Howdy Patrons!
We have a brand new app for y’all: the AltStore PAL beta! For the first time ever, you can install the beta version of AltStore PAL and try out all the latest features — including our newly-added Fediverse integration and an updated Liquid Glass design.
With this beta, we have officially taken our first steps Into the Fediverse. Last month, we announced our ActivityPub server explore.alt.store to make it easier to discover and share new apps, and we have now integrated it directly into AltStore PAL! Now when you look around, you’ll see real-time likes 👍 and comments 💬 on apps, app updates, and news items from users across the Fediverse like Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky. In the future, we’re also planning to add the ability to connect your own accounts to like & comment yourself directly in AltStore 👀 We’ve been really excited about bringing these features to AltStore PAL, and we can’t wait for you all to play around with them!
You’ll also immediately notice our fresh, fluid new look embracing Liquid Glass 💧 The new design matches the vibrancy and clarity of iOS 26, making it feel brighter, smoother, and perfectly at home with the rest of your device. We’ve gone through and updated the app screen-by-screen, and will continue to make tweaks until the final 2.3 release. As a fully open app marketplace, we can truly say we have never been more transparent 🫧
If you want to try this out, the AltStore PAL beta will appear as its own app in the Browse tab just like the beta versions of Delta and Clip. However, unlike other betas it will be installed as an update to AltStore instead of as a separate app. When you go to install the app, you will see an alert asking if you want to switch to the beta version of AltStore PAL — just tap “Update” and you’re good to go ✅
We’ve been hard at work bringing the new AltStore PAL beta to you before the holiday season, and we are so excited for you to give it a whirl! Please play around with the new design, explore the Fediverse connectivity, and let us know what you think. We’ll also have some more news on AltStore PAL to share before the year ends, so make sure to check back soon!
Riley + Shane
Release Notes
New
Liquid Glass UI
Updated design to fit at home on iOS 26
New Liquid Glass icon
Fediverse Support
View likes & comments on federated apps, app updates, and news items
Share URLs of federated items
Discover more apps at https://explore.alt.store
Misc.
Added option to switch back to previous "Modern" app icon
Improved
Disables "Auto-Manage Installed Apps" on iOS 26.1 by default to work around iOS bug
Fixed
Fixed AltStore incorrectly thinking an updated failed when it succeeded in background
Fixed false-positive errors due to installed version (temporarily) not matching expected version
Fixed badge count to accurately reflect number of app updates
Fixed showing empty text view for updates with no description
Install Instructions
AltStore PAL beta will appear as its own app in the Browse tab just like the beta versions of Delta and Clip. However, unlike other betas it will be installed as an update to AltStore instead of as a separate app. When you go to install the app, you will see an alert asking if you want to switch to the beta version of AltStore PAL — just tap “Update” and you’re good to go!