iOS Install Guide — SideStore & LiveContainer

Requirements

Device: iPhone or iPad running iOS / iPadOS 15.0 or higher, with a passcode set. How to set a passcode →
Computer: macOS, Windows, or Linux — needed only for the first install.
Apple ID: A standard (free) Apple ID. No developer account required.
Wi-Fi: Your computer and iPhone must be on the same network.
App Store app: Download LocalDevVPN from the App Store before you begin.

Step 01

Device Preparation — LocalDevVPN

SideStore needs a special loopback VPN tunnel running on the device to re-sign apps wirelessly. The SideStore team built LocalDevVPN specifically for this purpose.

⚠️ A passcode is required. iOS will refuse to install a VPN profile on a device without a passcode. Make sure yours is set before continuing.

1Download LocalDevVPN from the App Store.

2Open the app and tap Connect. When prompted to "Allow VPN Configurations," tap Allow and enter your passcode.

ℹ️ You must have LocalDevVPN connected every time you want to install, update, or refresh apps in SideStore. It doesn't affect your internet connection — it only opens a local tunnel to the signing server.

Step 02

Install iLoader on Your Computer

iLoader is a cross-platform sideloader used to install SideStore (and LiveContainer) onto your device from a computer. Download the version for your OS below.

1Download iLoader for macOS (.dmg) and open the installer to install it.

⚠️ 32-bit Windows and Windows 10 on ARM are not supported. To check: press Windows + R, type control /name microsoft.system, and look for "System type." If it says "32-bit Operating System," iLoader won't run.

1Install iTunes from the Microsoft Store or directly from Apple.

2Download iLoader as an MSI installer (recommended) or EXE.

3Run the installer.

⚠️ Only 64-bit distributions are supported. Run uname -m in a terminal to check — expected output: x86_64.

1Install the usbmuxd package via your package manager (it may already be installed).

2Download and install iLoader for your distribution:

DEB — Debian / Ubuntu RPM — Fedora / openSUSE AppImage — all other distros AUR: iloader-bin — Arch Linux

Installing SideStore with iLoader

⚠️ iOS 26.4 users: SideStore's stable release has a known bug on iOS 26.4. When selecting an app to install, choose the Nightly build. You can also get it manually from the SideStore Nightly page.

1Connect your iPhone to the computer via USB. Tap Trust on the "Trust This Computer" prompt that appears on your device.

2Launch iLoader and sign in with your Apple ID.

3Select your iPhone from the device list.

💡 Strongly Recommended: Install the Bundle
On the installation screen, choose LiveContainer + SideStore (Nightly) — the rightmost option — rather than SideStore alone.

This installs both SideStore and LiveContainer under a single app slot, saving one of your 3 free slots. LiveContainer then lets you run unlimited additional apps (like PokéRogue Offline) inside that single slot, with no signing required and no 7-day refresh needed for those inner apps.

1On the installation screen, select LiveContainer + SideStore (Nightly) and tap install.

2Wait for the installation to complete, then disconnect the USB cable.

Step 03

Device-Side Activation

LiveContainer is now on your home screen, but it needs a few on-device steps to become fully operational. Work through these in order.

1 — Trust the Certificate

1Open Settings → General → VPN & Device Management.

2Tap your Apple ID under "Developer App" and tap Trust.

⚠️ Make sure the Apple ID shown under "Developer App" matches the account you used in iLoader. If you see a different account, do not trust it — go back and reinstall using the correct Apple ID.

2 — Enable Developer Mode

1Go to Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll to the bottom.

2Toggle on Developer Mode. Your device will restart.

3After rebooting, tap Turn On in the warning dialog and enter your passcode.

3 — Start the VPN Tunnel

1Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect. You'll see a "VPN" indicator appear in your status bar when it's active.

ℹ️ This VPN only connects to your own device (localhost) — your internet connection is not affected, and no data is sent externally.

4 — Sign in to SideStore

1Open the SideStore button from within LiveContainer's top-left corner on the Apps page (or launch SideStore directly if it appears as a standalone icon).

2Sign in with the same Apple ID you used in iLoader.

5 — Refresh Certificate from SideStore

This step is required to generate a valid signing certificate on the device.

1In SideStore, go to the My Apps tab.

2Tap the 7 DAYS button next to LiveContainer to trigger a certificate refresh. If prompted to revoke an existing certificate and create a new one, tap Yes or Refresh Now.

3Wait for SideStore to finish refreshing, then quit SideStore from the app switcher.

ℹ️ LocalDevVPN must remain connected during this step. If the refresh fails, make sure the VPN is active and try again.

6 — Import Certificate into LiveContainer & Verify JIT-Less Mode

Now link the certificate you just generated into LiveContainer so it can sign and run apps without using any additional app slots.

1Re-open LiveContainer (close it from the app switcher first, then relaunch it).

2Go to Settings within LiveContainer.

3Tap Import Certificate from SideStore, then tap OK. If the button changes to "Remove Certificate," the import succeeded.

4Tap JIT-Less Mode Diagnose, then tap Test JIT-Less Mode. The test should pass — you'll see all indicators turn green.

✅ A passing JIT-Less Mode Diagnose means LiveContainer can sign and launch apps using your SideStore certificate automatically. You should see "App Group Accessible: Yes" and a valid "Certificate Last Update Date." If anything is red, ensure both LiveContainer and SideStore were installed using the same Apple ID, then repeat the refresh and import steps above.

ℹ️ About pairing files: If you update or reset your device, your pairing file may expire. You'll need to reconnect to a computer and re-run iLoader to generate a new one.

✦

Done

Install PokéRogue Offline

With LiveContainer fully set up, installing PokéRogue Offline is simple — and it won't count against your 3-app slot limit.

1Download PokeRogueOffline.ipa to your iPhone via Safari or the Files app.

2Open LiveContainer and tap + in the top right.

3Select the PokeRogueOffline.ipa file.

4Tap the app icon inside LiveContainer to launch — no signing step needed.

✦ Ongoing maintenance: Every 7 days, open LocalDevVPN, connect, then open SideStore and tap Refresh All. This refreshes the LiveContainer certificate — any apps running inside it (including PokéRogue Offline) are renewed automatically.