How To Install Unapproved Apps On An iPhone Without Jailbreaking

Apple’s notoriously picky about what apps are allowed in their store, which means a lot of great apps get locked out. Jailbreaking has always been the go-to method for getting unapproved apps, but jailbreaking can be a hassle. If you’re just looking to get one or two non-Apple-approved apps — like Kodi, video game emulators, or even the f.lux-like Gamma Thingy, side loading is the way to do it. The process is free, it’s easy, and it only take a couple minutes.

Illustration by Fruzsina Kuhári.

What You’ll Need

You don’t need much:

• A Mac
• Xcode 7 (free)
• An Apple ID
• An iOS Device

There’s no way around the Mac requirement, as Xcode is only available for OS X and won’t work in Windows.

Once you have all that ready, it’s time to decide which app you want to install. There are two different methods for sideloading apps onto iOS. The first method takes an app made for jailbroken phones, dumps it into Xcode, and rebuilds it for your phone. The second takes source code from an app (usually from somewhere like GitHub), and builds the app from scratch. We’ll walk you through both methods here, starting with taking an app made for jailbroken phones. If you want to use source code instead, go ahead and skip down to Method two. Which you use depends on the app you’re trying to build. If you download a DEB file, that means it’s made for jailbroken phones, so go with method one. If it’s a ZIP file with an XCODEPROJ file inside, it’s source code, so go with method two.

Method One: Use an App Meant for Jailbroken Phones

The first method we’ll walk through takes an app made for jailbroken phones, loads it into Xcode, and then outputs a file that will actually work on your non-jailbroken device. In this example, we’ll use the media center app Kodi, but the process should work other apps. This is an unsupported installation method using unverified software, so your mileage will vary. So, for example, Kodi will work fine, but something like Winterboard will not.

Step One: Install Xcode

Before you do anything, you’ll need to install a copy of Xcode and register it with your Apple ID. You used to need a $US99 ($137) developer account if you wanted to create apps, but that’s no longer necessary if you don’t plan on selling your app in the App Store.

1. Download and install Xcode 7.
2. Open up Xcode and click Xcode > Preferences and click the + button in the Accounts panel.
3. Enter your Apple ID details. This will turn your Apple ID into a free developer account.

Now Xcode is all set up and you’re ready to move on.

Step Two: Set Up Your Project File

Now you need to set up your Xcode project file so you can import the Kodi app into it.

1. Download the Kodi DEB file.
2. Open Xcode and select the “Create New Xcode project” option. Then select Single View Application and click Next.
3. Under product name, type in the name of the app in the first box.
4. Type in a unique name under organisation identifier (use something like com.yourname.kodi).
5. Make sure Swift is set for the language and your version of iOS is set under “Development Target.”
6. Once that’s complete, you’ll see an exclamation point and a note complaining about provisioning profiles. Click the “Fix Issue” button.
7. Sign in with your Apple ID if necessary.
8. From the drop-down menu, select your development team (this is usually just your name).

That’s it for this portion.

Step Three: Sign Your Code

For an app like Kodi, the easiest method of getting it onto your device is to take the jailbreak version of the app and “re-sign” it. This requires an extra bit of software, but is a pretty simple process.

1. Download App Signer. This is open source software that will change that DEB file to an IPA file, so Xcode can install it. It will also sign it using your new developer team created with your Apple ID so you can use it on your device.
2. Unzip the file and open up App Signer.
3. Click the “Browse” button and select the DEB file you downloaded in step two.
4. Under the Signing certificate option, click the drop-down menu and select your account.
5. Under provisioning profile, click the drop-down menu and select your app (in our example it’s com.yourname.kodi).
6. Click the Start button, select an output file name, and wait for App Signer to do its thing.

You’ve now created a signed IPA file that you can install on your device through Xcode.

Step Four: Install Your App

1. Go back to Xcode and click Window > Devices.
2. In the window that opens up, select your iOS device from the left sidebar, then click the “+” button under “Installed Apps”
3. Select the file you created in step four and click Open.

Now, the app will be sent to your iOS device. It can take a little time, so let it do its thing.

Step Five: Approve Yourself on Your iOS Device

Finally, the first time you do this you’ll need to approve yourself as a developer on your iOS device (you’ll only need to do this the first time).

1. Head to Settings > General > Profiles and Device Management.
2. Find your Apple ID account and select Trust.

That’s it! Now you can open all the apps you “create” on your iOS device.

Method 2: Install an App from Its Source Code

The second method for sideloading an app onto your iOS device takes the source code from a project, opens it up in Xcode, and then installs it onto your device. You’ll usually find these projects on sites where people can easily host their own code, like GitHub. For this example, we’ll use Gamma Thingy, and app that reproduces the effect of the popular screen dimming software, f.lux.

Step One: Install Xcode

Before you do anything, you’ll need to install a copy of Xcode and register it with your Apple ID. You used to need a $US99 ($137) developer account if you wanted to create apps, but that’s no longer necessary if you don’t plan on selling your app in the App Store.

4. Download and install Xcode 7.
5. Open up Xcode and click Xcode > Preferences and click the + button in the Accounts panel.
6. Enter your Apple ID details. This will turn your Apple ID into a free developer account.

Now Xcode is all set up and you’re ready to move on.

Step Two: Find Your Source Code and Create a Project

This process will differ slightly depending on the app you want to install, but in the case of Gamma Thingy, it’s hosted on GitHub, so downloading it only takes a single click.

1. Head to Gamma Thingy’s GitHub page and click the “Download ZIP” button to download the source code.
2. Unzip the resulting archive, and find the file inside with the XCODEPROJ extension.
3. Double-click to open it up in Xcode.

Xcode should open with the correct project loaded, ready for signing.

Step Three: Sign Your Code

Now you need to build the project and sign the code. This requires that you make a couple of changes to the project file you loaded in the previous step.

1. Plug your iOS device into your computer and open up Xcode.
2. Click Product > Destination > Your iOS Device.
3. Back in the main Xcode screen, find the Bundle Identifier box and enter in a unique name (like com.yourname.gammathingy).
4. Select your Apple ID from the Team drop-down menu.
5. Click the “Fix Issue” button and sign in with your Apple ID (if necessary).
6. A window will pop up asking for your team name, from the drop-down menu, select your development team (this is usually just your name).

Now you just need to install the app.

Step Four: Install the App

Click the Play button in the top-left corner of Xcode and wait for it to compile and install the app. If there aren’t any errors, you’re basically done. Note: As far as Gamma Thingy was concerned, I ran into a problem when compiling it on my iPad, but not my iPhone. Most people will not have this issue, but if you do, this Reddit post details how to fix it.

Step Five: Approve Yourself on Your iOS Device

Finally, the first time you do this you’ll need to approve yourself as a developer on your iOS device (you’ll only need to do this the first time).

3. Head to Settings > General > Profiles and Device Management.
4. Find your Apple ID account and select Trust.

That’s it, you can now open up all the apps you create on your iOS device.