# LiveContainer: Running iOS Apps Without Installing Them > LiveContainer is an iOS app launcher that runs apps inside its own container, sidestepping the free developer account limit of three active app IDs. Here is how it works, how to install it, and where it breaks down. **LiveContainer/LiveContainer** — Run iOS apps without actually installing them! - Repository: https://github.com/LiveContainer/LiveContainer - Stars: 12,507 · Forks: 1,043 - Language: Swift - License: AGPL-3.0 - Published: 2026-09-21 · Updated: 2026-09-21 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/livecontainer-livecontainer ## The 3-App-ID Ceiling LiveContainer Exists to Break A free Apple developer account allows three active app IDs at a time. That is the constraint LiveContainer is built around. Instead of installing each app under its own bundle identifier, LiveContainer acts as a launcher: you install LiveContainer once, and it runs other iOS apps inside its own container. The README states the limit "does not apply here" because the hosted apps share LiveContainer's app and app ID. It also supports multiple versions of the same app, each with its own data container. The project is explicit that it is an app launcher, not an emulator or hypervisor. Apps run natively on the device; what changes is where their bundle and data live. That distinction matters for expectations. Anything that depends on being the top-level installed app, on system-level entitlements, or on a bundle identifier the system recognizes may behave differently. The README points to a compatibility list on GitHub labels and says apps not listed there will likely run, which is an honest way of saying coverage is uneven and reported per app. ## How the Container, Signing and JIT Paths Fit Together Below iOS 26, when JIT is available, the README states codesign is entirely bypassed, so apps do not need to be signed before installation. Without JIT, apps are signed with the same certificate LiveContainer uses. That is the core trade-off: the JIT path removes a signing step but depends on a JIT enabler being present and working on your device and iOS version. The repository layout reflects the split. Alongside LiveContainer/ and LiveContainerSwiftUI/ there are LaunchAppExtension/, LiveProcess/, MultitaskSupport/, TweakLoader/, ZSign/, litehook and TestJITLess/. ZSign is a signing implementation, TestJITLess suggests a JIT-less path is tested as a first-class scenario, and LaunchAppExtension handles the launch flow. Multitasking, introduced as a feature, runs apps in in-app virtual windows that can be resized, scaled, or shown in Picture-in-Picture, and on iPad in native window mode. The README notes that enabling JIT for multitasked apps requires a JIT enabler that supports attaching by PID, and names StikDebug as an example. Two app-specific settings exist because some apps misbehave inside the container: "Fix File Picker" and "Fix Local Notifications". If a file picker fails or an app cannot request notification permission, those toggles are the first thing to try. The README does not explain the underlying cause, only that the fix is available in app-specific settings. ## Installing LiveContainer and Loading a First IPA The README does not give command-line install steps. It directs readers to the install guide at livecontainer.github.io/docs/installation and offers two distribution shapes: a standalone LiveContainer and a LiveContainer+SideStore build. Both have stable and nightly channels, distributed as .ipa files or via an AltSource URL. Requirements are iOS or iPadOS 15 or later (multitasking needs 16.0 or later) plus AltStore 2.0+ or SideStore 0.6.0+. If you build from source, the README gives one concrete step: open Xcode, edit DEVELOPMENT_TEAM[config=Debug] in xcconfigs/Global.xcconfig to your team id, and compile. Once LiveContainer is installed, the in-app flow is short. Open LiveContainer, tap the plus icon in the upper right corner, and select IPA files to install. Then choose which app opens on the next launch. Long-pressing an app opens its management options. To run multiple apps at once, hold an app's banner and tap "Multitask", or set multitasking as the default launch mode in settings. If you install through SideStore or AltStore and want multitasking, the README says to select "Keep App Extensions" during installation. ## Where LiveContainer Fails or Is the Wrong Tool Compatibility is the first wall. The README says plainly that not all apps work and points to a compatibility label list; if an app is not on that list, it is "likely" to run, which is not a guarantee. Apps that rely on system integration the launcher cannot reproduce are the likely failures, and the file picker and notification toggles exist precisely because some of that integration breaks. Security is the second. The README carries a caution about closed-source third-party builds: because all your apps are installed inside LiveContainer, those builds have full access to your data, including keychain items and login credentials. The project states it provides no support for issues in third-party builds. The same logic applies to the official build, though the project does not frame it that way: whatever you install lives inside one container, so the container is a single point of trust. JIT availability is the third constraint. Below iOS 26 with JIT, codesign is