Sideloading is the process of installing apps on your iPhone or iPad using .IPA files using tools such as AltDeploy. Cydia Impactor was the most popular tool for sideloading apps, but since the last few months, the tool has not been working.
Fortunately, there is now a new tool called AltDeploy that works quite similar to Cydia Impactor and is a much better alternative as it offers a couple of additional useful features that were missing in Cydia Impactor.
As many signing services are facing issues with keeping apps signed for a long duration, sideloading is now the best method to bypass this problem. If you’re here to find out how to sideload apps with AltDeploy, then follow the guide below as we show you the entire process of sideloading any IPA file using this new tool.
Before we dive in, AltDeploy has certain limitations which are as follows:
- As of this writing, the tool supports macOS only.
- You can only sideload 3 apps in total.
- Apps have to be re-signed every 7 days.
Table of Contents
How to Install iOS Apps with AltDeploy
1. Download AltDeploy
The first thing to do is to download the AltDeploy file. You can download it from GitHub.
Once you go to the download page, click the AltDeploy.zip file to download it to your computer.
2. Extract the contents of the file
Once the file has been downloaded, it will be in the .zip format which means that you have to extract it.
To unzip the AltDeploy file, simply double-click on it and the file will be extracted.
3. Open AltDeploy and connect your iOS device to your PC
Next, double-click on the AltDeploy file that you extracted in the previous step to open the app.
Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPad to your computer using a USB cable. The software should detect and display the connected iOS device as shown below.
4. Browse and select the IPA file to install
Click on the dropdown that says No file selected, then select Browse. Now browse and select the IPA file which you wish to install.
5. Install the Mail Plugin if applicable
If this is the first time that you’re using AltDeploy, a prompt appears asking you to install a Mail app plugin in order for the tool to function properly. Click on the Install button to proceed, then enter your computer’s password when prompted.
6. Open the Mail preferences and go to “Manage Plug-ins”
Once installed, re-open the Mail app and go to its Preferences. Go to the General tab and click on Manage Plug-ins.
7. Enable AltPlugin.mailbundle
Tick the AltPlugin.mailbundle plugin and click on the Apply and Restart Mail button. Keep in mind that the Mail app should always be open whenever you are using AltDeploy.
8. Click the Start button in AltDeploy
Now re-open the AltDeploy app and click the Start button to begin installing the IPA on the connected iOS device.
The process can take a few minutes depending on how big the app is.
9. Enter your Apple ID and password if prompted
If this is the first time that you’re using AltDeploy, you’ll be prompted to enter your Apple ID and password, which is used to generate a signing certificate for installing the app.
Note: If you don’t want to use your main Apple ID due to security reasons, then you can create an alternative Apple ID and use that instead.
10. Verify your Apple ID profile
AltDeploy will begin the installation process. Once finished, the app should appear on your iPhone or iPad Home screen.
Before you can use the app, you have to verify the profile. On your iOS device, go to Settings > General > Profiles, tap on the profile that is labeled with your Apple ID, then click on the Trust button.
You can now go back to the Home screen and tap on the app to open it.
Conclusions
That’s all you need to do to sideload and install IPA files on your iOS device. The process is quite straightforward and once you get the hang of it, you can install apps easily on the go.
This is by far the best tool to replace Cydia Impactor. The thing that I like the most about AltDeploy is that it saves your Apple ID and password so that you don’t have to re-enter it every time you want to sideload an app. You can add as many Apple IDs as you wish and select them easily when you want to install an app.
