Sideloaded App Expired After 7 Days? How to Refresh It

ByScarlet iOS Team Updated on

If a sideloaded app suddenly will not open about a week after you installed it, it has most likely expired. Apps signed with a free Apple ID only work for 7 days. After that, iOS refuses to launch them until they are signed again. This guide explains why it happens, how to refresh apps in SideStore, AltStore and Sideloadly before they expire, and how to bring back an app that already expired without losing its data. Last checked: October 27, 2026, against the AltStore, SideStore and Sideloadly documentation.

The Short Version

  • Apps signed with a free Apple ID expire after 7 days. AltStore’s docs say that at that point “they can no longer be opened”.
  • Refreshing re-signs the app for another 7 days. Your tool can do it automatically, but only if its requirements are met (a computer running AltServer or the Sideloadly Daemon, or the SideStore VPN app on the phone).
  • An app that already expired can usually be brought back by signing it again with the same Apple ID. Do not delete it first, or you lose its data.
  • Apps signed with a paid Apple Developer account last up to 1 year, according to the Sideloadly FAQ.

Before You Start: Protect Your Data

The main risk with an expired app is not the app itself but the data inside it (saves, logins, settings). Deleting the expired app deletes that data. Sideloadly’s FAQ says you can sideload an app again after 7 days “using the same Apple ID, just make sure your progress is backed up”, and that to overwrite an installed app the new IPA “must have the same bundle ID and you must use the same Apple ID”. So:

  • Do not delete the expired app from the Home Screen.
  • Use the same Apple ID you signed it with the first time.
  • Use the same IPA, or a newer version of the same app with the same bundle ID.
  • If the app has its own export or cloud sync, use it while the app still opens.

Why Apps Expire After 7 Days

Sideloading tools sign each app with a development certificate tied to your Apple ID. With a free Apple ID, that signature is only valid for 7 days. SideStore’s FAQ describes it as “their normal 7-day development period”, and AltStore’s App IDs page notes that each App ID it registers “expires after one week”. Nothing in the app or the tool is broken. It is a limit Apple puts on free accounts, the same way it limits free accounts to 3 active apps (see our guide to the 3-app limit).

How Each Tool Handles Refreshing

Tool Automatic refresh What it needs Manual refresh
SideStore Yes, in the background The LocalDevVPN app connected on the iPhone; a computer only during installation Tap the days counter next to the app in My Apps
AltStore Classic Yes, with Background Refresh on AltServer running on a computer on the same Wi-Fi, or the iPhone plugged in by USB Refresh All in the My Apps tab
Sideloadly Yes, if enabled when you sideload The Sideloadly Daemon on a computer, with Wi-Fi sideloading set up or the iPhone on USB Sideload the same IPA again with the same Apple ID

SideStore: Refresh Without a Computer

SideStore’s docs say it “will periodically refresh your apps in the background, to keep their normal 7-day development period from expiring”, and that “you only need a computer once during installation”. It signs apps with your own development certificate and uses a VPN app on the device (LocalDevVPN) to install them. Its FAQ says the VPN only connects to your own device, uses no remote servers and does not add battery drain.

To keep SideStore apps from expiring:

  1. Open SideStore at least once every few days, with LocalDevVPN connected.
  2. In My Apps, each app shows a counter such as “7 DAYS”. SideStore’s install guide says it shows the number of days until the app expires and that tapping it refreshes that app.
  3. Remember that SideStore itself is one of the apps that expires. If SideStore itself expires, getting it back means running the install again with iloader on a computer.

If refreshing fails after an iOS update or a reset, the pairing file may be the cause. SideStore’s docs warn that “your pairing file may expire and need to be reimported if you update or reset your iPhone”. The fix is to replace it with iloader as described in their Pairing File page. Full setup steps are in our SideStore installation guide.

AltStore Classic: Keep AltServer Running

AltStore refreshes apps through AltServer on your computer. Its docs say that “as long as AltStore is on the same WiFi network as a computer running AltServer, or is plugged-in directly to the computer via USB”, it can sideload and refresh apps. If Background Refresh is on, AltStore “will periodically wake up in the background and attempt to refresh your apps with AltServer”. You can also tap Refresh All yourself, or set up a Siri Shortcut for it from the Settings tab.

