Contrary to popular belief, you can use Kodi to play video on an iPad or iPhone, but not officially, as the software is not available on the App Store. Instead, the most common approach is to download it from the Cydia software store, but this strategy obviously only works on devices that are jailbroken. Therefore, today we will see how to install Kodi on iOS without jailbreak.
While it's probably easier to go the jailbreak route, there is a way to install the Kodi app on your iOS device without a jailbreak, and here's how to do it. Let's see it!
What is Kodi?
Kodi used to be known as XBMC, which could be what's causing the confusion. It is a versatile and extremely popular piece of media player software, and is often used to play Internet video or downloaded media files in a variety of formats on a large screen television. The biggest draw is the large number of add-ons available, offering expanded functionality such as the ability to watch movies or live TV.
How to install Kodi on iPhone or iPad using Cydia Impactor
The easiest way to install Kodi on your iPhone or iPad without jailbreaking is to use Cydia Impactor, a popular app available for macOS and Windows that allows iOS users to install non-App Store apps on their iOS devices.
You will have to download Cydia Impactor and the most recent Kodi that exists, you can do it from here. For the rest, follow these steps:
- Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. If iTunes opens automatically when you connect your iOS device, be sure to close it before continuing.
- Open Cydia Impactor and drag and drop the Kodi IPA file you downloaded earlier into the app.
- Make sure your iOS device is selected in the drop-down menu and click Start.
- Cydia Impactor will ask you for a login with the Apple ID. You are verified with Apple and it is only used to sign the IPA file, but you can use an alternative Apple ID if you are concerned about your privacy.
- Once the app has been installed, go to Settings > General > Profiles and device management (this may vary slightly depending on your iOS version), find your profile with Apple ID and open it.
- Tap the “trust” button in the new Kodi app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Open the app and enjoy the many benefits available to Kodi users!
If for some reason you can't follow the instructions above, read on to find out how to install Kodi on your iPhone or iPad using Xcode, a free app available for macOS users.
How to install Kodi on iPhone or iPad using Xcode
Before you begin, you'll need to download three things: They're all free.
You need the Kodi deb file: download it from here. We use the latest version available, you also need iOS AppSigner– Click “Download v1.12” and then unzip the file, and lastly, you need to install Xcode from the Mac App Store if you don't already have it.
Once you have everything downloaded, we can start:
- Connect your iPad or iPhone to your Mac and open Xcode.
- Select “Create a new Xcode project”. Make sure the app is highlighted in the iOS section on the left, then click Single View App, and continue.
- In the next box you have to name the app you are creating, you can put Kodi, and the organization identifier. Some fields will already be filled in, others you have to complete. You can make the application, only valid for iPhone or iPad, however you want.
- In the next box, select a location for your Git repository, you can leave it on the desktop. And click Create.
- Select whether you want to let Xcode access your contacts.
- In the center of the Xcode screen you will see a discreet error message: "No code signing identities found".
- Click Fix issue below this message, click Add, and now Enter your Apple ID and sign in.
- Return to the main screen and you will see a message: "To fix this issue, select a development team to use for provisioning". There should only be one "Development team" to choose from, so click.
- Xcode will say that it is resolving the issues, and after a short wait, everything should be fixed.
- Now go to the created icon on the desktop, open it. Input file, Browse and search for the downloaded Kodi file.
The signing certificate must already be filled out containing your Apple ID; for the profile put the ID we set in step 3. The new app ID will be filled in, but we add Kodi as the display name in the app and click Start.
- Choose a file name for the Save field. Click Save. App Signer will unpack the data and save the file; It will say Done when it's done.
- Now go back to Xcode and select Window > Devices. Click your iOS device in the left panel. At the bottom of the right panel that contains your iPhone or iPad details, you may have to scroll down to see it, there is a small plus sign. Click on it.
Find and select the .ipa file that iOS App Signer generated in step 9 and click Open. After a brief pause while it installs the app you will see the Kodi app under Installed Apps.
- Unplug your iOS device and unlock it. You will see the Kodi icon in the first available space on your device. Depending on your configuration, it is very likely that you will receive an error message "Untrustworthy developer" when you tap the icon for the first time, and you can only tap Cancel.
So hit Cancel, and instead go to Settings > General, scroll down and tap Device management. In the DEVELOPER APP, tap the account you used earlier in the process, and on the next screen, tap “Trust” ( under the account name. Then tap Trust again.
And that's it! Go back to the home screen and tap the icon to run the app.
Conclusion
It is true that without jailbreak it is much more complicated, but we can still do it. I hope this guide helps you, and you can use one of the two methods mentioned in the article. Also, everything is read, it seems more complicated than it is, but the point is to read the information shown well, and follow the steps.