nab138/iloader

What it does

iloader is a desktop application for sideloading apps onto iOS devices from a computer. It installs SideStore (optionally together with LiveContainer), imports the pairing and lockdown files those tools need, and can install arbitrary IPA files. It also lists and revokes Apple development certificates and app IDs, and manages pairing files used by apps such as StikDebug and Protokolle source:3.

The app is built with Tauri, with a TypeScript frontend and Rust backend, and communicates with devices through the idevice crate and the author's isideload library source:3. It is aimed at iOS users who want a guided alternative to manual sideloading steps, and at developers who need to inspect or revoke certificates.

Getting started

1. Make USB multiplexing available to the computer. On Windows install iTunes; macOS includes it; on Linux it may already be present, otherwise install usbmuxd through the package manager source:3.
2. Download the latest build for your platform from the releases page. NixOS users can install iloader from nixpkgs-unstable or the flake; Fedora has an RPM or a COPR repository; Arch has an AUR package source:3.
3. Connect the iOS device, open iloader and sign in with an Apple ID.
4. Choose the action, for example installing SideStore, or import an IPA.

Signing in with an Apple ID is required because the tool requests development certificates and app IDs from Apple on your behalf.

Build and translate

Building requires bun or Node.js, Rust, and a clone of the repository. Run bun i (or npm i), then bun tauri dev for hot reload or bun tauri build for a production build source:3.

Translations live in src/locales/<lang>.json; adding a language also means registering it in src/i18next.ts source:3.

Limits and licensing

The tool needs a working USB connection and Apple ID authentication, and availability of signing operations depends on Apple's developer services. Troubleshooting guidance points to application logs under the platform data directories and to the issue tracker or idevice Discord source:3. The source is MIT-licensed, but the iloader name and branding are under separate restrictions; forks and tutorials must link to the official site or repository and must not imply endorsement source:3. The README states that the repository and iloader.app are the only official download sources, with Homebrew, AUR and Fedora COPR packages maintained unofficially by the community source:3.

HotRepo's take

The project appeared on the all-language daily list in September 2026 with 36, 209 and 209 new stars on consecutive days, then reappeared on the TypeScript daily list in November 2026 at 76 stars gained and a best position of 11. The initial spike and the later smaller gain are separate snapshot days, so they show attention around the two periods rather than a steady curve. The value proposition is concrete: pairing-file and certificate handling for iOS sideloading is normally manual and error-prone, and the repository ships the actual Tauri source plus a documented build path rather than only a download link.