Sideloaded App Expired on iPhone - 5 Ways to Fix It Right Now
Your sideloaded app expired and won't open? Here are 5 proven fixes for iOS 26, iOS 18, and iOS 17 — from refreshing in AltStore to preventing expiry with SideStore auto-refresh.
Your sideloaded app was working fine yesterday, and now it just won't open. You tap it and nothing happens — or you see "Unable to install [App Name]" or a notification that the app has expired.
This is the most common problem in iOS sideloading and it has a simple explanation: apps signed with a free Apple ID certificate are only valid for 7 days. After 7 days, iOS won't run them.
Here are your 5 fixes, from quickest to most permanent.
Why Do Sideloaded Apps Expire?
Apple limits free Apple ID development certificates to 7 days. This is a deliberate restriction to prevent mass distribution of unsigned apps using free accounts. After 7 days, iOS's code-signing verification rejects the app because the certificate it was signed with has expired.
Enterprise certificates don't have the 7-day limit — but they get revoked when Apple detects them being used outside their authorized scope.
Fix 1 — Refresh in AltStore (2 Minutes)
If you use AltStore, refreshing is the quickest fix.
Requirements: AltServer must be running on a Mac or PC on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Open AltStore on your iPhone
- Go to the "My Apps" tab
- Tap "Refresh All" at the top
- Wait for AltStore to re-sign all apps (takes 1–2 minutes)
- All apps are valid for another 7 days
If AltServer isn't available: Connect your iPhone to your computer via USB, ensure AltServer is running on the computer, then retry.
Pro tip: Enable Background App Refresh for AltStore in Settings so it auto-refreshes before expiry.
Fix 2 — Refresh in SideStore (1 Minute, No Computer)
SideStore can refresh apps entirely on-device — no computer or cable needed.
- Open SideStore
- Go to "My Apps"
- Tap "Refresh All"
- SideStore refreshes through its built-in WireGuard VPN tunnel
- Done — apps valid for another 7 days
If SideStore auto-refresh isn't working: Check that SideStore's VPN is enabled in Settings → VPN. Also verify your Anisette server is responsive — try switching to a backup Anisette server in SideStore settings.
Fix 3 — Re-sign with Sideloadly (5 Minutes, Computer Required)
If you don't use AltStore or SideStore, you can manually re-sign with Sideloadly.
- Open Sideloadly on your Mac or Windows PC
- Connect your iPhone via USB
- Drag your IPA file into Sideloadly
- Enter your Apple ID
- Click Start — Sideloadly re-signs and reinstalls the app
- Trust the certificate again if prompted
Note: Sideloadly re-installs the app, which should preserve your data, but always have a backup just in case.
Fix 4 — Upgrade to a Paid Developer Account (Permanent Fix)
If you're tired of the 7-day cycle, a $99/year Apple Developer account signs apps for 1 full year. No weekly refreshes, no expiry headaches for 12 months.
How to upgrade:
- Go to developer.apple.com and enroll ($99/year)
- In Sideloadly or AltStore, sign in with your paid developer Apple ID
- Re-sign all your apps — they'll now be valid for 1 year
Commercial alternative: If $99/year is too much, signing services like ours offer managed developer certificate signing for a monthly fee — apps stay fresh without any effort on your part.
Fix 5 — Switch to SideStore with Auto-Refresh Enabled (Permanent, Free)
The best permanent free solution: install SideStore and enable proper auto-refresh so apps never expire while you sleep.
Setup:
- Install SideStore (requires computer once)
- Generate and import a pairing file
- In SideStore Settings, ensure Background Refresh is enabled
- SideStore will wake up in the background and refresh apps before they expire
Result: You'll never manually refresh again. Apps stay valid indefinitely with automatic background re-signing.
Preventing Expiry for Enterprise Certificates
If your apps stopped working and you used an enterprise certificate (via ESign, KSign, Scarlet), the issue is likely a certificate revocation — not a 7-day expiry.
Signs of revocation: Multiple apps signed with the same cert stop working simultaneously. You see "Unable to Verify App" in Settings.
Fix: Get a new certificate from your source. In KSign or Feather, delete the old certificate, import the new one, and re-sign your apps.
Long-term fix: Use a personal developer certificate instead of shared enterprise certs. Personal certs aren't revoked unless you violate Apple's developer agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will refreshing delete my app data?No. Refreshing (re-signing) only updates the code signature, not the app data. Your save files, login sessions, and settings are preserved.
Q: What's the maximum number of apps I can refresh at once?With a free Apple ID, you're limited to 3 active apps, but you can refresh all 3 simultaneously. With a paid account, you can have 100 registered devices.
Q: My AltStore says "Maximum number of App IDs reached" — what does this mean?Free Apple IDs can only create 10 App IDs per 7-day period. If you've installed and refreshed more than 10 different apps in the past week, wait 7 days for the quota to reset, or use a different Apple ID.
Q: SideStore says "Anisette server error" when refreshing — how do I fix this?Switch your Anisette server in SideStore Settings. Go to Settings → Anisette URL and try a backup server from the SideStore community list.
Q: Can I stop the 7-day timer from running?Not on a free account — it's enforced by Apple's infrastructure. Switch to SideStore with auto-refresh (effectively solves the problem), use LiveContainer (apps inside don't have separate timers), or use a paid cert.