Sooner or later, every owner of an iOS device, be it an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, is faced with the need to install an application from the App Store on their own. It can be a game (paid, free, shareware) or a program, there is no difference in the installation method.
Of course, whenever you need to install any program or game from the Apple software store, you can contact a service center specializing in the repair and maintenance of iOS devices, but this is impractical, because installing programs and games from the App Store on the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad is very simple.
Today we will share with you, dear readers, working methods for installing applications on an iPhone or iPad.
- Advantages and disadvantages of iFunBox
To begin with, it is worth noting that to install applications from the App Store, the device itself is not enough ; you must first create an Apple ID account, which can be done directly during the application installation process.
To install applications from the App Store we will need:
- any iOS device, it can be an iPhone or iPad (iPod Touch is losing relevance);
- Apple ID account;
- active Internet connection;
- iTunes installed on PC (Windows) or Mac (when installing games or programs via iTunes). [];
- file manager: iFunBox, iTools or any other.
Goodbye app store
It used to be as simple as owning an Apple device. You bought your iPhone or iPad, installed iTunes, created an account, got an Apple ID, and linked your iPhone and/or iPad to your account.
You then had a completely offline ecosystem where you could buy music and apps and easily download them to your devices.
iOS 12.7 changed all that with the removal of the App Store. Where you were once able to download apps onto your Mac and manage your mobile devices from there, you now have to download apps directly to your device. Good in some ways, but not so great in others. So what should an iPhone or iPad owner do?
You have three main options to solve this problem:
- Use a third-party tool to download apps to your device.
- Jailbreak your iPhone or iPad so you can use alternative app stores.
- Use an older version of iTunes released by Apple that still supports the App Store.
I'll go over each of these options so you can choose the one that works best for you, although I recommend using an older version of iTunes.
Let's get out of Apple prison. Installing arbitrary applications on iOS without jailbreak
The App Store isn't the only way to install iOS apps. Previously, people specifically jailbreaked to install the Cydia directory. But recently, several third-party directories have appeared that work without jailbreaking
. Surprisingly, Apple has not yet put a spoke in their wheels.
These directories bring real benefits, because here independent developers freely distribute their programs without fees or censorship. Apple cannot arbitrarily withdraw such applications from smartphones. And people get a wider choice of software, including Linux emulators, vendor independence and real ownership.
In addition to alternative directories, Apple’s “jailbreak” also goes another way - through platforms inside other applications. For example, such platforms are created on the basis of popular instant messengers that want to launch their own internal catalogs of mini-applications and their own payment systems.
A typical example is the directory of the Chinese technology giant Tencent inside the WeChat messenger. This is a separate platform with HTML5 mini-applications that are less than 10 megabytes in size. That is, it doesn’t matter whether you have Android, iOS or another operating system. All the same, WeChat mini-programs can be downloaded and launched in a standard way in a single interface. In fact, this is a full-fledged platform open to independent developers - in a sense, a competitor to Google Play and the App Store.
WeChat widgets
Tencent has agreed with Apple that it will only accept mini-apps that comply with App Store guidelines. This is one way for developers to gain access to iOS users, bypassing Apple.
Apple itself also sees the potential of mini-apps. In the latest version of iOS 14, it introduced App Clips - fragments of applications that run on the phone without installing the full version of the program.
The AltStore catalog launched in 2022. In it you can find programs that Apple does not allow in the App Store for various reasons.
How does AltStore actually work? The fact is that Apple allows developers to install their applications on iOS via Xcode for testing, and AltStore simply automates this process and updates Apple's seven-day timers to work for applications installed bypassing the App Store. That is, the user installs each application as a supposedly personal program.
To download programs from the catalog, you must first install AltServer under macOS 10.14.4+ or Windows 10+. You must have iTunes on your computer, where you need to enable synchronization with your smartphone via WiFi.
Synchronization via WiFi
Then connect the device and install the AltStore client there via the desktop server.
To work you will have to enter your Apple ID and password. You can register a separate Apple ID for these purposes.
