AltStore is a well-known piece of software that allows iPhone and iPad users to sideload apps on their device, effectively sidestepping the App Store. The main benefit there is that users can install apps that Apple would never permit on the App Store.
But AltStore requires the use of a computer, as it depends on AltServer on the host machine to use. For a lot of people, being tethered to a computer once a week to re-sign sideloaded apps can be a major inconvenience.
For that reason, a project called SideStore is a particularly fascinating alternative. According to the project’s GitHub page, SideStore is a fork of AltStore that only requires you to use a computer once for the initial setup, while all subsequent uses of the application are computer-free.
SideStore still uses your Apple ID As the vehicle for sideloading and signing apps with your personal developer certificate, and then makes use of a specially designed VPN (virtual private network) to trick iOS into installing them. Consequently, this means you need an Internet connection to use it.
What makes SideStore different from AltStore is the truly untethered sideloading experience. Even a commonly-used alternative sideloading platform, Sideloadly, requires the use of a computer to sideload apps, so there’s certainly a lot of excitement surrounding SideStore to say the least.
As an open source and community-driven fork of AltStore, SideStore has already implemented a lot of the most requested features that AltStore hasn’t yet adopted, and the community is always welcome to make further contributions to the project.
SideStore can be used to install any .ipa file, whether that’s a jailbreak app or an ordinary app that just wouldn’t ever make it into the App Store. If you’re already an AltStore user, then it might be worth checking out, especially if you can’t use TrollStore due to firmware requirements.
Speaking of firmware requirements, SideStore requires iOS or iPadOS 14 and later. It also features a built-in JIT-enabler, which allows you to play hardware accelerated games and emulators, along with anything else that can take advantage of it.
To learn more about SideStore, or to try it out for yourself, head over to the project’s official website.
Are you planning to give SideStore a try? Tell us why or why not in the comments section down below.