I sideloaded a Reddit shopper 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 selection isn’t the official Reddit iOS app, however a implausible third-party shopper known 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 thought to be a bullying try by Reddit HQ to pressure 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 steady expertise than the official app, to not point out. tons of quality-of-life options, akin to previews of linked pictures, in-app gestures, a number of customization choices—It was the sort of Reddit shopper that felt prefer it belonged on an iPhone.

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

Or so I assumed. The issue, as I discovered, is that sideloading generally is 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 combat towards sideloading.

A protracted and arduous set up

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

To begin, I made a decision to make use of an app known as AltStore to supervise the sideloading course of and one known as SideStore to truly set up Apollo and preserve 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’ll want to refresh them each seven days to forestall 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 bundle format used to distribute iOS and iPadOS apps—and an app known 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. Up to now, so good.

As soon as all that was executed, I used to be then requested to enter my Apple ID. There are studies that Apple would possibly lock accounts that sideload apps this manner, so it’s really helpful that you simply use a burner Apple ID. This was simply the primary of many warning indicators that this entire course of could 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 telephone, 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 system. 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 executed by this level. Now I wanted a customized VPN. This doesn’t connect with an exterior server, however primarily lets my system 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 ceaselessly did.

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

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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 shopper 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 would possibly simply have sufficient persistence to sideload an app onto your iPhone.

However there’s extra, due to course there may be. This laborious course of solely acquired Apollo onto my telephone within the first place – due to the way in which 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 normally this must be executed manually. I don’t have the persistence for that, so I created a customized workflow within the Shortcuts app to mechanically refresh SideStore and Apollo each night time after 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 telephone, 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 every part 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 typically acquired caught midway, which means it will by no means be capable to mechanically refresh itself and needed to be reinstalled.
• As the method is (clearly) complicated, I’d typically by chance sideload an app utilizing AltStore as a substitute of SideStore. This meant SideStore couldn’t refresh the app, which in flip meant it will expire after per week.
• Updating your iOS system will typically – however not at all times – break SideStore, which means you need to do all the set up course of yet again.

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

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

Apple is correct

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

Sideloading – not less than in my case – was the polar reverse of that. It required all method of winding and tortuous steps, and even whenever you comply with them to the letter, issues can and can go mistaken. Granted, it will be totally different if Apple allowed sideloading—or “different 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 simple to make use of – so easy, in reality, {that a} grandparent might choose up an iPhone and set up an app. Do you actually assume your grandparents and even your mother and father 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 every part 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 person goes to have a good opinion of your product if a key a part of it—putting in apps—might be so irritating? (And that’s to say nothing of the potential for viruses and malware.)

That mentioned, 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 folks wish to steer clear—and why Apple has opposed it for therefore lengthy.