I can't find developer mode on my iPad

In order to avoid malware from being installed on your phone, Developer Mode has been designed to not be accessible out of the box and requires you to: Download and Install XCode on your computer. Open a project in XCode on your computer. Plug in your iPhone into your computer. Try to run the project on the phone.

How do I install an iOS app through a windows computer ?

Follow this video and use Sideloadly to install iOS apps using Windows.

I can't find Developer Mode on my iPhone or iPad

A flower that represents Apple with the text "I Can’t Find Developer Mode" beneath it.

Developer Mode does not appear automatically and has been designed this way to avoid malware. Connect your iPhone or iPad to XCode to solve this issue.

A screenshot of the Developer Mode view within the settings app, with a highlight on the flip switch.

The following article is aimed to help individuals find developer mode and assumes that you have already tried to enable developer mode through the phones settings but could not find it.

If you have not yet tried this, please complete the process in the walkthrough linked below.

Troubleshooting Guide

In order to activate Developer Mode, we suggest you try the following three things:

Option A | Install Xcode & Run on your Phone

A screenshot of XCode 15 showing the error that appears when you try to run a development app on a phone which has not activated developer mode.

In order to avoid malware from being installed on your phone, Developer Mode has been designed to not be accessible out of the box and requires you to:

Download and Install XCode on your computer.
Open a project in XCode on your computer.
Plug in your iPhone into your computer.
Try to run the project on the phone.

This will prompt you that developer mode has not been activated and should now appear as expected when following the tutorial linked below.

Option B | Sideloadly (for Windows)

A screenshot of the Sideloadly website that states:
<p>The new & best way to sideload your favorite games and apps to your iOS device, Apple Silicon Mac or Apple TV.<br /></p>
<p>Sideloadly Features<br />- No Jailbreak required! Sideloadly was built for Non-Jailbroken devices in mind<br />- Ability to sideload apps with a free or paid Apple Developer account<br />- Ability to save your credentials for easy & quick sideloading<br />- Supports iOS 7 and all the way up to iOS 17.0+<br />- Wi-Fi Sideloading! Sideload/Install apps without needing to connect your device via USB! <br />- Automatic app refreshing. Sideloadly will automatically refresh your apps every few days to prevent them from expiring! <strong><strong>NEW!</strong></strong><br />- Just-In-Time compilation for sideloaded apps! JIT allows certain apps to run faster and work better by surpassing iOS restrictions. <strong><strong>NEW!</strong></strong><br />- Apple Silicon Sideloading Support! Use Sideloadly to install (unsupported) iOS apps to your M1/M2 Pro/Max/Ultra Mac! Works with Free/Paid Apple IDs & SIP enabled <br />- Apple TV (tvOS) Sideloading Support! Sideloadly can now sideload apps onto your Apple TV! <strong><strong>NEW!</strong></strong><br />- Drag & drop .IPA support<br />- Change minimum iOS version required to run the app<br />- Remove app/IPA restriction on supported devices<br />- Change the app name that will appear on your home screen<br />- Change the app icon that will appear on your home screen <strong><strong>NEW!</strong></strong><br />- Change the application bundle ID to allow multiple/duplicate app installs<br />- Multiple install options. Apple ID Sideload (default), Normal Install, Ad-hoc sign & export tweaked IPA! Each feature is explained when hovered over. <br />- App file sharing option. Allows you to access the sideloaded app's Documents on your PC & via the iOS Files app<br />- Remove individual or all app extensions (PlugIns) option<br />- URI Scheme to easily download and sideload an IPA directly from the web<br />- Installation logs for easier troubleshooting<br />- Device System Logs viewer for troubleshooting general device or app installation issues<br />- Ability to hide sensitive information to make it easier to take screenshots, record tutorial videos or share your logs for troubleshooting<br />- Ability to inject multiple .dylib, .deb, .framework & .bundle to your IPA. Including Cydia Substrate & Substitute framework support for Non-Jailbroken! <br />- Light/Dark mode for macOS<br />- More features to be added based on community suggestions</p>

If you cannot find developer mode on your iPhone and are looking for a way to turn it on without using Xcode or through a Windows computer, we recommend that you follow this video and use Sideloadly to complete the process.

Option C | Contact Apple Support

A screenshot of the Apple Support website.

If none of the options from above worked, please contact Apple Support for further suggestions.

Any Questions?

We are actively looking for feedback on how to improve this resource. Please send us a note to inquiries@delasign.com with any thoughts or feedback you may have.

I can't find Developer Mode on my iPhone or iPad

Developer Mode does not appear automatically and has been designed this way to avoid malware. Connect your iPhone or iPad to XCode to solve this issue.

Troubleshooting Guide

Option A | Install Xcode & Run on your Phone

Option B | Sideloadly (for Windows)

Option C | Contact Apple Support

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