How to Install Unapproved Apps on IPhone Without Jailbreak
Apple is notoriously choosy about which apps are allowed on their store, which means that many great apps will get blocked. Jailbreaking has always been the main method of obtaining unapproved apps , but jailbreaking can be a lot of hassle. If you just want to get one or two non-Apple approved apps like Kodi , video game emulators, or even F.lux- like Gamma Thingy , sideloading is the way to do it. The process is free, simple and only takes a couple of minutes.
What do you need
You don’t need much:
There is no way to bypass the Mac requirements as Xcode is only available for OS X and will not work on Windows.
When you’re done, it’s time to decide which app you want to install. There are two different methods for downloading unpublished apps on iOS. The first method takes an app built for jailbroken phones, dumps it into Xcode, and rebuilds it for your phone. The second takes the source code from the application (usually from something like GitHub ) and builds the application from scratch. We’ll cover both methods here, starting with an app for jailbroken phones. If you want to use the source code instead, skip to the second method. What you use depends on the application you are trying to build. If you download a DEB file, it means that it is for jailbroken phones, so use the first method. If it’s a ZIP file with an XCODEPROJ file inside, it’s source code, so use the second method.
Method one: use an app designed for jailbroken phones
The first method we’ll look at takes an app built for jailbroken phones, loads it into Xcode, and then outputs a file that will actually work on your device without jailbreaking. For this example we’ll be using the Kodi media center app, but this process should work with other apps as well. This is an unsupported installation method using unverified software, so your experience may vary. So, for example, Kodi will work fine, but something like Winterboard will not.
Step one: install Xcode
Before doing anything, you need to install a copy of Xcode and register it with your Apple ID. Previously, you required a $ 99 developer account if you wanted to build apps, but this is no longer necessary unless you plan on selling your app on the App Store.
- Download and install Xcode 7.
- Open Xcode, click Xcode> Preferences, and click the + button in the Accounts panel.
- Enter your Apple ID information. This will turn your Apple ID into a free developer account.
Xcode is now set up and you are ready to move on.
Step two: set up the project file
Now you need to set up your Xcode project file so that you can import your Kodi app into it.
- Download Kodi DEB .
- Open Xcode and select the Create New Xcode Project option. Then select “Single View Application” and click “Next”.
- Under the product name, enter the name of the application in the first field.
- Enter a unique name under the Organization ID (use something like com.yourname.kodi).
- Make sure Swift is installed and your iOS version is listed in the Development Target section.
- Once this is complete, you will see an exclamation mark and a note complaining about provisioning profiles. Click the “Fix this problem” button.
- Sign in with your Apple ID if necessary.
- From the drop-down menu, select a development team (usually just your name).
That’s all for this part.
Step three: sign your code
For an app like Kodi, the easiest way to get it installed on your device is to take the jailbreak version of the app and “re-sign” it. This requires additional software, but it is a fairly straightforward process.
- Download App Signer . It is open source software that will convert this DEB file to an IPA file for Xcode to install. He will also sign it using your new dev team created with your Apple ID so you can use it on your device.
- Unzip the file and open App Signer.
- Click the Browse button and select the DEB file that you downloaded in the second step.
- In the Signing Certificate section, click the drop-down menu and select your account.
- In the provisioning profile, click the drop-down menu and select your application (in our example, this is com.yourname.kodi).
- Click the Start button, choose the output file name, and wait for App Signer to do its thing.
You have now created a signed IPA file that you can install on your device via Xcode.
Step four: install the app
- Return to Xcode and click Window> Devices.
- In the window that opens, select your iOS device in the left sidebar, then click the “+” button in the “Installed Apps” section.
- Select the file created in the fourth step and click “Open”.
The app will now be sent to your iOS device. It may take a little time, so let him do his thing.
Step five: assert yourself on your iOS device
Finally, the first time you do this, you will need to establish yourself as a developer on your iOS device (you will only need to do this the first time).
- Go to Settings> General> Profiles & Device Management.
- Find your Apple ID and select Trust.
That’s all! You can now open all applications that you “create” on your iOS device.
Method 2: installing the application from source
The second method of downloading an unpublished app to your iOS device takes the source code from the project, opens it in Xcode, and then installs it on your device. You will usually find these projects on sites where people can easily host their own code, such as GitHub . In this example we will use the Gamma Thingy and the application that reproduces the effect of popular software for screen dimming F.lux .
Step one: install Xcode
Before doing anything, you need to install a copy of Xcode and register it with your Apple ID. Previously, you required a $ 99 developer account if you wanted to build apps, but this is no longer necessary unless you plan on selling your app on the App Store.
- Download and install Xcode 7.
- Open Xcode, click Xcode> Preferences, and click the + button in the Accounts panel.
- Enter your Apple ID information. This will turn your Apple ID into a free developer account.
Xcode is now set up and you are ready to move on.
Step two: find the source code and build the project
The process will be slightly different depending on the app you want to install, but in the case of Gamma Thingy, it is hosted on GitHub, so it only takes one click to download.
- Go to the GitHub Gamma Thingy page and click the Download ZIP button to download the source code.
- Unzip the resulting archive and find the file with the XCODEPROJ extension inside.
- Double click to open it in Xcode.
Xcode should open with the correct project loaded, ready to sign.
Step three: sign your code
Now you need to build the project and sign the code. To do this, you need to make a few changes to the project file loaded in the previous step.
- Connect your iOS device to your computer and open Xcode.
- Click Product> Destination> Your iOS device.
- Back at the main Xcode screen, find the Bundle Identifier field and enter a unique name (for example, com.yourname.gammathingy).
- Choose your Apple ID from the Command drop-down menu.
- Click the Fix this problem button and sign in with your Apple ID (if necessary).
- A window will appear asking for your team name, from the drop-down menu, select a development team (usually just your name).
Now you just need to install the app.
Step four: install the app
Click the Play button in the upper left corner of Xcode and wait while it compiles and installs the application. If there are no errors, you’re done. Note. As for Gamma Thingy, I got a problem compiling on iPad but not iPhone. Most people won’t have this problem, but if you do, this Reddit post goes into detail on how to fix it .
Step five: assert yourself on your iOS device
Finally, the first time you do this, you will need to establish yourself as a developer on your iOS device (you will only need to do this the first time).
- Go to Settings> General> Profiles & Device Management.
- Find your Apple ID and select Trust.
That’s it, you can now open all the apps you create on your iOS device.