Key Takeaways
- iTorrent, qBitControl, PeopleDrop, and UTM SE are now available in AltStore PAL in the EU.
- Installing these apps outside the EU is complicated and requires Developer Mode and sideloading.
- Apple’s approval of the UTM SE PC emulator suggests a willingness to accept previously rejected apps.
For the first time, it’s now possible to use torrenting apps on the iPhone without having to jailbreak your phone. Torrenting apps are banned from the App Store as Apple believes that they are mostly used for copyright infringement rather than peer-to-peer sharing of Linux ISOs. However, thanks to the EU’s successful battle with Apple, third-party app stores are allowed on iPhones in the EU, and AltStore PAL has added its first third-party apps, including the iTorrent torrent client, and the qBitControl remote client for qBittorrent. If you’re in the EU, it’s possible to install these apps on your iPhone right now.
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Which new apps are available in AltStore PAL?
Four apps have been added alongside Delta and Clip
AltStore
AltStore PAL is an open-source project from developer Riley Testut, creator of the hugely popular Delta emulator, and Shane Gill, who is in charge of operations. The first third-party app store ever to appear on the iPhone launched with just two apps, including Delta and a clipboard manager called Clip. The doors have now been opened to third-party apps for the first time, and there are four new apps available through AltStore PAL that iPhone users in the EU can install directly on their iPhones.
iTorrent
is the first torrenting app for the iPhone that you can install without needing to jailbreak your device.
iTorrent is the first torrenting app for the iPhone that you can install without needing to jailbreak your device. qBitControl is a remote client for the qBittorrent torrenting app that you can use to manage your torrents on another device, although you can’t use it to torrent directly on your iPhone.
PeopleDrop is a social discovery app that allows you to connect with other people as you pass by. The fourth app is UTM SE which allows you to run virtual machines on your iPhone, including processor emulation and support for operating systems such as Windows and Linux. This is the only one of the new apps that is also available for download through Apple’s own App Store.
How can I install these AltStore PAL apps?
If you’re outside the EU, it’s not so easy
The EU forced Apple to allow third-party app stores on its products, but this ruling only applies within the EU. This means that while you can easily install the AltStore PAL app in the EU, if you’re in a country outside the EU, it’s a lot more complicated. It is still possible to do so, but it requires using Developer Mode on your iPhone, sideloading the apps via computer, and refreshing the apps every few days if you want to keep using them.
It remains to be seen whether these new apps will eventually be approved by Apple to appear in the official App Store. However, with Apple approving gaming emulators and now the UTM SE PC emulator, it does seem that Apple is more willing to approve apps that previously would have been rejected, as it hopes to see off competition from third-party app stores. It remains to be seen whether approving torrenting apps for the official App Store will be a step too far for Apple.
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