The AltStore serves as an alternative app store for iPhone users, allowing them to download apps and game emulators like emuThreeDS that are not permitted on the official App Store by Apple. It offers a convenient way to sideload apps onto an iPhone without the need to jailbreak the device.
This guide focuses on setting up AltStore on an iPhone using a Windows PC, and it is compatible with both macOS and Windows operating systems. Get started with the step-by-step instructions below.
How To Install AltStore on iPhone or iPad Using Windows 11 PC
For optimal performance, it is recommended to use iTunes downloaded directly from Apple’s website on Windows PCs when using AltStore. If you have previously installed iTunes from the Microsoft Store on your Windows 10 PC, we suggest uninstalling it and obtaining the software from Apple’s servers instead. You can find the direct download links for iTunes below:
Once you have successfully installed the latest version of iTunes on your PC, proceed to download the AltStore installer files from the provided link. This will initiate the download of an altinstaller.zip file directly to your Windows PC.
Once you are done downloading the above-mentioned things, follow the below steps to extract and install them.
1. Unzip or extract the “altinstaller.zip” file. Then, double-click the extracted files’ “Setup.exe” file and follow the on-screen instructions to install AltServer on your PC.
2. Once you have installed AltServer, connect your iPhone to the PC using a USB-to-Lightning cable. If this is the first time you are connecting your iPhone to this PC, ensure that you grant permission as a trusted device when prompted on your iPhone.
3. Launch AltServer on your Windows PC. Click the “Start” button and type “AltServer,” then open the app either by clicking on the AltServer app in the search results or selecting the “Open” link in the right panel.
AltServer silently launches in the background without opening a separate window. To access the software, simply click the app icon located among the hidden icons of background apps running on your PC.
To view all the apps running in the background, click the small icon preceding the network icon on your Windows Taskbar. From there, locate and click on the AltServer app icon, which is represented by a diamond-shaped icon as depicted in the screenshot below.
Installing AltServer
Now you are ready to begin the installation of AltStore on your iOS device. Follow the below steps to install AltStore on your iPhone or iPad.
1. Hover over the “Install AltStore” option in the AltServer options and click on your iPhone name.
2. A window will open on your PC, prompting you to enter your Apple ID and Password to connect to Apple’s server. The developer assures that your Apple ID and password are not saved and are only sent to Apple for authentication.
If you’re uncomfortable sharing your password, you can create an app-specific password and use that instead.
Tip: To avoid sharing your Apple ID and password, you can create a separate Apple ID exclusively for using with AltStore.
3. Fill in your Apple ID and password details, then click the “Install” button to install AltStore on your iPhone. After pressing the Install button, the “AltStore” app icon will appear on your iPhone home screen within a few seconds. If you can’t locate it, swipe down on the home screen to search for it.
4. Tap the AltStore app icon to launch it. You may encounter an “Untrusted Developer” warning with your email address (the one associated with your Apple ID used for AltStore installation).
AltStore is installed on your iPhone with a developer certificate from your own Apple ID, making it more challenging for Apple to disable the app.
5. To add the certificate as a trusted developer on your iPhone, open the “Settings” app and navigate to “General“, then “Device Management“.
6. In the Device Management screen, tap the Apple ID email address used for AltStore installation. Then, tap “Trust [Apple ID email address]” to establish it as a trusted developer on your iPhone. If a confirmation pop-up appears, tap “Trust” again.
7. Now, return to your iPhone’s home screen and open the AltStore app. It will launch like any other app on your device.
Configure AltStore on iPhone and iPad
Once you have AltStore up and running on your iPhone, the first step is to sign in to the app using your Apple ID and password.
Make sure to use the same Apple ID that you used when installing the AltStore app from AltServer on your PC, following the instructions above. If you previously used an app-specific password, you should use the same password again.
According to the developer, your credentials will be securely stored in this device’s Keychain and will only be sent to Apple for authentication.
To sign in with your Apple ID in AltStore, follow these steps:
1. Tap the “Settings” tab located on the bottom row of the app.
2. Under the Account section, tap “Sign in with Apple ID.”
3. Enter your Apple ID and password.
4. Finally, click the “Sign in” button.
Enable Wi-Fi Sync in iTunes on Windows
To enable automatic app refresh in the background on AltStore, follow these steps to activate WiFi sync for your iPhone in iTunes:
1. Open iTunes on your PC.
2. Connect your iPhone to the computer using a USB to Lightning cable.
3. Click the iPhone icon located below the toolbar options in iTunes to access the iPhone summary page.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the summary page.
5. Under the Options section, tick the checkbox for “Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi.”
6. Finally, click the Apply button to save the changes.
Keep AltServer running on your Windows PC
Always keep “AltServer” running in the background on your PC to enable seamless downloading and installation of apps from AltStore onto your iPhone, along with automatic app refreshing in the background.
Downloading and Installing Apps from AltStore
When you download apps from AltStore, you will have a similar experience to downloading from the official App Store on your iPhone.
1. To begin, open the AltStore app and select the “Browse” tab located at the bottom bar.
2. From there, you can either click on the title of an app to view more information about it or simply tap the “FREE” button next to the app’s name to initiate the download and installation process on your iPhone.
The progress of the download will be displayed with the same button you used to start the download.
Tip: If you encounter an error message that says “Can’t connect to AltServer,” you can resolve this issue by restarting AltServer on your PC and attempting the download again.
Once the app is successfully installed, it will appear on your iPhone’s home screen, just like any other app.
You can also sideload apps on your iPhone and iPad using 3rd-party IPA files. You can read our guide on how to install the emuThreeDS IPA file using AltStore.
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