bypassed; without JIT, apps are signed with LiveContainer's certificate. If your setup cannot enable JIT, you are on the signed path and its consequences. The README does not document rollback, migration between containers, or what happens to installed app data when LiveContainer itself is reinstalled, so plan around that silence rather than assuming data survives. If you only need one or two sideloaded apps and are comfortable with the standard three-app-ID limit, LiveContainer adds a container and a compatibility variable for no benefit. ## SideStore and AltStore as the Realistic Baseline The closest comparison is not another launcher but the sideloading tools LiveContainer sits on top of. AltStore and SideStore install apps directly as separate bundle identifiers, subject to the free account's three-app-ID limit, and they refresh those apps against your signing certificate. LiveContainer changes the unit of installation: one host app, many hosted apps, no per-app ID consumption. That is the whole difference, and it is why the README lists AltStore 2.0+ or SideStore 0.6.0+ as requirements rather than alternatives. The LiveContainer+SideStore build bundles the two, which is why "LiveContainer + SideStore" appears so often as a search phrase. Choosing between them is not really a choice about capability. If you already use SideStore and hit the app-ID ceiling, LiveContainer extends it. If you do not use either, you still need one of them to get LiveContainer installed in the first place. ## Maintenance, Licence and What Upgrades Cost You The repository is not archived, and the last push was on 2026-09-19. Releases are split between stable and nightly: 3.8.0 landed on 2026-07-17, 3.7.2 on 2026-02-27, and a nightly build on 2026-09-18. The nightly channel exists for people who want fixes before a stable tag, and the README offers nightly .ipa files and a nightly AltSource alongside the stable ones. Running nightly means accepting that the stable tag may lag the code you are using. The licence is AGPL-3.0. For most users installing an .ipa this changes nothing day to day. For anyone modifying LiveContainer and distributing it, or running a modified version as a network service, the AGPL's source-availability terms apply. This is not legal advice; read the LICENSE file in the repository if you plan to redistribute or build on the code. Note also that the README's warning about closed-source third-party builds is a support boundary, not a licence claim. Upgrade cost is mostly reinstallation. The README does not describe an in-place upgrade or data migration path, so treat the container as something you may have to rebuild. Keeping the original IPA files matters more here than with a normally installed app. ## Conclusion LiveContainer suits jailbreak-adjacent iOS users who already run AltStore or SideStore and want more than three sideloaded apps. It does not suit anyone unwilling to trust a container with keychain items and login credentials, or anyone on iOS versions where the JIT path is unavailable. Before adopting it, read the install guide at livecontainer.github.io/docs/installation, check the compatibility label list for the apps you need, and confirm whether your iOS version and JIT enabler support the launch mode you intend to use. ## FAQ ### How do I install LiveContainer? The README points to the install guide at livecontainer.github.io/docs/installation and offers standalone and LiveContainer+SideStore builds as .ipa files or AltSource URLs. You need iOS or iPadOS 15 or later and AltStore 2.0+ or SideStore 0.6.0+. ### What should I do if LiveContainer says "certificate not found"? The README does not address this error. It directs readers with issues to the FAQ at livecontainer.github.io/docs/faq, which is the documented place to look. ### How do I add apps to my home screen with LiveContainer? The README links a dedicated guide, "Add Apps to Home Screen", at livecontainer.github.io/docs/guides/add-to-home-screen. The main README does not restate those steps. ### What are the sources for LiveContainer? The README lists two distribution forms, standalone and LiveContainer+SideStore, each with a stable and a nightly AltSource URL. The stable AltSource points at the 1.0 apps.json release asset and the nightly one at apps_nightly.json. ### How do I use LiveContainer without JIT? Without JIT, the README states apps are signed with the same certificate LiveContainer uses, rather than having codesign bypassed. The repository contains a TestJITLess/ directory, which indicates a JIT-less path is part of the project, though the README does not document its specific behaviour. ### How do I use LiveContainer with SideStore? Install the LiveContainer+SideStore build, available as a stable or nightly .ipa. If you want multitasking, the README says to select "Keep App Extensions" when installing via SideStore or AltStore. ## Sources - [Issues](https://github.com/LiveContainer/LiveContainer/issues) - [License: AGPL-3.0](https://github.com/LiveContainer/LiveContainer/blob/main/LICENSE) - [LiveContainer/LiveContainer on GitHub](https://github.com/LiveContainer/LiveContainer) - [README](https://github.com/LiveContainer/LiveContainer/blob/main/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/LiveContainer/LiveContainer/releases) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/livecontainer-livecontainer