What is SideStore?
SideStore is an application that allows you to sideload apps on your iPhone more conveniently than other tools such as Sideloadly. Sideloadly requires you to connect your phone to a PC once per week to keep the sideloaded apps active. SideStore makes the process more convenient by allowing you to manage your sideloaded apps from your phone.
What is Sideloading?
Sideloading is the process of loading third-party applications that are not available on the App Store. Apple mainly intended this feature for developers and large corporations that need private or custom software on their devices. However, you do not have to be a developer to sideload apps, and it can be done for free.
How Does Sideloading Work?
To load a third-party app onto your iPhone, you normally need a .mobileprovision file, a P12 certificate, an IPA file, and a tool such as SideStore.
A mobile provisioning profile and a P12 certificate are both files that give an app permission to be installed and run on your iPhone. They are part of Apple's app-signing process. The IPA file is the actual app file being installed.
With SideStore, you do not have to create these files yourself. SideStore helps take care of the signing and installation process, so you can focus on choosing and installing the apps you want.
Requirements
- An iPhone
- A computer. Windows, Mac, and Linux are supported.
- A cable to tether your phone to your computer
- An internet connection
- A brain
Limitations
SideStore uses a free Apple Account, so Apple places some limits on what you can do:
- Sideloaded apps expire after 7 days and need to be refreshed. Part 5 explains how to bypass this limit.
- You can have 3 active apps at one time, including SideStore.
- You can install up to 10 different apps or App IDs in a 7-day period.
These limits come from Apple's free developer account system, not from SideStore itself. A paid Apple Developer account has different limits, but it is not required for this guide. You can read more on the SideStore FAQ.
Important Warning
Certain apps can get flagged by Apple and may cause your Apple Account to be banned, so be careful about what you install.