AltStore / SideStore Certificate Expired — App Can't Be Opened Fix

Why certificates expire

AltStore's free tier uses a personal Apple developer certificate, which iOS revokes after 7 days. To keep sideloaded apps working, you must refresh them before (or after) they expire. The refresh does not delete your save files.

What you need:

• The same PC or Mac that has AltServer installed (get it at altstore.io)
• iPhone and computer on the same Wi-Fi network
• Your Apple ID signed into AltStore on the iPhone

Steps to refresh:

1. Open AltServer on your computer (system tray on Windows, menu bar on Mac).
2. On your iPhone, open AltStore.
3. Tap the My Apps tab (second icon at the bottom).
4. Tap Refresh All — or tap the individual app row and select Refresh.
5. Wait for AltStore to contact AltServer over Wi-Fi and re-sign the app. Progress shows as a spinning indicator. Takes 10–30 seconds.
6. Once the expiry date resets to 7 days from today, the app opens normally.

If the app is already expired and won't open: the refresh process above still works — the app data is preserved. Just refresh, then open normally.

Refresh reminder tip: set a recurring weekly phone alarm labeled "Refresh AltStore" to avoid repeated lockouts. The refresh takes under a minute once AltServer is running.

AltStore+ — no 7-day limit, no PC required after setup

AltStore+ (paid tier, $1.99/month or $14.99/year) upgrades your certificate to one that lasts longer and enables background refresh via the AltJIT daemon — meaning apps re-sign automatically without needing the PC nearby. If you use sideloaded emulators daily, this is the cleanest path.

SideStore — free, certificate from your Apple ID, pairing file replaces AltServer

SideStore is an alternative to AltStore that uses a WireGuard VPN + pairing file instead of AltServer running on a computer. After initial setup (done once via a PC/Mac), it can refresh apps without the computer nearby via the VPN tunnel to your own iPhone. Free, but requires a one-time setup. Find it at sidestore.io.

• Certificates still expire every 7 days for non-paid Apple ID accounts.
• But the refresh can happen wirelessly via SideStore's VPN + Apple ID, no PC required after pairing.

In the EU (iOS 17.4+): Alternative Marketplaces

In European Union countries, iOS 17.4 and later allow alternative app marketplaces. AltStore is available as an authorized EU alternative marketplace — no certificates, no expiry, no AltServer needed. If your App Store region is set to an EU country, go to altstore.io and install the EU Marketplace edition instead.

Save data is stored inside the app container — it is NOT deleted when a certificate expires

Expired apps are not uninstalled; iOS just prevents them from opening until re-signed. Your save files inside the app container survive the expiry. Refreshing the certificate via AltStore restores access to all your data.

However, if you deleted the app while expired: iOS deletes the app container (including save data) when an app is uninstalled. This is permanent.

• For DolphiniOS: back up GameCube/Wii save files to cloud or PC via the Files app → On My iPhone → DolphiniOS folder before any reinstall.
• For Provenance: use the built-in export function to back up saves to iCloud Drive.
• For PPSSPP: enable Settings → Tools → Save to iCloud Drive so PSP save data syncs out of the app container.

Prevention: enable Auto Refresh in AltStore (My Apps → Settings → Enable Auto Refresh). When the iPhone and the AltServer computer are on the same Wi-Fi, AltStore will try to refresh apps automatically in the background before they expire.

If AltStore shows "Could not connect to AltServer" during refresh:

• Confirm AltServer is running on the computer (check system tray / menu bar icon).
• Confirm both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network — different SSIDs (2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz with different names) appear as different networks to the connection detection.
• Some routers block cross-device communication on the LAN: try enabling mDNS / Bonjour or switching to a different Wi-Fi network (hotspot from a second phone works).
• On Windows, make sure iTunes or the Apple Mobile Device Service is running (required by AltServer). Check via Services in Task Manager.
• Try refreshing via USB: plug iPhone into the computer, then tap Refresh in AltStore. USB bypass bypasses the Wi-Fi discovery issue entirely.
• If AltServer shows the phone but the refresh fails with "An application with the same identifier has already been installed": delete the app from the iPhone, reinstall via AltStore, and restore your backed-up saves manually.