For AltStore to work, you need to trust the new Apple ID in the iOS settings. After this, you can log into the application on your smartphone using the same Apple ID as on the desktop - the client and server work together, as if you were testing your own developed applications on your smartphone, like a programmer. That is, you can install applications on a smartphone only when the smartphone is connected to a desktop. In addition, each application has a 7-day counter, and AltStore constantly updates it (a connection to the server is also required). For this reason, it is advisable to start the server every time the OS boots on the desktop.
A list of applications for installation is available inside the mobile AltStore. Another option is to send them from your desktop.
By the way, you can go to unc0ver.dev, download and safely install the Unc0ver jailbreak application, if you so desire. This is the easiest way to install a Cydia catalog with dozens of programs that are not in the App Store.
Cydia catalog
But this is not particularly required, because without any jailbreak, any application in *.ipa format
. Several useful applications are collected in the AppMarket catalog. Simply download the zip archive, extract the .ipa, and install via AltStore.
One of the interesting iOS applications is UTM for running virtual machines. For obvious reasons, this and similar applications are prohibited in the App Store. But this is a very cool tool that emulates any processor and runs any operating system. The tablet runs Debian Linux or Windows 7 without any problems.
The processor in the latest iPad Pros is more powerful than many modern laptops, so this idea makes sense.
UTM is installed via AltStore without jailbreak, like hundreds of other free programs that are not censored by the Apple company.
Another useful app in the AltStore (and banned in the App Store) is DolphiniOS, a popular cross-platform emulator for running any GameCube or Wii games with advanced options like upscaling to 1080p or higher (for playing on Apple TV). As you know, any emulators and console applications (and much more) are prohibited in the App Store.
Also prohibited is iSH, a full-fledged shell through which real Linux applications are launched in the native console.
iSH Console is one of the many programs banned from the App Store
The author of AltStore is American programmer Riley Testut. In general, this application appeared in a sense by accident. Riley first developed the Delta emulator to run classic Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo DS video games on iOS.
Delta Emulator
App Store censorship did not allow his application into the official catalog - and then Riley found a way to circumvent this ban through AltStore. To the surprise of many, Apple took no action against this hack.
Airport is another alternative directory that accepts independent programs (application form). It works through Apple's TestFlight service, which is designed for beta testing of programs on a wide audience before their official publication.
Airport Directory
According to the terms of Apple TestFlight, the number of beta testers of the application cannot exceed 10,000 people. Airport is unlikely to compete with the App Store in its current form, but it's still an important experiment. It gives developers another way to reach the iOS audience, bypassing Apple, which controls all approaches, considering users as its “property.” In June 2022, the company published a policy document “Building a Trusted Ecosystem for Millions of Apps”, in which it explains the ban on free installation of programs from third-party sources (sideloading) with concern for users
. It is doubtful that such an explanation will convince the EU's European Antitrust Commission.
A year ago, Apple banned Fortnite for violating its catalog rules. In response, Epic Games filed a lawsuit, accusing Apple of abusing its monopoly position (we are talking about an inflated commission of 30%). This example shows that some developers are unhappy with the current App Store conditions. But Apple can answer: if you don’t like it, don’t use it. Distribute your applications through alternative directories, because they really exist.
If the court accepts Apple's arguments, the company could be forced to support alternative directories on its platform, just as Microsoft was once prohibited from forcing its Internet Explorer browser on users to avoid abuse of its monopoly position. So the fate of alternative catalogs largely depends on the outcome of the Epic Games v. trial. Apple.
Interestingly, the same Cydia allowed you to install applications on the iPhone even before the appearance of the App Store
in 2008. Now she has joined a lawsuit against Apple, accusing it of abusing its monopoly position by prohibiting the free installation of programs on users' smartphones. Proceedings on this issue are also ongoing in Europe.
Alternative directories are a viable way to distribute your apps in the Apple ecosystem, bypassing the App Store. iOS application files can now be safely uploaded to any hosting, any website. Perhaps antitrust proceedings against Apple in Europe and the United States will finally legitimize this practice.
Use a third party tool to download apps to your device
There are many tools on the Internet that offer to download apps without using an Apple ID or iTunes. Some of them may work, but I know some of them don't because I tried them.
