ESign Installation Guide - Sideload Apps on iOS Without Jailbreak

Before You Begin

Make sure your device meets these requirements before installing ESign:

Requirement	Details
Device	iPhone or iPad
iOS Version	iOS 16.0 – iOS 26.x
Certificate	P12 signing certificate (premium or free)

💡 Which certificate should I choose? If you just want to try things out, grab a free certificate (available periodically). For long-term, reliable use, we strongly recommend getting your own dedicated P12 certificate — valid for up to 360 days.

Step 1: Choose Your Installation Method

ESign offers several ways to get started. Pick the one that fits your needs:

Method	Best For	Certificate Validity	Recommendation
Premium P12 Certificate	Long-term users who need stable signing	~360 days	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Free Certificate	New users wanting to test features	Usually a few days	⭐⭐
Self-Signing	Developers with existing certificates	Depends on your certificate	⭐⭐⭐⭐

👉 Head to the Installation Page to choose your option

Step 2: Download and Install ESign

What You’ll Need

Using Premium/Free Certificate: Have your certificate code ready
Using Your Own Certificate: Download your .p12 and .mobileprovision files to the Files app first

Let’s Get Started

Go to the ESign Installation Page and select either “Redeem & Install” or “Self-Sign Install”

Option A: Redeem & Install (Recommended for Beginners)

Tap “Get UDID” — you’ll be prompted to install a configuration profile. Tap Allow.
Once complete, enter your certificate code
Tap “Sign & Install”
Wait for the process to finish, then tap Install

Option B: Self-Sign Install (For Users with Certificates)

Upload your .p12 certificate file and .mobileprovision provisioning profile
Enter your P12 certificate password
Tap “Sign & Install”
Wait for the process to finish, then tap Install

Step 3: Enable Developer Mode

⚠️ Important: This step is required! On iOS 16 and later, Developer Mode must be enabled or ESign won’t launch.

How to enable it:

Open Settings on your iPhone
Go to Privacy & Security
Scroll to the bottom and find Developer Mode
Toggle it on and restart your device when prompted
After restarting, confirm to enable it

📱 Don’t worry — enabling Developer Mode won’t affect your phone’s normal operation or security.

Step 4: Import Your Certificate into ESign

After installation, you’ll need to import your certificate before you can start signing apps.

For Redeem & Install Users (Automatic Import)

If you installed via the official ESign channel:

Open the ESign app
Go to Settings → Certificate Management
Your certificate will be imported automatically — no action needed

For Self-Sign Users (Manual Import)

Open ESign and go to Settings → Certificate Management
Tap Import and select your .p12 and .mobileprovision files
Enter your P12 certificate password to complete the import

Step 5: Sign and Install Your First App

You’re all set! Time to sign your first IPA.

Open ESign
Tap the “Apps” tab at the bottom
Import your IPA file using any of these methods:
- Select from the Files app
- Paste an IPA download URL directly
- Tap an IPA link in Safari and choose “Open in ESign”
Select your signing certificate
Tap “Sign”
Once signing completes, tap “Install”

🎉 Congratulations! You’ve successfully signed and installed your first app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: I’m getting “Unable to Install” after signing. What do I do?

This is the most common issue for new users. Here’s how to fix it:

Check Developer Mode: Make sure it’s enabled and you’ve restarted your device
Trust the Certificate: Go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, tap your certificate, and select “Trust”
Verify Certificate Validity: Ensure your certificate hasn’t expired

Q2: I can’t find my imported IPA file?

ESign supports multiple import methods:

Import directly from the Files app
Tap an IPA download link in Safari and select “Open in ESign”
Paste a download URL in ESign’s Library section

Due to restrictions in iOS 16 and later, importing files via the Share menu may not always work.

Workaround:

Save the IPA file to the Files app first
Open ESign’s Library
Tap Import and select the IPA from Files

Q4: What happens when my certificate expires?

When your certificate expires, all apps signed with it will stop opening. To fix this:

Get a new valid certificate
Import it into ESign
Re-sign and reinstall your apps

💡 Pro tip: Renew your certificate before it expires to avoid sudden app failures.

Q5: Which iOS versions does ESign support?

ESign supports iOS 16.0 through iOS 26.x and newer. Devices running iOS 15 or earlier are not supported.

What’s Next?

Got questions? Join the ESign community for help and tips!