I sideloaded a Reddit consumer onto my iPhone. I by no means wish to do it once more

I’ve a confession to make: I’m an inveterate Reddit scroller. However my viewing expertise of alternative isn’t the official Reddit iOS app, however a incredible third-party consumer referred to as Apollo.

The one downside is, it doesn’t exist within the App Retailer anymore. Apollo was forcibly closed in June 2023 in what some Redditors considered a bullying try by Reddit HQ to power out competitors to the platform’s official iOS app. Like so many others, I used to be devastated when Apollo shut down. With an ad-free interface and a smoother and extra secure expertise than the official app, to not point out. tons of quality-of-life options, corresponding to previews of linked photos, in-app gestures, a bunch of customization choices—It was the form of Reddit consumer that felt prefer it belonged on an iPhone.

Fortunately, I had another choice. Apollo had created such a loyal fanbase of customers—near 1,000,000 day by day energetic customers on the time it shut down—that many individuals stepped in to make Apollo out there lengthy after assist formally ended. That meant I may sideload Apollo onto my iPhone and restore it to its former glory.

Or so I assumed. The issue, as I came upon, is that sideloading could be a monumental ache. I’m glad to say I now have Apollo engaged on my iPhone once more, however the entire course of was and is such an ongoing problem, and I’ve a brand new appreciation for Apple’s struggle towards sideloading.

An extended and arduous set up

The method of sideloading Apollo is lengthy and convoluted and entails hacks, workarounds, and janky workflows. When you’re pondering of doing it your self, you’re going to want a whole lot of time, endurance, and above all, endurance. If you wish to observe in my footsteps, I’ll stroll you thru it, and there are various guides and Reddit threads filled with useful data. However that is completely not a newbie’s course of, and it requires a lot endurance, so strap in, as a result of it’s a bumpy trip.

To start out, I made a decision to make use of an app referred to as AltStore to supervise the sideloading course of and one referred to as SideStore to truly set up Apollo and maintain it refreshed (for this to work, I would wish each apps). Within the case of Apollo (and, I’m positive, many different sideloaded apps), you might want to refresh them each seven days to stop them from expiring. That’s what SideStore handles.

So, first issues first, I downloaded and put in AltStore on my Mac from the app’s web site. I additionally needed to obtain the SideStore .ipa file—which is an App Retailer package deal format used to distribute iOS and iPadOS apps—and an app referred to as JitterbugPair (extra on this later).

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I plugged my iPhone into my Mac over USB-C, then loaded the SideStore .ipa file onto my iPhone utilizing AltStore. This put in SideStore straight onto my iPhone, no App Retailer required. To date, so good.

As soon as all that was completed, I used to be then requested to enter my Apple ID. There are studies that Apple may lock accounts that sideload apps this fashion, so it’s really useful that you just use a burner Apple ID. This was simply the primary of many warning indicators that this complete course of can be much more concerned than your on a regular basis app set up.

Subsequent, I needed to go to the Settings app on my iPhone to approve the brand new “developer app” added to my cellphone, then allow Developer Mode. Then I needed to open JitterbugPair on my Mac, which generated a pairing file in order that SideStore can speak to your gadget. I uploaded that to iCloud on my Mac. Again on my iPhone, I loaded the pairing file into SideStore.

Thoughts you, I wasn’t even midway completed by this level. Now I wanted a customized VPN. This doesn’t connect with an exterior server, however primarily lets my gadget connect with itself over a VPN, which is required for SideStore to refresh itself and any apps I’ve sideloaded. After that, I opened SideStore and signed in with my burner Apple ID. I then needed to refresh SideStore, which took a couple of minutes – if it didn’t get caught, that’s, which it continuously did.

I then downloaded an .ipa file of the final model of Apollo earlier than it was shut down. That is out there on GitHub; I downloaded it to my Mac and uploaded it to iCloud. After that, I used to be capable of sideload it into SideStore, which put in Apollo on my cellphone.

