Hi Patrons!
AltStore 2.0b2 is now available with some big security updates, including a brand new “Permissions” section on app store pages that list all of an app’s permissions. You can view more information about each permission by tapping them. If you try to download an app with permissions not listed in the source, AltStore will show a warning alert with all the undeclared permissions and ask if you’d like to install it anyway.
And for developers, AltStore now supports providing build numbers in the source, which allows distributing multiple builds of an app with the same “version”. Additionally, you can now include the SHA-256 hash of an app in your source, and AltStore will verify the downloaded .ipa matches to ensure users are installing the exact build you uploaded.
Plus, this update includes a major fix for updating certain “tweaked” apps like uYou+ due to a bug with removing app extensions. You should now be able to update these apps without hanging on installation, but please let us know if you’re still having trouble.
Until next time!
Riley + Shane
Release Notes
New
Detailed App Permissions
View all entitlements and privacy permissions for an app from its store page
Tap any permission to view a detailed description
Automatically verifies permissions are accurate before installing
Temporarily allows bypassing warning alert while sources are in beta
Sources
Supports remote blocking malicious sources
`buildVersion` parameter allows distributing multiple builds with same app version
`sha256` parameter lets AltStore verify downloaded .ipa's have the correct SHA-256 hash
`appPermissions` parameter declares all permissions used by an app and its extensions
Improved
App Verification
Verifies downloaded app version matches source
Verifies downloaded app build version matches source
Verifies downloaded app’s permissions match source
Verifies downloaded .ipa matches SHA-256 hash (if provided)
Source Verification
Verifies source's identifier doesn't change after refreshing
Verifies source’s identifier doesn’t match existing sources when adding
Verifies all privacy permissions have a valid `usageDescription`
Fixed
Fixed updating apps with manually-removed app extensions (e.g. uYou+)
Fixed showing “Update” button on app store page when no supported update is available
Fixed "More" button appearing by accident if text height exactly equals collapsed height
Fixed various memory leaks on "Sources" screens
Fixed erroneously showing “Unsupported Updates Available” message
Fixed “Core Data error” if error occurs while parsing Source JSON
Fixed incorrectly handling various cancelled operations
Fixed resigning apps with entitlements the original app doesn’t have
Fixed crash when adding source with the same name as another source
Fixed resigning apps with entitlements the original app doesn’t have
Fixed resigning apps without required entitlements
Fixed resigning apps with wildcard `keychain-access-groups` entitlement
Installation Instructions
If you’re already using the AltStore beta, you can update to this version from the My Apps tab.
If you're installing the beta for the first time, make sure to first link your Patreon account in the Settings tab by following these instructions: https://faq.altstore.io/patreon/altstore-beta