Installing iOS apps
Apps here aren't on the App Store, so iOS needs AltStore + AltServer to sideload them with your own (free) Apple ID. AltServer runs on a Windows or Mac computer and re-signs the app for your device — it only needs to be reachable while installing or refreshing, not constantly running.
1. Install AltServer on Windows
Install iTunes from apple.com (not the Microsoft Store version) — it installs the Apple Mobile Device drivers AltServer depends on.
Download AltServer from altstore.io and run the installer. It adds a small icon to the system tray (may be hidden under the ^ arrow).
Connect your iPhone by USB and tap Trust on the device when prompted.
Click the AltServer tray icon → Install AltStore→ pick your device → sign in with your Apple ID. This ID is only used locally to request a signing certificate — it isn't sent anywhere else.
On the iPhone: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, tap your Apple ID under "Developer App", then Trust.
2. Install AltServer on Mac
Download the AltServer .dmg from altstore.io, open it, and drag AltServer to Applications.
Launch AltServer — it lives in the menu bar (top-right). Grant any permissions it asks for (network access is required).
Connect your iPhone by USB (or over Wi-Fi — see below) and trust the computer if prompted.
Menu bar icon → Install AltStore → pick your device → sign in with your Apple ID.
On the iPhone: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, trust your Apple ID under "Developer App".
3. Add this catalog to AltStore
On your iPhone, open AltStore → Sources tab → tap + in the top corner.
Paste this catalog's source URL (copy it from the homepage with "Copy source URL").
Browse to the app and tap install — AltStore downloads the .ipa and hands it to AltServer (over USB or Wi-Fi) to sign and install.
Wi-Fi troubleshooting
AltServer finding your device over Wi-Fi (instead of only USB) relies on Bonjour/mDNS network discovery, which is pickier than a normal ping:
- In iTunes, select your device → Summary → check "Sync with this device over Wi-Fi" → Apply. This is required for wireless detection, not optional.
- Third-party tools like 3uToolsor iMazing install their own device drivers that commonly conflict with Apple's — close them, or uninstall to test.
- Allow Bonjour Service and AltServer.exe through Windows Firewall.
- If your PC is wired and the phone is on Wi-Fi, check your router for AP/Client Isolation or aggressive IGMP Snooping — both can silently block Bonjour between wired and wireless clients even on the same subnet.
Free Apple ID limits
Apps signed with a free Apple ID expire after 7 days. Open AltStore while your phone can reach AltServer (Wi-Fi or USB) before then, and it refreshes automatically — no reinstall needed.
4. Alternative: sign the .ipa yourself with 3uTools
Don't have a Windows/Mac computer to run AltServer? Every app page also has a "Download .ipa" button. You can sign that file yourself with 3uTools— a free Windows tool — and install it without AltStore at all. Two ways to sign, both from 3uTools' Toolbox → IPA Signature:
With a signing certificate
Add the downloaded .ipa with "Add IPA File".
Import your certificate and provisioning profile, and enter the certificate password.
Pick a save location, confirm, and click Start Signing.
A certificate signature lasts about a year — but you need one already; this method doesn't help without an existing certificate/profile.
With just an Apple ID (free)
Connect your iPhone by USB, then in 3uTools choose Sign with Apple ID → Add Apple IDand sign in — connecting the phone first lets it pick up your device's identifier automatically.
Add the downloaded .ipa and confirm the Apple ID/file pair.
Click Start Signing, then use "Open Signed IPA Location" once it finishes.
Install the signed .ipa from 3uTools, then trust the developer profile on the phone (Settings → General → VPN & Device Management) before opening it.
Apple ID signatures expire after 7 days, same limit as AltStore's free-ID installs — you'll need to re-sign and reinstall from 3uTools when it lapses, since 3uTools can't auto-refresh like AltStore does. Full walkthrough with screenshots: 3u.com's IPA signature guide.