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Lastly, as soon as I used to be logged in to my Reddit account in Apollo, I needed to create a customized “app” for Reddit and Imgur as a way to get a consumer ID, which allowed Apollo to speak to the Reddit and Imgur APIs. Then, lastly, I used to be able to waste the remainder of my day scrolling.

When you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You may simply have sufficient endurance to sideload an app onto your iPhone.

However there’s extra, due to course there may be. This laborious course of solely obtained Apollo onto my cellphone within the first place – due to the best way this iteration of sideloading works – with the rinky-dink mixture of burner IDs and an expired app (plus way more) – Apollo will expire after seven days.

You’ll be able to inform SideStore to refresh it, however often this must be completed manually. I don’t have the endurance for that, so I created a customized workflow within the Shortcuts app to mechanically refresh SideStore and Apollo each night time once I’m asleep. This works properly more often than not however requires me to have each Wi-Fi and the customized VPN linked.

The battle is actual

Even as soon as I efficiently sideloaded Apollo onto my cellphone, there have been (and nonetheless are) quite a few irritating points to cope with:

• Whereas Wi-Fi and the VPN have to be linked on your apps to replace in SideStore, fairly often SideStore will refuse to refresh, even when all the pieces is current and proper.
• SideStore’s information hyperlinks to a direct obtain for the JitterbugPair command line course of, however my Mac mechanically blocked this and refused to run it. I needed to obtain the guardian Jitterbug app and generate a pairing file otherwise.
• SideStore’s required refresh course of usually obtained caught midway, that means it might by no means be capable to mechanically refresh itself and needed to be reinstalled.
• As the method is (clearly) complicated, I might typically by accident sideload an app utilizing AltStore as an alternative of SideStore. This meant SideStore couldn’t refresh the app, which in flip meant it might expire after per week.
• Updating your iOS gadget will typically – however not at all times – break SideStore, that means it’s a must to do your entire set up course of yet again.

And, in fact, there’s the problem that you just’re downloading random apps and information from the web, none of which have gone by means of the App Retailer overview course of.

I’m such a Reddit addict that for me, this convoluted course of was finally price it. I’ve my favourite Reddit consumer again and don’t have to make use of the official app anymore. However I hope I by no means need to do it once more.

Apple is true

Greater than something, this complete rigmarole has given me a brand new appreciation of the App Retailer and a contemporary understanding of why Apple opposes sideloading. The App Retailer will get a whole lot of flak for its guidelines and laws, however it makes downloading and working apps remarkably straightforward. You don’t even want to consider it – you simply obtain an app and there it’s, working completely in your gadget.

Sideloading – at the very least in my case – was the polar reverse of that. It required all method of winding and tortuous steps, and even if you observe them to the letter, issues can and can go flawed. Granted, it might be totally different if Apple allowed sideloading—or “various app shops” prefer it does within the EU—however even the place it’s allowed, the method is much extra convoluted than putting in an app from the App Retailer.

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I can see why Apple hates all this. The corporate’s merchandise are supposed to be easy and straightforward to make use of – so easy, the truth is, {that a} grandparent may decide up an iPhone and set up an app. Do you actually assume your grandparents and even your dad and mom would have the wherewithal to put in an expired app utilizing a sideloading course of, burner Apple IDs, and pairing information, then arrange a customized shortcut to make sure all the pieces retains working with out expiring?

Not solely does sideloading go towards Apple’s penchant for simplicity, however it has large potential to frustrate the corporate’s customers. And what consumer goes to have a positive opinion of your product if a key a part of it—putting in apps—will be so irritating? (And that’s to say nothing of the potential for viruses and malware.)

That stated, none of that’s going to cease me from utilizing Apollo. I’m ready to place up with the rickety sideloading course of for so long as it takes. However I can completely perceive why individuals wish to steer clear—and why Apple has opposed it for therefore lengthy.