With the recent EU law changes Apple has been required to allow third-party app stores in Apple devices. In the EU countries, a new law was passed named the Digital Market Act. Before this law, Apple was only allowed to download their app through the App Store. But with this new law developers have to allow users to download their apps through other alternative platforms as well. And this also applies to Apple too.
After this new DMA law now the device vendors have to give access to sideload their apps through third-party app stores. Sideloading means installing apps from third-party stores rather than the devices or the manufacturer’s official store. For Apple devices, there are lots of app stores that work as third-party ones. They are similar to the App Store or Google Play Store.
AltStore
This is a third-party app store for iOS devices. The author of the Nintendo Game Boy iOS emulator Delta, Riley Testut is the one who made this store. There are two versions. One for the users who live in EU countries. It is AltStore PAL. And the other version is called AltStore. Users who physically live in EU countries can download the AltStore PAL version, but you have to have an iOS device with iOS 17.4 or later.
If you live outside the EU and want to use ALtStore, you have to have a computer. It doesn’t matter if it is Windows or Mac. The computer is for running the AltServer app. It can help you to install the AltStore iOS version to your device. When you the outside the EU, there are no AltStore app versions on the Apple App Store.
This has a limitation and it may make you frustrated. You can only download three sideloaded apps to the same device at one time. If you want more apps to download you have to deactivate unwanted apps and download the one you want.
How to Install the AltStore
If you are in the EU countries downloading this is very easy. All you have to do is go to the AltStore PAL version and download the app. Follow the instructions on the page.
But if you are outside the EU countries the download process will be much more difficult than this.
To download this,
- You have to have Apple Music installed on your computer.
- update your iPhone to the latest iOS version.
- You can do that by simply going to the settings on your iPhone.
1. For this first enable the developer mode on your iPhone.
- To enable this go to the settings app and navigate to Privacy & Security.
- Next, go to the Developer Mode and on the toggle switch.
- This action gives access to download apps outside the App Store.
2. Then connect your phone using a USB cable to your Mac or Windows device.
3. Then go to Apple Music and run it. You can see your device in the sidebar and select it.
4. After that click on Open Finder. This action will open a new window for you.
5. Choose your device in the Finder window and turn on the feature ‘Show this iPhone when on WiFi’.
6. Then a prompt appears saying add your Apple account login and password.
- This is for only configuring your sideloading access.
- They send this info to Apple.
- It is not stored in the developer servers.
7. After all, you can unzip the AltServer app. then open and run it.
8. When you run the AltServer app you can see a small icon in the upper right corner.
9. Click on that icon and it will open a new window.
10. Select Install AltStore and select your device in there.
11. After doing this you can see an alert message saying, untrusted developer.
- This happens because you installing outside the App Store.
12. If you get an alert saying you can’t download the app,
- Go to the settings app again and navigate to General.
- Then go to the VPN & Device Management.
- Here go to the Developer App.
- You can see the Altstore app in the list and click on trust to verify the app.
13. When this is done you can see your Apple Account email address listed in the device management pane.
Using AltStore
After the installation go to the screen and open the app. Then your device asked to connect the AltStore to the local network. Tap allow and next it shows a similar alert to the notification. Allow it too. Then connect your device to a WiFi network. Once the seetings are done the app will show a news feed from the developer’s server. Then go to the app settings and log in to your Apple Account. Now you can sideload any app you want.
The apps you download using AltStore will expire after seven days. Even though the installation process may be difficult you can use it easily once you download it. If you have any problem you can use the troubleshooting guide.