AltStore recommends launching AltServer at computer startup and leaving it running in the background. If you see “Could not find AltServer”:

  • Make sure the computer and iPhone are on the same Wi-Fi. Public, work and school Wi-Fi often block devices from finding each other; AltStore suggests using your phone’s hotspot instead.
  • On Windows, allow AltServer through the firewall, or it cannot receive refresh requests.
  • As a last resort, plug the iPhone into the computer. AltStore says this should fix all connectivity problems, but then background refresh over Wi-Fi may not work. For other AltStore messages, see AltStore and AltServer errors.

If AltStore itself expired, AltStore’s docs say you can reinstall it with AltServer “without deleting AltStore first”, which keeps your apps and data in place.

Sideloadly: Turn On Automatic Refresh

Sideloadly has an automatic refresh option you choose when you sideload an app. According to its FAQ, enabled apps are handled by the Sideloadly Daemon, which “will automatically attempt to refresh apps that are near expiry when the device is detected via Wi-Fi or USB”. For Wi-Fi detection, connect the iPhone by USB once and turn on Wi-Fi sync:

  • Windows and older macOS: iTunes, select the device, Summary, Options, enable “Sync with this iDevice over Wi-Fi”, then Sync.
  • Current macOS: Finder, select the iPhone under Locations, General, enable “Show this iDevice when on Wi-Fi”, then Sync.

The computer must be on and on the same network, so a laptop that is closed all week will not refresh anything. To update an app that is enrolled for auto refresh, the FAQ says to add the new IPA in Sideloadly with the same Apple ID and bundle ID and keep the automatic refresh option on. Our Sideloadly guide covers the full install.

The App Already Expired: How to Bring It Back

  1. Leave the app on the Home Screen. Do not delete it.
  2. Open your tool (SideStore, AltStore or Sideloadly) with the same Apple ID you used before.
  3. SideStore: tap the days counter next to the app in My Apps. AltStore: tap Refresh All in My Apps. Sideloadly: sideload the same IPA again.
  4. Open the app. If it starts, your data should still be there.
  5. If the store app itself expired, reinstall it from the computer first (AltServer for AltStore, iloader for SideStore), without deleting it, then refresh the other apps.

Refresh Problems and What They Mean

  • “You may only register 10 App IDs every 7 days”: you hit the App ID limit, not an expiry problem. AltStore’s docs say each App ID expires after one week, so wait or remove apps. Details in our 3-app and App ID limit guide.
  • “Integrity could not be verified”: a signing problem. See how to fix the integrity error.
  • “Untrusted Developer” after reinstalling: trust the developer profile again in Settings. See our Untrusted Developer fix.
  • Apps signed with a shared certificate stop all at once: that is usually a revoked certificate, not a 7-day expiry. See what to do when a certificate is revoked.

Can You Avoid Weekly Refreshes?

Only by changing how the app is signed. The Sideloadly FAQ states that “apps signed with a paid Apple Developer Account can last up to 1 year”. A paid account costs $99 a year and also removes the 3-app limit. Installers that use a shared certificate, such as Scarlet, do not use a 7-day signature, but they carry a different risk: Apple can revoke that certificate at any time. Scarlet is confirmed on iOS 14 through iOS 26; iOS 27 support is reported by third parties but not officially confirmed.

FAQ

Do I lose my data when an app expires?

Not if you re-sign it over the top with the same Apple ID and bundle ID. You lose it if you delete the app.

Does refreshing count against the 10 App ID limit?

AltStore’s docs say every app you sideload needs App IDs (more if it has app extensions) and that you can register only 10 at a time. AltStore shows your registered App IDs and when they expire under View App IDs in the My Apps tab.

Why does refresh fail on school or work Wi-Fi?

For AltStore and Sideloadly, the phone and the computer must be able to see each other on the network, and many public networks block that. Use a home network, a phone hotspot or a USB cable.

How often should I refresh?

Before the 7 days run out. With automatic refresh working, you do not need to do anything; check the days left in your tool once or twice a week to be safe.

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