PSA: Sideloading iOS apps blocked on 11.3 (but still working on 11.2.3)

[Green242]

I made an external TB boot drive and installed 11.2.3, then used the migration assistant to transfer everything under my user name in 11.4 to the external TB drive. Got some error messages, but it worked well. Then side loaded a number of apps, Amazon, Audible, SiriusXM and others just to see if I could get them to work, which they did and some I was even able enlarge the window as well as scroll up and down with bars on the side. I then upgraded the external drive to 11.3 which broke the apps. Got error messages saying I did not have privileges. I was going to erase the external TB drive and start over, but instead just reinstalled 11.2.3 over 11.3 and when I rebooted the apps are working again.

I can still go back and reboot from the internal by switching the startup disk in the system preferences.

I have some very special needs apps on my iPhone and iPad that I really wanted to have on my Mac mini M1, however none of them will work because the Mac does not have either the hardware built in or the system features to get them to work. I still like having the those mentioned above work on the M1.

 

[kode54]

Sideloaded random crap for the hell of it back when I was on 11.2.2 and 11.2.3. Gave it up, upgraded to 11.3, didn't look back. The only noteworthy games I bothered to try and also did some resource ripping on were Mario Kart Tour (crashes itself after the preload tutorial and preload finish, same as on jailbroken iOS devices), Crash Bandicoot: On The Run! (the controls translating mouse to touch weren't the best, but it was playable), and Princess Connect Re:dive. (Realized a bit too late that this 4.5gb monster was a fricking gacha)

Hey, at least I didn't get hooked by Genshitpact.

 

[macislife]

There you go

Thanks, did anyone try this? I am still on 11.2.3 so I can’t try.

 

[honam1021]

Thanks, did anyone try this? I am still on 11.2.3 so I can’t try.

You cannot replace system files on Big Sur without disabling SIP, which causes iOS apps from the App Store to stop working. Even if you could it wouldn't work as the changes made to block sideloading are implemented in the Fairplay DRM driver inside the kernel, if you try to open a previously sideloaded app you'll get the following error in console:

AppleFairplayTextCrypterSession::fairplayOpen() failed, error -42072

The only way to sideload on 11.3 and newer is to dump decrypted IPAs from a jailbroken iOS device and resign them to run on your Mac using a Apple Developer account.