Set up SideShip on your own computer

Open Terminal (press ⌘ Space, type “Terminal”)a terminal and copy in these lines. Replace my-app with any folder name you like.

$ git clone <SideShip template URL> my-app
$ cd my-app

If your Mac says git isn't installed, click Install in the pop-up (Apple's Command Line Tools), then run the line again.

$ ./sideship setup

If Node.js is missing, it installs it first (with Homebrew, which asks for your Mac password). Then it asks:

• Your name. Shown as the developer in your store.
• Your app's name, e.g. “Plant Buddy”. It also suggests a bundle ID like com.alexkim.plantbuddy. Keep it: changing it later makes your phone treat it as a different app.
• A one-line description and a brand color. Optional.
• GitHub or GitLab. GitHub is recommended because it can also build in the cloud.Choose GitHub. It's required without a Mac.
• Where to build. On this Mac (needs Xcode) or in GitHub Actions.

Stopped by accident? Press Ctrl C any time. ./sideship setup picks up where you left off, and ./sideship setup --plan shows what's done.

While the tools install in the background, setup walks you through each account and opens the right web page. Here's what you'll do:

Setup waits for the background installs and shows a line like this until every item has a tick:

✔ Flutter SDK   ✔ CocoaPodsSystem packages   … GitHub CLI   · Cloudflare CLI (wrangler)

• If you build on this Mac, it asks for your password once to finish setting up Xcode (accept the license, download the iOS platform). Open Xcode once after it installs.
• It asks for your password once to install system packages (curl, unzip, usbmuxd…), and adds Flutter to your shell. New terminals will see it.
• Something failed? The details are in .sideship/logs/install.log. Fix the item, then run ./sideship setup again.

1. A browser window opens. Sign in and approve the code shown in the terminal.
2. Setup asks whether the current git remote is yours. Answer No: it's the template you cloned. It's kept as upstream so you can pull SideShip updates later.
3. Pick a name for your repository and choose Private or Public.

Private repos get about 200 free macOS build minutes a month on GitHub Actions (roughly 15–20 releases). Public repos get unlimited minutes.

Nothing to do but watch. Setup:

• creates a Cloudflare Pages project for your store, plus an R2 bucket if you chose R2, and attaches your domain if you gave one;
• creates the Flutter app in app/ with your name, bundle ID, a generated icon (branding/icon.png) and a starter screen;
• makes the first commit and pushes it, then saves your Cloudflare key as a GitHub Actions secret so the cloud build can publish.

If it shows a DNS record to add for your custom domain, add it in Cloudflare under your domain → DNS, then press Enter.

Version 1.0.0 now builds on your Macin GitHub Actions (about 5–15 minutes). Setup guides you through these steps meanwhile:

1. Download iloader for macOSLinux from its releases page and open it. The usbmuxd service must be running: sudo systemctl start usbmuxd.
2. Plug in your iPhone, unlock it, tap Trust and enter your passcode.
3. In iloader, sign in with your Apple ID, pick your phone, and choose Install SideStore.
4. On the iPhone: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management, tap your Apple ID, then Trust.
5. Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode → On. The phone restarts. Confirm Turn On.
6. Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect, then open SideStore.

SideStore changes from time to time. If a screen looks different, docs.sidestore.io has the current steps.

When the build is published, setup prints your store address and a QR code.

1. Scan the QR code with your iPhone's Camera (or type the address into Safari).
2. Tap Add to SideStore and confirm.
3. In SideStore, open your app and tap Install. 🎉

Button didn't work? In SideStore go to Sources → + and paste your store address followed by /source.json. Lost the QR code? Run ./sideship status.

Open your agent in the project folder and describe what you want, e.g. “add a list of my plants with a photo and a watering reminder”. It follows AGENTS.md: it writes a short spec for each feature, builds in small tested steps, and writes release notes that show up in SideStore.

$ claude                   # or your favourite AI agent
$ ./sideship preview       # try it: iOS Simulatorin your browser
$ ./sideship release       # ship a new version to your phone
$ ./sideship status        # store link + QR code
$ ./sideship doctor        # something wrong? start here

Free Apple ID limits

• Up to 3 sideloaded apps at once, SideStore included.
• Apps last 7 days between refreshes. Your data stays when you refresh.
• No push notifications, iCloud, Sign in with Apple, Apple Pay or in-app purchases. Local notifications, camera, photos, location and storage all work. Your agent knows this.

If something goes wrong