Sideloading
nxnative makes an unsigned IPA: an iPhone and iPad app that is not from the App Store and is not signed for your device yet. A sideloading tool signs it and installs it. nxnative names three such tools: AltStore, Sideloadly and LiveContainer. They are independent projects, not part of nxnative, so follow each tool's own instructions and report problems with a tool to its developers.
Mac apps need no sideloading: open them from Finder (see the Install guide).
Your own keys and games only. Sideload apps you packed yourself from games you own. NxNative hosts no IPAs or other downloads.
Comparing the tools
| AltStore | Sideloadly | LiveContainer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | An app store on your device for apps you sideload | A desktop app that installs IPA files | An app that runs other apps inside itself, without installing them |
| Needs a computer | Yes for AltStore Classic, which is installed with AltServer for macOS or Windows | Yes: it runs on macOS or Windows | Installed through AltStore or SideStore |
| Account | An Apple ID, free or paid developer | An Apple ID, free or paid developer | LiveContainer's own signing |
| With a free Apple ID | Apps expire after 7 days and need refreshing; 3 sideloaded apps at a time | Apps expire after 7 days; it can re-sign them automatically | Not limited by the free account's 3-app limit |
| Official site | altstore.io | sideloadly.io | GitHub |
The facts in this table come from each tool's own site and may change. Check there before you start.
AltStore
AltStore installs apps from your device and refreshes them in the background. AltStore Classic is installed with AltServer, which runs on macOS 11 or Windows 10 and later. AltStore's own FAQ says apps installed with it expire after 7 days, and that a free developer account allows 3 sideloaded apps on a device at a time. AltStore PAL is a separate edition, available only in the European Union, Japan and Brazil.
Sideloadly
Sideloadly is a desktop app for macOS and Windows. You sign in with an Apple ID, connect your iPhone or iPad by USB for the first install, and choose the IPA; later installs can go over Wi-Fi. With a free Apple ID, sideloaded apps last 7 days, and Sideloadly can re-sign them automatically. A paid developer account extends that to a year.
LiveContainer
LiveContainer is installed once with AltStore or SideStore, then runs other apps inside itself instead of installing each one. Its project page says this avoids the free account's limit on the number of apps. It needs iOS or iPadOS 15 or later.
Turn on the increased memory limit
Switch games use a lot of memory, and iOS closes an app that uses more than it allows. nxnative's apps ask for Apple's Increased Memory Limit capability, and nxnative's advice is simple: if your sideloading tool offers it, turn it on, because the bigger games need it. Without it, iOS can close the bigger games.
Look for the option in your tool's settings or install options. Whether a tool offers it, and where, is up to the tool: check its documentation.
Large games
A Packed app can be more than 10 GB. If a game is too big to install, pack it again with --romfs separate so the game files stay out of the IPA, then copy them to the device once. See Troubleshooting.
Keeping your saves when you reinstall
Some sideloading tools give a reinstalled app a new data folder, which looks like lost progress. Your saves are in the old folder: see Troubleshooting to copy them over.