Install on iOS

The TrendingAI iOS app is not on the App Store yet. For now, it is installed by sideloading. This guide covers two options: AltStore (recommended) and Sideloadly.

The iOS app is at an early stage and still evolving. If you hit problems, please open an issue.

Before you start

Both options rely on Apple's free developer signing, which comes with limits:

• Signatures expire after 7 days — the app stops opening until re-signed (your data is kept; both tools can auto-refresh over the same Wi-Fi)
• At most 3 sideloaded apps per Apple ID at a time
• A macOS or Windows computer is required for the first install
• iOS 16 and later require Developer Mode (see below)

What you need

• A macOS or Windows computer, an iPhone / iPad, and a reliable cable (needed for the first install, and whenever installing while the phone is on cellular data)
• An Apple ID — used only to sign the app. It does not need to match the account signed in on your phone; a secondary account works fine. The sideload limits (app count, signature expiry) are tied to this account
• The app: download the latest TrendingAI-x.y.z.ipa asset from GitHub Releases
• Windows users must install iTunes from Apple's website (the Microsoft Store version does not work — uninstall it and reinstall from apple.com)

Option 1: AltStore (recommended)

Computer setup (macOS)

1. Download AltServer from altstore.io, unzip, drag AltServer.app into Applications and launch it (the icon lives in the menu bar)
2. Connect and trust your iPhone, select it in the Finder sidebar → check "Show this iPhone when on Wi-Fi"

Computer setup (Windows)

1. Install iTunes and iCloud from Apple's website (neither may be the Microsoft Store version)
2. Download AltServer from altstore.io, unzip, run Setup.exe, then run it as administrator (the icon lives in the system tray)
3. Connect and trust your iPhone, then check "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi" in the iTunes device summary

Install

1. Click the AltServer icon on your computer → Install AltStore → choose your device and enter your Apple ID and password; wait for the AltStore icon to appear on the phone (restart the device if it doesn't)
2. On iOS 16+, enable Developer Mode first (see below)
3. Send the IPA to your phone (AirDrop or the Files app), open AltStore → My Apps → tap “+” and pick the IPA; alternatively, hold Option (Windows: Shift) and click the AltServer icon → Sideload .ipa… to push the file directly

Tip: if the phone is on cellular data during install, AltStore will report it cannot find AltServer — just keep the device connected to the computer with a cable; AltServer works over both Wi-Fi and USB.

Install and update via source (recommended)

Once AltStore is set up, add the TrendingAI source: installing and future updates become one-tap, store-style operations — no more downloading and transferring IPA files by hand.

1. Open AltStore → Sources tab → tap “+” in the top corner
2. Paste the source URL: https://api.trendingai.cn/altstore.json
3. Open the source, find TrendingAI and tap to install; when a new version ships, AltStore shows an update in My Apps

If the source appears empty after adding it, the first official iOS release hasn't shipped yet — no need to re-add it; the app will show up automatically once released.

Option 2: Sideloadly

Known compatibility issue on iOS 26 and later: installs fail with an Invalid file error, widely reported and unfixed upstream for months. On iOS 26+, use Option 1 (AltStore) instead.

1. Download and install Sideloadly from sideloadly.io
2. Open Sideloadly and enter your Apple ID email
3. Connect your device with a cable and tap "Trust This Computer" on the phone; your device appears in the iDevice field
4. Click the IPA icon, pick the downloaded IPA file, then click Start
5. Enter your Apple ID password on first use; with two-factor auth, enter the 6-digit code in the prompt
6. When the progress bar shows Done., the app is installed

Tip: keep the refresh icon next to Start enabled (it is by default) — the signature auto-refreshes every 7 days while the device and computer share the same Wi-Fi.

iOS 16+: enable Developer Mode

Settings → Privacy & Security → scroll to the bottom → Developer Mode → turn it on, then restart and confirm when prompted.

FAQ

"The data couldn't be read because it isn't in the correct format" when logging in or installing

Your device's current network cannot reach Apple's signing service (gsa.apple.com) — common on some ISPs. Two fixes: switch the phone to cellular data and retry (simplest; AltStore contacts this service on every install, so stay on cellular throughout), or if you use a proxy tool, route gsa.apple.com (or the whole apple.com suffix) through it — this domain is usually missing from common rule lists, which is why the error can appear even with a proxy enabled.

"Untrusted Developer" on first launch

Settings → General → VPN & Device Management (or "Profiles & Device Management" on older versions) → under Developer App, tap the Apple ID used for signing → Trust.

What does auto-refresh require?

Three things, all at once: the computer is on with the tool running (Sideloadly's background service / AltServer in the tray); the phone and computer are on the same Wi-Fi (the cable is only needed for the first install); and for AltStore, Wi-Fi sync enabled. You don't need to stay connected all the time — refreshing once at any point within the 7-day window is enough. If you miss the window while away, the app just stops opening until you re-sign; your data is kept.

The app stopped opening after 7 days

The signature expired. Re-run the install (re-sign) with the same tool — your data is kept. Meeting the auto-refresh conditions above avoids the manual step.

Refreshing without a computer

Look into SideStore (a community fork of AltStore that refreshes without a computer). Setup is more involved and best suited to advanced users.