If you’ve got an IPA file and an iPhone, there are really only three questions that decide how you’ll install it. Do you have a computer? Which iOS version are you on? And how much maintenance can you live with before an app stops opening? Answer those and the right tool more or less picks itself.
This page lines up every no-jailbreak method that still works in late 2026 and links to a step-by-step guide for each one. It was last checked against iOS 26.7.1 and iOS 27, which Apple released on September 14, 2026.
A quick ground rule before we start: only sideload apps you have the right to use, and get the IPA from its developer or a source you trust. Sideloading is a way to run software that isn’t on the App Store, like open-source emulators, personal builds or apps Apple won’t approve. It isn’t a way to get paid apps for free, and we don’t link to sites that offer that.
Two questions get most people to the right tool. EU users have one extra option.
The quick comparison
| Tool | Computer needed? | Works on | How long apps last | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sideloadly | Yes, Windows or Mac | iOS 26 and iOS 27 | 7 days on a free Apple ID, 1 year on a paid one | Free | Reliable installs when a PC is nearby |
| Impactor | Yes, Windows, Mac or Linux | iOS 26 (check releases for 27) | 7 days on a free Apple ID, 1 year on a paid one | Free, open source | Emulators, LiveContainer and pairing files |
| iloader | Yes, Windows, Mac or Linux | iOS 26 (check releases for 27) | 7 days, or hand refreshing over to SideStore | Free, open source | Setting up SideStore and pairing files |
| SideStore | Once, for setup | iOS 26 (check release notes for 27) | Refreshes itself over Wi-Fi | Free | Keeping apps alive without a cable |
| TrollStore | No | iOS 14.0 to 16.6.1, 16.7 RC, 17.0 only | Permanent | Free | Older iPhones that never updated |
| Esign and forks | No | Varies by build | Until the certificate is revoked | Free or paid certs | Signing on the phone itself |
| GBox | No | Varies by build | Until the certificate is revoked | Free or paid certs | On-device signing with saved certs |
| Scarlet | No | Varies by build | Until the certificate is revoked | Free or paid certs | Fastest start, straight from Safari |
Whichever you pick, iOS 16 and later want Developer Mode switched on before a sideloaded app will open. You’ll find it under Settings > Privacy & Security > Developer Mode, and it only shows up after you’ve tried to install something. Turning it on restarts the phone.
Developer Mode sits at the bottom of Privacy & Security once a sideloaded app is installed.
Signing with your own Apple ID
Sideloadly, Impactor, iloader and SideStore all sign apps with an Apple ID you control. Nobody else’s certificate is involved, so there’s nothing for Apple to revoke out from under you. In exchange you live with Apple’s rules for free accounts: three sideloaded apps at a time, and each one expires after seven days unless it’s signed again.
Sideloadly runs on your computer. Plug the iPhone in, drop the IPA onto the window, sign in and it does the rest. It’s the most dependable option on the list because its developer keeps up with Apple closely. Version 0.71.0 arrived on October 18, 2026, and it’s confirmed working on iOS 27. The downside is the weekly trip back to the computer. A paid Apple Developer account ($99 a year) stretches each install to a year and removes the three-app limit.
Impactor and iloader are newer, open-source desktop tools that also run on Linux. Impactor works much like Sideloadly, with extra signing options and a Utilities page for pairing files, and it’s the installer the LiveContainer and MeloNX developers recommend. iloader is built around SideStore: SideStore’s docs use it for the first install, and it’s the usual way to place a pairing file for StikDebug. Both will also install any other IPA you give them.
SideStore is the cable-free version of the same idea. After a one-time setup on a computer with iloader, it re-signs your apps over Wi-Fi using a small local VPN that makes iOS think it’s talking to a PC. It’s been a bumpier ride in 2026, though. iOS 26.4 broke on-device signing for a while, and SideStore 0.6.4 was pulled after Apple changed something on the sign-in side. The current 0.7.0 alpha fixes sign-in, and the SideStore guide keeps track of which build to install.
