How to Download and Use AltStore

Today we have news of a new kind of third-party app store.

11:01 18 October 2019

It comes to use from Riley Testut, a well-known iOS developer, and it’s called AltStore. But this is something quite different from other alternative app stores that we have seen in the past, and that is all down to how it has been developed.

How Does AltStore Work?

Like other alternatives, AltStore does not require a jailbreak to work. How it works couldn’t be further from the other third-party app stores we see. The short version is that it makes use of your Apple ID to sign the app as if you were a developer. The longer explanation is this – a companion app called AltServer must be installed on your Mac or Windows PC; this then installs AltStore onto your iPhone or iPad, signing it as if you were the developer, as it does with any app you install from it.

Your Wi-Fi network is used to send the apps to AltServer, and iTunes Wi-Fi Sync is used to install them onto your device. However, there is a small problem in that any app installed like this will expire within 7 days, but Testut has thought of that. AltServer will background refresh the app, but it must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as AltStore – your device must be connected to your computer, and your computer must be running for this to be successful, though. So long as you do this once in every 7-day period, the app will never expire.

Right now, AltStore is in beta, and you can only install the Preview app on your computer. It works on Mac and on Windows PC so read on for all the download details:

How to Install AltStore on iPhone or iPad

Because AltServer and AltStore require iTunes Wi-Fi Sync, the first thing you need to do is ensure that iTunes is up to date on your computer. First, if you are using a Windows system and you have installed iTunes using the Microsoft app store, you need to delete it and reinstall it using the official Apple website. You can use the links below to install the correct iTunes version for your system:

• iTunes 32-bit
  
  
• iTunes 64-bit
  
  

To check your iTunes is up to date:

1. Launch iTunes on your Mac or PC
   
   
2. Go to the menu and click on Help
   
   
3. Click About and then Check for Updates
   
   
4. Wait; iTunes will check your current version, and if it finds an update, it will guide you through the process of updating.
   
   

Now you can go ahead and install AltStore on your device.

1. Download the Windows or Mac OS X AltStore Preview from the official website
   
   
2. Connect your iOS device to your computer using the correct, official cable
   
   
3. Find and launch AltServer on your computer, click on Run
   
   
4. On the app home page, click on Install AltStore
   
   
5. Select your device from the drop-down list
   
   
6. Now you need to input your valid Apple ID and password – do that and AltStore will be installed on your iPhone or iPad
   
   
7. When you see the AltStore app icon on your homepage, it is almost ready to use – first, the profile needs to be trusted, or it cannot run
   
   
8. To do that, open your iOS Settings app on your device
   
   
9. Go to General and then Profiles and look for the AltStore profile
   
   
10. Tap it and then tap the Trust button; AltStore is now ready to use
    
    
11. Tap the app icon to open it, type in your Apple details again, and you are free to use it
    
    

At the moment, you will only find one app in AltStore – Delta Emulator. This is Testut’s Nintendo emulator app, a follow-on from his highly successful emulator, GBA4iOS. In time, when the app store comes out of beta, expect to see much more included; at the moment, we don’t know when that will be, but we expect it any time soon.

AltStore really is something quite different and, given the fact that Riley Testut has developed it using tricks that Apple themselves have provided developed with, it is hard to see how they can put a stop to it like they have previous unofficial apps. There are just two ways they can do it – completely pull the Developer Enterprise program that provided developers with a way of testing their apps or disable iTunes Wi-Fi Sync. If they opt for the first one, they will be preventing organizations, schools, and other developers from developing and testing their own internal software and apps and if they go for the second option, Testut is confident that he can still push AltStore forward as a platform for developers that the public can use.

For now, we must take what we have, so give AltStore a go and see what you think of what it can do.