AltStore, a popular third-party app store, is now available to download on iPhones in the EU

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Available to everyone in the EU

Alt Store on iOS
(Image credit: iMore)

AltStore has been one of the most popular alternative app stores for years now. And now, it's been approved by Apple for release as an official third-party app store that anyone in the EU can install on the best iPhones.

Previously only available via a sideloading workaround, AltStore is now available to officially download to your iPhone. iOS 17.4 added the ability for iPhone users in the EU to download apps from third-party app stores, and even set them as the default app store on their device.

AltStore is one of the most popular examples of a third-party app store, and it's now available to download. It's home to popular apps that aren't available on the app store. Perhaps the most well-known example of this is the retro game emulator, Delta.

If you want to download Alt Store, you can do so via the official website.

A third-party app store for everyone to use

AltStore has been available since September 2019 unofficially, so this official release is a big deal for advocates of third-party app stores. This release allows anyone to distribute their apps directly through AltStore with their own store page.

Once you've installed AltStore, make sure you tap through Apple's installation screens. And there are quite a few of them. Once you've safely installed AltStore, you can select from the apps available, and there’ll be an ‘Install App’ button — followed by a prompt for users to make sure that they want to install an app, and... that’s it. There will be relatively few hoops to jump through.

Now that AltStore has been officially released for iPhone users in the EU, we're expecting a lot of apps to come to the store that simply aren’t allowed on Apple’s App Store. For instance, we could see more virtualization apps like UTM arrive, offering similar functions to what the Parallels Desktop app provides on a Mac.

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Connor Jewiss
Connor Jewiss
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Connor is a technology writer and editor, with a byline on multiple platforms. He has been writing for over eight years now across the web and in print too. Connor has experience on most major platforms, though does hold a place in his heart for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, electric vehicles, and smartphone tech.