1The file
An IPA is the package an iOS app comes in. Bring one you own or one you trust: Sideloadly installs any IPA you hand it.
I want to watch my IPA land on my iPhone, step by step
Sideloading iOS apps typically requires a jailbreak. Sideloadly installs any IPA from your Windows PC or Mac with a free Apple ID.
Sideload my IPA
The download page asks whether you use Windows or Mac.
The same three numbers, up close
Each step below matches a number on the picture above, so you can see where you are.
2Sideloadly on your computer
Plug your iPhone or iPad into your Windows PC or Mac, drop the IPA into Sideloadly and sign in with your Apple ID. A free Apple ID is enough, no paid developer account.
.ipa
Drag the file onto the phone.
3On your home screen
The app appears alongside your others. Before its first launch, iOS asks you to trust your Apple ID in Settings, under General, then VPN and Device Management.
With a free Apple ID the app remains valid for 7 days, and Sideloadly's auto-refresh signs it again for you.
Words to know
- Apple ID
- The account you sign in to Apple services with.Sideloadly asks for it to sign the app.
- Auto-refresh
- Sideloadly signing your apps again before they run out.Apps installed with a free Apple ID.
- IPA
- The file format an iOS app is packaged in.The file you drop into Sideloadly.
- Sideloading
- Installing an app from outside the App Store.Everything on this page.
What you get
- IPA installs on iPhone and iPad
- Apple TV and Apple Silicon Macs too
- Works with a free Apple ID
- No jailbreak on your device
- Windows and Mac versions
- Auto-refresh before apps expire
Who it suits
Good for
Apps outside the App StoreYour own IPA backupsiPhone, iPad and Apple TVAnyone with a PC or Mac
Not for
Free Apple ID apps need re-signing every 7 days
Myths you may have heard
False
I have to jailbreak my iPhone first.
Sideloadly signs the app with your Apple ID. Your iPhone stays exactly as it is.
False
Only a paid developer account works.
A free Apple ID installs apps. A paid account only keeps them valid for longer.
Half true
Once it's installed, it stays for good.
With a free Apple ID an app lasts 7 days, and auto-refresh signs it again so you keep using it.