The benefit of using third-party tools is that you get control over what you put on your device and how you use it. The downside to this approach is that you lose control over what's installed on your device and open your phone or tablet to malware. That is, using third-party security tools to download and install applications poses a security risk.
Another downside to using third-party tools is that your Apple ID is added to the app's digital signature as you install it.
How to install third-party applications on iPhone and iPad - general information
With the release of the latest iOS updates, Apple not only significantly expanded the functionality of the iPhone and iPad, but also opened up new opportunities for users. For example, a program for installing applications on iPhone - Sideload - has become available, which allows anyone to download and install applications and programs without using the AppStore. This program will tell you how to download/install your application on your iPhone.
Initially, the standard version of Sideload was only compatible with Mac and only if Xcode was installed. This greatly limited the circle of users who could fully experience the opportunities that opened up to them. The solution was the release of the Cydia Impactor utility, specially prepared for installing applications on iOS. This software product allows you to download IPA files to iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch from personal computers running different operating systems. The program allows iOS to install applications not from the App Store.
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How to download AppSync
Another must-have item is the AppSync application, which allows you to install and use hacked games and programs. You can download and install it from the Cydia store.
- Launch Cydia.
- Open the Repositories tab.
- Click Edit – Add.
- Add the following repositories: https://cydia.angelxwind.net/ and https://repo.hackyouriphone.org .
- Confirm addition.
- Use the search to find the AppSync extension for the desired version of iOS.
- Install the tweak.
You will need to restart your iPhone after installing AppSync.
Installing IPA files
Cydia applications can be installed using IPA files. Finding them is not a problem: installation packages are posted on mobile forums and sites about Apple devices. To install them, you can use different methods, with and without jailbreak.
AppSync and vShare
If you are looking for how to install jailbroken apps via Cydia, check out the AppSync tweak. It allows you to quickly add any IPA files to your phone.
- Launch Cydia.
- Open the Repository tab.
- Click "Edit" - "Add".
- Add the angelxwind and hackyouriphone repositories.
- Confirm the addition.
- Find the AppSync extension for your version of iOS.
- Install the tweak.
- Reboot your device.
The vShare extension works in a similar way. The advantage of this tweak is that the applications available through it are stored on the vShare server, which greatly simplifies the installation process.
- Open Cydia.
- Connect the appvv repository.
- Find and add vShare.
- Launch the installed application.
- Find the game or program you want to install and add it to your download queue.
But installing apps only through Cydia is not the only option. You can use other programs to work with iOS devices.
iTunes
Most users will be happy with this method, which allows you to install an application from Cydia via iTunes.
- Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes on your computer. Compare with the version available on the Apple website and update the program if necessary.
- Download free applications from Cydia in the form of IPA files.
- Double-click the downloaded file to open it in iTunes. The application will appear in the "Programs" section.
- Connect your iPhone/iPad to your computer.
- Select the connected device in iTunes and open the Applications tab.
- Check the new app and click Sync.
As you can see, using Cydia to install cracked apps or third-party programs and games is not necessary. You can download the application from Cydia as an IPA file and add it to your phone via iTunes.
USEFUL INSTRUCTIONS:
- How to install Cydia on iOS (different versions);
- Cydia impactor: how to solve error 81.
iTools and iFunBox
If you found applications in Cydia Impactor and want to add them to your phone without jailbreaking or using iTunes, use other programs to transfer files: iTools, iFunBox.
To install the application via iFunBox:
- Connect your device to your computer.
- Launch iFunBox.
- Click "Data Management" and select the "Install Application" option.
- Specify the path to the previously downloaded IPA file and wait for the installation to complete.
The developers of iFunBox warn about the presence of restrictions: it is not recommended to add games and programs whose size exceeds 1 GB. To do this, it is better to use installing applications through Cydia.
In iTools, the installation procedure for games and programs will be similar. You also need to install and run the program on your computer and connect your iPhone. Open the Applications tab, switch to iPhone and click Install. Specify the path to the file and wait for the installation to complete.
Published by Moftech
