Key Takeaways
- iTorrent, qBitControl, PeopleDrop and UTM SE are now available on 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 it is willing to accept apps that have previously been rejected.
For the first time, you can use torrent apps on your iPhone without jailbreaking it. Torrent apps are banned from the App Store because Apple believes they are used for piracy instead of peer-to-peer sharing of Linux ISOs. However, thanks to a successful battle between the EU and Apple, the EU now allows third-party app stores on iPhones, and AltStore PAL has added the first third-party apps, including the iTorrent torrent client and the qBitControl remote client for qBittorrent. If you live in the EU, you can install these apps on your iPhone right now.
Related
The best emulators you can download from Apple’s App Store
With emulators now allowed on the Apple App Store, a number of attractive options have emerged for iPhone and iPad users.
What new apps are available on AltStore PAL?
Four new apps have been added in addition to Delta and Clip
Ortho Store
AltStore PAL is an open source project from Riley Testut, the creator of the hugely popular Delta emulator, and its founder Shane Gill. The first third-party app store on the iPhone launched with just two apps, Delta and a clipboard manager called Clip. Now, for the first time, it has opened up to third-party apps, with four new apps available through AltStore PAL for iPhone users in the EU to install directly on their iPhones.
iTorrent
is the first torrent app for iPhone that can be installed without jailbreaking your device.
iTorrent is the first torrent app for iPhone that can be installed without jailbreaking your device. q-bit control is a remote client for the qBittorrent torrent app that you can use to manage torrents on another device, but it cannot be used to torrent directly on your iPhone.
People Drop is a social discovery app that allows you to connect with people you meet on the street. UTMSE This allows you to run virtual machines on your iPhone, including processor emulation and support for operating systems like Windows and Linux. It’s the only new app that can also be downloaded from Apple’s own App Store.
How do 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 decision only applies within the EU. This means that while it’s easy to install the AltStore PAL app within the EU, it’s much more complicated if you’re in a country outside the EU. It’s possible to install it, but you’ll need to use Developer Mode on your iPhone, sideload the app via your computer, and update it every few days to keep using it.
It remains to be seen whether these new apps will ultimately be approved by Apple and featured in the official App Store. However, with Apple approving game emulators and now the UTM SE PC emulator, it seems as though they may be more willing to approve apps that they previously rejected in an attempt to ward off competition from third-party app stores. It remains to be seen whether approving torrent apps in the official App Store would be going too far for Apple.
