Install Webink
iPhone & iPad · MacWebink is no longer on the App Store. On iPhone and iPad it installs through SideStore; on Mac it is a direct download. Pick your device.
What you need
SideStore can install up to three apps at once with a free Apple Account, including SideStore itself.
How this works
To install Webink on your iPhone or iPad, first install SideStore, a free alternative app store. The process has two parts:
1. Install SideStore (first time only)
You’ll need your Apple Account, a computer, and your iPhone or iPad. You only need to complete this setup once. If SideStore is already installed and working on your device, choose Install Webink below.
2. Install Webink
Once SideStore is set up, add the Webink source URL to SideStore, then tap Install. You don’t need a computer for this step.
Choose your computer’s operating system below and follow the steps to install SideStore on your device. Developer Mode must be enabled on your device before you begin.
If you need additional information, you can also consult the SideStore documentation.
Install iloader
Download iloader for macOS, open the .dmg, and drag it to
Applications.
Windows must be 64-bit. Install iTunes first, then run the iloader
.msi
installer. The .msi is recommended over the .exe.
Install usbmuxd first, then install the iloader package for your
distribution.
sudo apt install usbmuxd
Install LocalDevVPN
Install LocalDevVPN, open it, and tap Connect. This is a small local VPN that lets SideStore talk to your device. Keep it connected whenever you install, update, or refresh an app.
Install SideStore
Open iloader and sign in with the same Apple Account you use on your device.
Unlock your iPhone or iPad and keep it unlocked during the installation. Connect it to your computer using a USB cable, then click Install SideStore (Stable) in iloader.
During the process, a prompt may appear on your device asking you to trust the computer. Tap Trust and enter your device passcode if requested. Once the installation is complete, SideStore should appear on your device.
If you see an “Untrusted Developer” message when opening SideStore, go to:
Now that LocalDevVPN is connected and SideStore is installed, open this page on your iPhone or iPad and tap the button below. It will add Webink to SideStore, where you can install it.
If the button doesn't work. Open SideStore, go to Sources, tap + or Add Source, and add the URL below.
https://buburo.com/webink/source.json
Once the Webink source has been added, open it and tap Install.
Updates appear in SideStore
When a new Webink version is released, SideStore shows it as an update. Tap Update in SideStore and let it install the new version.
Refresh counter
Apps installed through SideStore have a counter signing period. SideStore will try to refresh Webink automatically before it expires, but automatic refresh is not guaranteed.
If the counter is close to zero, refresh Webink manually:
- Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect.
- Open SideStore, go to My Apps, and tap the counter next to Webink to refresh it.
If the counter reaches zero, Webink will stop opening until it is refreshed again.
When something gets stuck
Try the short fix first. Or open the official SideStore guide for anything more advanced.
SideStore will not open
Make sure SideStore was installed through iloader. If it still will not open, reinstall SideStore with iloader. The official troubleshooting guide has the clean reinstall steps.
“Unable to verify app” or an untrusted developer warning
On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings › General › VPN & Device Management, select the Developer App entry named after your Apple Account, and tap Trust. If the warning continues, check that Developer Mode is enabled under Settings › Privacy & Security.
SideStore or Webink has expired
Connect LocalDevVPN, make sure Wi-Fi is on, open SideStore, go to My Apps, and tap the day counter next to the app. If SideStore itself will not refresh, restart the device and try again.
Pairing file invalid, especially after an iOS or iPadOS update
A pairing file is the small file that lets iloader and SideStore recognise your device. It can expire after an update or reset. On your computer, open iloader, delete the stored pairing, trust the device again, then use Manage Pairing File › Place for SideStore. Follow the official pairing-file guide.
LocalDevVPN will not connect
Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect. Allow the VPN configuration if iOS asks, and keep Wi-Fi enabled. If it still fails, restart LocalDevVPN and SideStore. The official guide also recommends checking DNS blockers and replacing the pairing file.
Webink does not appear after adding the source
Confirm that the source is exactly https://buburo.com/webink/source.json, then close and reopen SideStore. If you used the button and nothing happened, use the manual source steps above.
Sign-in or Apple Account errors
Use the same Apple Account in iloader and SideStore. If SideStore freezes during sign-in, its official troubleshooting guide recommends trying another Anisette server in SideStore settings.
These steps follow the official SideStore prerequisites, installation guide, and troubleshooting guide. SideStore can change over time, so use those pages if a button name has changed.
What you need
How this works
The Mac version is a normal .dmg download. Drag it to Applications and it is
installed.
No account, no VPN, and nothing that expires. Install it once and it keeps working.
The one hurdle is the first launch. Webink is not signed with an Apple Developer certificate, so macOS blocks it once and says the app is “damaged”. It is not damaged. That is the wording macOS uses for any app it cannot verify. Step 3 clears it, once, permanently.
Three steps
Download the .dmg
Open it and drag Webink into the Applications folder, then eject the disk image.
Open it once. macOS will block it.
Double-click Webink in Applications. macOS shows “Webink is damaged and can’t be opened” and offers only to move it to the Bin. Click Cancel. Nothing is wrong with the download; this happens to every app not signed with a paid Apple certificate.
Allow it, once
Open System Settings › Privacy & Security and scroll down. There is a line saying Webink was blocked, with an Open Anyway button. Click it and confirm with your password or Touch ID.
If that line is not there, run this in Terminal instead and then open the app normally:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Webink.app
Either way you only do this once. After that Webink opens with a normal double-click, like any other app.
Updating
Nothing expires and there is nothing to refresh. When a new version is out, the app tells you:
download the new .dmg and replace the one in Applications.
You only have to allow it again if macOS asks, which it usually does not for a version you have already approved.
Why the warning exists
Apple charges an annual fee for the certificate that removes it. Webink is free and not on the App Store, so it ships unsigned rather than passing that cost on. The download comes straight from the project’s own releases page. You can check the source it was built from at any time.