing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LiveContainer free?
Yes. It is free and open source (AGPL-3.0). With a free Apple Account it costs nothing to use.
Does LiveContainer need a jailbreak?
No. It runs on a normal iPhone or iPad with iOS or iPadOS 15 or later.
Does LiveContainer remove the 3-app limit?
For the apps inside it, yes: they do not use extra app slots or app IDs. LiveContainer itself still uses one slot, or two if you keep a separate SideStore or AltStore.
Can I install LiveContainer with Sideloadly?
The LiveContainer team says Sideloadly is explicitly not supported. Use Impactor, iloader or SideStore.
Does LiveContainer work on iOS 26?
The project’s current code includes iOS 26 support, such as a JIT script for iOS 26 and later. Check the compatibility list on GitHub for specific apps.