Kodi – previously known as XBMC, is a very popular open source media center that is loved, and preferred by a large number of people. This is probably due to the plethora of plugins, and customisation options that Kodi offers. Kodi is available for iOS but, it’s not officially available on the Apple App Store. While jailbroken iPhone and iPad users can easily install Kodi from its repositories, there are ways to install Kodi on iOS without jailbreak. Here are the ways to install Kodi on iPhone or iPad without jailbreaking:
Method 1: Using Xcode
The first method to install Kodi on your iPhone or iPad without having to jailbreak it, is to use this neat Xcode trick that allows users to install third party applications, from unidentified developers. To do this, here’s what you’ll need:
- iOS App Signer (Download)
- A Mac running the latest version of macOS
- The latest version of Xcode from the App Store (Download)
- A Kodi deb file (Download)
Once you have all that, just follow the steps given below to install Kodi on iOS 10:
- Launch Xcode, and click on “Create a New Project“.
- When you see the main Xcode interface, select “iOS”, and click on “Single View Application“. Then, click “Next“.
- Give your application a “Product Name“, and an “Organisation Identifier“. For this guide, I’ll use “KodiApp” as the product name, and “in.akshaygangwar“, as the organisation identifier. Then, click on “Next“.
- Select a location to save the project, and click on “Create“.
- In the interface that opens up, click on the dropdown menu next to “Team”, and select your name from the list.
- Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac using a USB cable, and select it from the list of devices shown at the top, in Xcode.
- Next, launch the iOS App Signer you downloaded. Click on “Browse“, and select the Kodi deb file that you downloaded earlier. Also, in the dropdown menus for Signing Certificate, and Provisioning Profile, select your particulars. Then, click on “Start“.
- You will be asked for a location to save the output file, as. Choose wherever you want the file to be saved, and click on “Save“. iOS App Signer will then work through a couple of steps.
- Once iOS App Signer has done its work, go back into Xcode. Here, click on “Window” in the menu bar, and click on “Devices“.
- Here, click on the “+” button under the “Installed Apps” section. Select the IPA file that iOS App Signer will have exported.
- Xcode will then show your iPhone as busy for a while, as it installs Kodi onto your device. Once done, it will show Kodi in the list of installed devices, and you will also be able to see it on the home screen of your iPhone.
Before you can launch Kodi on your iOS device, you will have to trust the certificate in your iPhone. To do this, follow the steps given below:
- Go to Settings -> General -> Device Management.
- Here, tap on the entry under “Developer App“, and then tap on “Trust“.
You will then be able to launch Kodi on your iPhone, and enjoy the complete power of the XBMC app, on your non-jailbroken iPhone.
Note: If you’re using a non-developer Apple ID (that is, you didn’t pay the $99 developer fees), then you will have to re-install the app from Xcode, every 7 days. However, if you sideload the app with a developer Apple ID, then you can use the app for one year, before you will need to re-install it.
Method 2: Using BuildStore
While the first method was completely free, it did require quite a lot of work, just to get an app installed on a non-jailbroken iPhone. So, if you’re looking for a much easier way to do this, albeit by paying money, you can use BuildStore.
BuildStore is a website that allows users to sideload apps onto their non-jailbroken iPhones easily. However, you do have to pay $9.99/year to be able to access the service.
Installing an app from the BuildStore is pretty straight forward. You just go to the BuildStore website, look for the app that you want to install, and tap on Install. The app will then be installed on your iPhone.
To launch it, you will have to trust the developer certificate in your iPhone, like you did after installing the app via Xcode.
SEE ALSO: How to Customize iPhone Home Screen (No Jailbreak)
Use These Methods to Install Kodi on iPhone or iPad without Jailbreak
With any of these methods, you can install apps on your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus without having to jailbreak it. There are a lot of apps that you can sideload using Xcode. The BuildStore method is much easier than using Xcode, but you will have to pay $9.99 every year, to keep using the service. Also, BuildStore will only let you register one device. So, if you want to use the service on multiple devices, you will have to pay the fees for each and every one of them, which can quickly add up to a lot, if you use a lot of Apple devices that you want to run these apps on. As always, feel free to share your thoughts on the methods we discussed, and if you know of any other, easier way to install jailbroken apps on a non-jailbroken iPhone, do let us know about it in the comments section below.