The permanent option, if your iPhone qualifies
TrollStore is the only method here where apps stay installed for good: no timer, no Apple ID, no re-signing. It relies on a CoreTrust bug that Apple fixed in iOS 17.0.1, so it only works on iOS 14.0 beta 2 through 16.6.1, the 16.7 RC build and iOS 17.0. Nothing newer is supported, and the developer has said it won’t be unless another bug of the same kind turns up.
That makes it a tool for older phones that were never updated. Check Settings > General > About before you go any further. And if you see a site offering “TrollStore for iOS 26”, close the tab, because it’s fake.
Signing on the phone with a shared certificate
Esign, GBox and Scarlet sign apps directly on the iPhone, no computer at any point. Instead of your Apple ID they use an enterprise or distribution certificate, which gets around the three-app cap.
The trade-off is revocation. When Apple notices a certificate being shared around, it cancels it, and every app signed with it stops opening at the same moment. Free certificates rarely last more than a few days. Paid certificates tied to your device’s UDID hold up much longer, but nothing in this group is permanent.
It’s also a messy corner of the scene. The original Esign stopped development in 2025, and what you find under that name now is mostly rebuilds and certificate sellers. If you’d rather use something with public source code, Feather is an open-source on-device signer that works the same way with your own certificate.
How long installs last with each method. Shared certificates are the only ones that can disappear without warning.
If you live in the EU
Since iOS 17.4, iPhones in the European Union can install apps from alternative app marketplaces such as AltStore PAL, with no signing, no seven-day timer and no revocations. If you’re in the EU and the app you want is offered there, that’s the cleanest route of all.
Is this safe for my Apple ID?
Mostly, yes. Signing apps with a free Apple ID is something Apple’s own tools let developers do. The realistic worst case is a temporary lock or some extra two-factor prompts, not a banned account. Still, a lot of people keep a secondary Apple ID just for signing so their main account, with its purchases and photos, stays out of it entirely.
The bigger risk is the IPA itself. A modified app from an unknown site can contain anything. Stick to official releases and open-source projects you can check.
When something goes wrong
- “Untrusted Developer” when you tap the app. Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, tap the profile and choose Trust.
- The app won’t open and there’s no Trust option. Turn on Developer Mode (see above), then connect to the internet and try again. iOS needs to reach Apple once to check the certificate.
- An app stops opening after about a week. That’s the seven-day free signature expiring. Re-sign it with the desktop tool you used, or let SideStore refresh.
- StikDebug, SideStore or Feather can’t reach the phone. The pairing file has probably gone stale, which often happens after an iOS update. Place a new one with iloader or Impactor.
- All your sideloaded apps die at once. The shared certificate behind Esign, GBox or Scarlet was revoked. Re-sign with a working certificate or move to an Apple ID-based method.
- It broke right after an iOS update. Check the tool’s own release notes before reinstalling anything. Big updates like iOS 26.4 have broken tools for a few weeks at a time.
FAQ
Which method works on iOS 27?
Sideloadly is confirmed working on iOS 27. Impactor and iloader ship updates every week or two, so check their release notes before you update. On-device signers depend on the build and certificate you use. SideStore’s release notes haven’t confirmed iOS 27 yet, and TrollStore never will.
Can I sideload without owning a computer?
Yes. Esign, GBox, Scarlet and Feather never need one, and TrollStore installs from the phone if your iOS version is supported. SideStore needs a computer once for setup and then runs on its own.
Why does my app stop opening after seven days?
Free Apple ID signatures only last a week. That’s Apple’s rule, not a bug in the tool. A paid developer account gets you a year per signature.
What’s the best option for most people?
If you have a computer, Sideloadly. It’s the most reliable and the best maintained. On Linux, or for an app whose developer recommends it, use Impactor. If you want apps that refresh themselves, SideStore, as long as you’re comfortable checking its release notes after iOS updates.
So, in short: a computer and a current iPhone point you to Sideloadly, Impactor or SideStore. An old iPhone stuck on iOS 16 or 17.0 is TrollStore territory. No computer at all means an on-device signer, plus a backup plan for the next revoke. Each guide linked above walks through the setup screen by screen.
