LocalDevVPN Guide: What It Is and How to Use It With SideStore (2026)

ByScarlet iOS Team Updated on

LocalDevVPN is a free iPhone app that SideStore and StikDebug need for installing, refreshing and enabling JIT without a computer. It shows up as a VPN, but it sends nothing to the internet, which confuses a lot of people the first time they see it. This guide explains what LocalDevVPN does, how to set it up, why it conflicts with other VPN apps and how to fix the errors that mention it. Last checked: 2 November 2026, against the App Store listing (version 1.3.0, updated 31 August 2026), the app’s GitHub page and the SideStore documentation.

The Short Version

  • LocalDevVPN is free on the App Store, made by Coxson Engineering LLC, and needs iOS 14.0 or later.
  • It creates a local tunnel on the iPhone itself. The App Store listing says “all traffic stays on-device with no data collection or external connections.”
  • SideStore needs it connected for every install, update and refresh, and StikDebug needs it to enable JIT.
  • It replaced the older WireGuard and StosVPN setups. SideStore now tells users of those to switch to LocalDevVPN.
  • Only one VPN can be connected on an iPhone at a time, so a privacy VPN or DNS blocker can break it.

What LocalDevVPN Does

Apps like SideStore and StikDebug do jobs that normally need a computer plugged into the iPhone: installing apps with your own certificate, or attaching a debugger to turn on JIT. With a pairing file, they can act as that computer themselves, but they still need a network path to reach the iPhone’s own developer services. iOS does not let an app open that path directly. LocalDevVPN solves this by creating a virtual network interface on the device, so the app’s traffic loops back to the iPhone instead of going out to the internet.

That is why it is a “VPN” in name only. The App Store description calls it “a developer tool for creating and managing local network tunnels directly on iOS”, and lists custom device IP, tunnel IP and subnet settings, auto-connect on launch, a connection timer and logs. Its GitHub page describes it as a VPN that works with SideStore and StikJIT (StikDebug’s former name), supports being offline and is more stable than WireGuard.

How to Set It Up

  1. Install LocalDevVPN from the App Store (developer: Coxson Engineering LLC). Check the developer name before you install.
  2. Open it and tap connect. iOS asks to add a VPN configuration; allow it and confirm with Face ID or your passcode.
  3. Leave the default network settings unless a guide tells you otherwise.
  4. Turn on auto-connect if you want the tunnel to start whenever you open the app.
  5. Stay on Wi-Fi. SideStore’s docs say LocalDevVPN and Wi-Fi should both be connected.

You will see the VPN icon in the status bar while it runs. You can leave it on all day, or connect it only when you install or refresh. SideStore’s background refresh only works while it is connected, though, so leaving it on helps keep apps from expiring after 7 days.

Using It With SideStore

After the first install with iloader, every SideStore action runs through LocalDevVPN: installing an IPA, adding apps from a source, updating, and the weekly refresh. Connect LocalDevVPN, open SideStore and do what you need. If SideStore shows a connection error, check the VPN first.

Using It With StikDebug

StikDebug’s README lists “a loopback VPN such as LocalDevVPN” as a requirement. Connect it, then open StikDebug and tap Enable JIT. StikDebug’s own troubleshooting says “heartbeat” errors usually mean the VPN is off or you are not on Wi-Fi. Our StikDebug guide has the full steps.

LocalDevVPN and Other VPNs

iOS keeps only one VPN connected at a time. Turning on a privacy VPN, a work VPN or a DNS blocker app that runs as a VPN will disconnect LocalDevVPN, and SideStore or StikDebug will fail until you switch back. SideStore’s troubleshooting list includes disabling DNS blockers for this reason. The simple routine is: turn off your other VPN, connect LocalDevVPN, do your installs or refresh, then switch back.

Fixing LocalDevVPN Errors

SideStore’s docs give this order for “AFC Connection Failure”, “No Wi-Fi or VPN Connection” and similar errors, which they trace to the minimuxer service that talks to the iPhone. Try again after each step:

  1. If you still use WireGuard or StosVPN, switch to LocalDevVPN.
  2. Turn off DNS blockers and other VPNs.
  3. Make sure LocalDevVPN and Wi-Fi are both connected.
  4. Restart SideStore.
  5. Restart LocalDevVPN (disconnect, close it, open and connect again).
  6. Replace the pairing file with iloader.

Our SideStore errors guide lists the exact messages and codes. If nothing helps, LocalDevVPN’s own connection log shows whether the tunnel actually came up.

Is LocalDevVPN Safe?

It is a free App Store app, so Apple reviewed it, and its listing says it collects no data and makes no external connections. Because the tunnel stays on the device, it does not hide your IP address or protect you on public Wi-Fi the way a privacy VPN does. That also means it does not route your traffic through anyone else’s server.

Do You Need It for Scarlet?

No. Scarlet iOS installs apps with its own certificate and needs no VPN, pairing file or computer. LocalDevVPN is only part of the SideStore and StikDebug route, where you sign apps with your own Apple Account. Our free sideloading tools compared guide shows both. To try Scarlet, see how to install Scarlet iOS or start from our Scarlet iOS install page.

FAQ

Does LocalDevVPN use mobile data?
No. Its traffic stays on the iPhone. SideStore still wants Wi-Fi turned on for installs and refreshes.

Can I use LocalDevVPN as a normal VPN?
No. It does not send traffic through a server, so it does not change your IP address or location.

Is it the same as StosVPN?
No. StosVPN and WireGuard were older ways to do the same job; SideStore now recommends LocalDevVPN instead.

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