IPATool: Download IPA Files Directly from the App Store on your Desktop.

IPATool

IPATool lets you download IPA files directly from the App Store using your Apple ID. The latest desktop version also supports Apple Arcade games.

What is IPATool?

IPATool is a command-line tool that lets you search for iOS apps on the App Store and download their IPA files. It works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Once you find an app, IPATool downloads an encrypted IPA file to your computer.

Unlike third-party app stores like appdb, Panda Helper Lite, or iOSGods, IPATool only downloads apps you’ve purchased from the App Store. It’s not designed for piracy; you must have a valid license for the app you want to download.

IPATool: How It Works & Key Features

IPATool is a command-line tool that lets you search for, purchase, and download IPA files directly from the App Store using your Apple ID. It communicates only with Apple’s servers and does not store your credentials on any external server.

How It Works

Key Features:

✅ Download IPA Files – Get official app packages straight from the App Store.
✅ Apple Arcade Support – The latest version now allows downloading Apple Arcade games.
✅ Cross-Platform Compatibility – Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
✅ Secure Authentication – Directly connects to Apple servers without storing credentials.
✅ Search & Download – Find and download apps using bundle IDs or App Store listings.
✅ Support for Older Versions – Retrieve past versions of apps using iTunes.

New Features & Compatibility

  • IPATool 2.0 adds long-awaited support for Windows and Linux, and it can now run on iOS devices.
  • A new auth info the command provides additional account details.
  • Improved performance and software enhancements.
  • Used as a placeholder installer for TrollStore or Fugu15 on iOS 15.0 – 15.5b5 (A12–A15 devices).

Jailbreak Support & IPA Decryption

For jailbroken devices, tools like DumpDecrypter or CrackerXI+ can decrypt App Store apps, allowing you to modify or inject tweaks into them.

Additionally, IPA Ranger, a mobile app based on IPATool, allows you to log into the App Store and download IPA files directly to your iPhone, even if an app is not supported on your current iOS version.

IPATool is open-source, available on GitHub under the MIT License, and primarily written in Swift, with some Shell and Makefile components. The latest version, IPATool 2.0.0, was released in December.

How to Download IPA Files from the App Store Using IPATool

IPATool is a command-line tool that lets you download IPA files directly from the App Store. It works on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Here’s how to install and use it:

Installing IPATool on macOS

If you’re using macOS 10.11 or later, you can install IPATool with Homebrew:

bashCopyEditbrew tap majd/repo
brew install ipatool

Once installed, log in to the App Store with your Apple ID:

bashCopyEditipatool auth login --email your@email.com --password yourpassword

Downloading an IPA

  1. Search for an app:bashCopyEditipatool search --limit 1 TestFlight
  2. Download the IPA file:bashCopyEditipatool download -b com.apple.TestFlight

Installing IPATool on Windows & Linux

The tool has been ported to Python, making it compatible with Windows and Linux.

  1. Install dependencies:bashCopyEditgit clone https://github.com/NyaMisty/ipatool-py cd ipatool-py pip3 install -r requirements.txt
  2. Download an IPA using Python:bashCopyEditpython3 main.py lookup -b com.touchingapp.potatsolite -c US download -e your@email.com -p yourpassword

Additional Features

  • Supports downloading older app versions via iTunes.
  • Can fetch Apple Arcade games.
  • Now works on Windows & Linux.
  • Improved authentication and search.

The latest IPATool v2.1.6 comes with bug fixes and performance improvements. You can download it from the GitHub Releases page.