Why Sideloaded iPhone Apps Stop Working After 7 Days (and How to Fix It)

You installed an app outside the App Store, it worked for a week, and now it won't open - or iOS says it's "no longer available". That's not a bug. It's Apple's signing rule for free developer accounts.

The rule

Every app on an iPhone must be signed by Apple-issued certificates. App Store apps are signed by Apple. Apps you install yourself are signed with your Apple ID's developer certificate, and with a free Apple ID:

• Signatures last 7 days. After that, iOS refuses to open the app until it's signed again.
• You can have 3 sideloaded apps at once.
• You can register up to 10 App IDs per week.

A paid Apple Developer account (99 US dollars a year) extends signatures to a year, but most people don't need one.

How to keep sideloaded apps working

The fix is to re-sign the app before the 7 days run out. Your data stays put - it's the same app, freshly signed.

• Re-run the tool you installed with (Sideloadly, AltStore and similar) with your phone connected.
• Use a tool that refreshes on the phone. SideStore pioneered refreshing over a local VPN connection without a computer.

How Mirrage handles it

Mirrage refreshes itself, on your iPhone:

• Settings → App refresh shows how many days are left.
• With 3 days or fewer to go, Mirrage re-signs itself the next time you leave the app (while LocalDevVPN is on).
• Refresh now does it on demand in about a minute.
• Your Apple ID is kept in the iPhone's Keychain and only sent to Apple.

If the 7 days do run out, iOS won't open the app at all - so it can't fix itself. Plug in and run Mirrage Setup again; your data is kept. More in the docs.

"Unable to Verify App" and "Untrusted Developer"

The first time you open a sideloaded app, go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, tap your Apple ID and choose Trust. You only do this once per Apple ID.

FAQ

Why does my sideloaded app say it's no longer available?

Its 7-day signature from a free Apple ID has expired. Re-sign it with your sideloading tool and it'll open again, with your data intact.

Do I lose my data when a sideloaded app expires?

No. Re-signing and reinstalling the same app keeps its data.

How many apps can I sideload with a free Apple ID?

Three at a time, and up to 10 new App IDs per week.

Can a sideloaded app refresh itself?

Yes, if it's built to. Mirrage re-signs itself on the iPhone over LocalDevVPN, so you don't need a computer every week.