There are six no-jailbreak methods to install an IPA on iPhone, and three things decide which one fits: whether you own a computer, which iOS version you’re on, and how much upkeep you’ll tolerate before an app stops opening. This is the overview that lines all six up against each other and sends you to a full step-by-step guide for each one. Read it and you’ll know which tool fits your phone instead of burning an afternoon on something that won’t even launch.
One note before the methods: stick to apps you have the legal right to use, and grab IPAs from the developer or a source you trust. Sideloading is a legitimate way to run software Apple’s review process won’t carry, not a shortcut to paid apps.
The fast comparison
| Tool | Computer needed? | iOS support | App stays installed | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sideloadly | Yes (Windows/macOS) | Current iOS, incl. 18+ | 7 days, free (3-app cap); 1 year, paid dev | Free / $99/yr dev | One-off installs with a PC handy |
| TrollStore | No | iOS 14.0–16.6.1, 16.7 RC, 17.0 (A12+) | Permanent, no re-sign | Free | Older devices, set-and-forget |
| SideStore | One-time PC setup | iOS 14–18+ | Auto-refreshes over Wi-Fi (3-app cap) | Free | No PC day-to-day, multiple apps |
| GBox | No | iOS 13–18+ | Until the cert is revoked (free certs: days) | Free / paid certs | On-device signing, no Apple ID |
| Esign | No | iOS 13–18+ | Until the cert is revoked (free certs: days) | Free / paid certs | Signing on the phone, importing certs |
| Scarlet | No | iOS 13–18+ | Until the cert is revoked (free certs: days) | Free / paid certs | Quickest setup over Safari |
Methods that use your own Apple ID
These sign apps with a free Apple ID, so no shared certificate is involved and nothing depends on someone else’s account staying alive. The trade-off is Apple’s free-account rules: a maximum of three apps at a time, and each one expires after seven days unless you re-sign it.
Sideloadly runs on a Windows or Mac computer. You plug in the iPhone, drop in the IPA, enter your Apple ID, and it signs and installs the app. It tracks the latest iOS releases closely, so it’s the dependable pick when you’re on something brand new like iOS 18 or later. The catch is that the app dies after a week and you reconnect to the PC to re-sign it. A paid Apple Developer account ($99/year) stretches that to a year and lifts the three-app limit, but most people don’t bother.
SideStore is the same idea without keeping the computer involved. You do a one-time setup with a PC, then SideStore refreshes your apps wirelessly through a small local VPN profile that makes iOS think it’s talking to a computer, so they don’t quietly expire on day seven. It’s an open-source fork of AltStore and runs all the way up to iOS 18+. The free-account three-app cap still applies, though newer builds include a workaround. If you don’t want a cable in your life after the first install, this is the one.
The permanent method (if your iOS qualifies)
TrollStore is hard to beat when your version is supported, because installs are genuinely permanent. No seven-day timer, no Apple ID, no re-signing, ever. It exploits the CoreTrust bug, and that’s also the limit: Apple patched the bug in iOS 17.0.1, so TrollStore covers iOS 14.0 through 16.6.1, plus the 16.7 RC build (20H18) and 17.0 on A12 and newer devices. Regular iOS 16.7 releases are out, and so is anything above 17.0. iOS 18 and newer are unsupported. Check your exact build in Settings > General > About first. If you’re inside that window, this beats everything else here. If you’re not, skip it.
On-device signers that share certificates
GBox, Esign, and Scarlet all sign IPAs right on the phone with no computer. They lean on enterprise or distribution certificates rather than your Apple ID, which sidesteps the three-app cap. The downside is revocation: when Apple spots a shared certificate being used this way, it kills it, and every app signed with it stops opening at once. Free certs tend to go within days. These tools try to delay that with anti-revoke DNS settings and paid certificates that hold up longer. Of the three, Scarlet has the simplest start, since you can install it straight through Safari. They run on iOS 13 through 18+.
Is this safe for my Apple ID?
Can sideloading get your Apple ID banned or locked? With a free or secondary Apple ID, the realistic worst case is a temporary soft-lock or some extra 2FA friction, not a permanent ban on your account. That’s exactly why a throwaway Apple ID is the standard advice for signing: if it does trip a lock, you’ve spent nothing and your main account stays untouched.
Tips and troubleshooting
- “Untrusted Developer” when you tap the app. Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, tap your developer profile, and choose Trust. The app opens after that.
- App stops launching after about a week. That’s the seven-day free certificate expiring on Sideloadly or SideStore. Re-sign it (reconnect to the PC for Sideloadly; let SideStore refresh, or open it manually).
- All your sideloaded apps die at the same moment. The shared certificate behind GBox/Esign/Scarlet was revoked. You’ll need to re-sign with a working certificate, often a paid one, or switch to an Apple ID-based method.
- “Unable to verify app” with no Trust button showing. Connect to Wi-Fi or cellular data and reopen the app once; the device needs to reach Apple to verify the certificate.
- Use a secondary Apple ID for signing if you’d rather not put your main account through this.
FAQ
Why does the app stop opening after a week?
Free Apple developer certificates only last seven days, so Sideloadly and SideStore installs expire on that schedule. SideStore re-signs them automatically over Wi-Fi; with Sideloadly you reconnect the iPhone to the computer and run it again.
Can I install IPAs if I don’t own a computer at all?
On-device signers like GBox, Esign, and Scarlet need no PC ever, and TrollStore installs from the phone too if you’re on a supported iOS version. SideStore needs a computer once for setup, then runs on its own.
Does any of this still work on iOS 18?
Sideloadly and SideStore both support iOS 18 and newer, and the on-device signers do as well. TrollStore is the exception: it’s capped at iOS 17.0 (plus the 16.7 RC build) because Apple closed the bug it relies on.
So match the tool to your constraints. Computer on hand and an iPhone on the latest iOS, go with Sideloadly or SideStore. On iOS 16 or 17.0 and you want installs that never expire, TrollStore is the clear call. No computer and you just want apps running today, try Scarlet, Esign, or GBox, and keep a backup certificate ready for the next revoke. Each linked guide walks through the install button by button.
