Installing the same app twice on the iPhone

images.pngA couple weeks ago I set out to try and figure out, how to install the same application twice on the iPhone. The results where slim to none and there was only one site I found that had promise, but every time I tried it the app would crash before it could fully load. So I decided to take the little information I had learned and figure it out on my own. And I am happy to say I had success and have had the same application on the iPhone working for a week with no issues.

Watch the video or follow the step by step directions and if you have any issue getting it to work just let me know what app and I will see what I can do.

Directions

  1. Open iTunes
  2. Go into the Application section
  3. Right click on the application you want to duplicate
  4. Select Show in Finder (Show in Explorer on PCs)
  5. Right click on the .ipa file and copy it to you desktop (or where every you’d like)
  6. Replace the .ipa with .zip – An IPA files is just another type of a .Zip file
  7. Un-compress the zip file
  8. Open the new folder and Go into the Payload folder
  9. Right click on the App and select show package contents (MAC ONLY STEP, Should just be a folder on the Windows)
  10. Find the Info.plist files and open it in you favorite editor. (I prefer Plist Editor Pro)
  11. Change the “Bundle display” name to whatever you’d like. This is the name that will be displayed on the iPhone (optional step)
  12. Change the “Bundle identifier” (I recommend just putting a 2 at the end.)
  13. Save the file
  14. Open your favorite FTP software and connect into your iPhone/iPod Touch
  15. Navigate to the root directory and then into the Application folder
  16. Transfer the application into this folder
  17. Reboot or Respiring your iPhone/iPod and the application should now be somewhere on your home-screen
  18. Open the App and enjoy

If you have any issue please watch the video above.

Categories: Apple, Hack, iPhone, Tip, Videos, Workaround Tags:
Blog > Installing the same app twice on the iPhone
  1. avatar
    Jerod
    November 29th, 2009 at 10:37 | #1

    I got it to duplicate the icon but when i try to open it it just crashed. any ideas?

  2. December 3rd, 2009 at 16:21 | #2

    Tried that with NewsTap.
    2nd copy crashes on launch.

  3. December 3rd, 2009 at 16:53 | #3

    Thats odd I just tried it following the instructions above and it worked fine for me. I added a video link below to show that it did work.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvZDKBbvpOQ&feature=youtube_gdata

    You may want to give it another shot. I recommend changing the display name of the app to incase you didn’t do that.

  4. December 3rd, 2009 at 17:10 | #4

    Thanks for testing, Brian.
    As I wasn’t aware of “your” NewsTap, you obviously wasn’t aware of \mine\.
    I meant the Usenet Newsreader NewsTap by Alexander Clauss
    That’s the one that doesn’t work.
    BTW: How do you change the application’s icons?

  5. December 3rd, 2009 at 17:33 | #5

    I just tested out the free version of the app and it is also working. You may want to try deleting the app from your itunes and re-downloading it. and using that version to modify. As long as you don’t delete it from the phone too, you shouldn’t lose any setting.

    If you use cydia to install winterboard and then install themes then you can find and add icons to the themes. When you SSH into you phone the themes are located in the /var/stash/themes.(random characters)

    in the themes folder you will see a icon folder you can add a created icon there with the same name of the app to set the new icon.

  6. December 4th, 2009 at 03:43 | #6

    Ah, you didn’t modify the iTunesArtwork file to change the icon?
    I tried it that way to have a different icon in iTunes, too.
    And BTW which programm did you use to transfer the files to the phone?
    I used PhoneView, so maybe that’s causing the failure, perhaps due to wrongly set permissions.

  7. avatar
    Alex
    December 7th, 2009 at 22:24 | #7

    Great blog but How about for cydia apps?

    Cheers

  8. avatar
    Jerod
    December 11th, 2009 at 19:09 | #8

    Is there a reson that it crashes? Or does it really just matter what app you are trying to duplicate?
    Thanks

  9. avatar
    Riaz
    December 13th, 2009 at 14:30 | #9

    i tried this with the mxit app… and it keeps on crashing can you help me out???

  10. avatar
    tdoosqs
    January 31st, 2010 at 09:49 | #10

    SSH into you phone to /private/var/stash/Applications.(Random Characters) ,
    Right Click on your duplicated Folder ,
    open Properties and set Permission to 0777 dont forget check a box for permission “recursevily” dont have to restart Springboard .

  11. avatar
    js
    February 2nd, 2010 at 13:14 | #11

    i have a question to point 3 “save the file”:

    save to which format?? after i used the editor i saved the info.plist. than i tried to copy the folder into root/applications. but all the other folder in aplications end wit .app!!! do i have to change the name of my folder???

  12. February 15th, 2010 at 11:29 | #12

    Tried the above with the App ‘Done’, didn’t work, crashed on launch.

    But I managed to get it work with the following approach:

    - I copied Todo.app from /var/mobile/Applications/A7657E…-…-ETC/ to /var/stash/Applications.(random chars) with iFile.

    - Changed the bundle name from Todo.app to GetItDone.app.

    - Edited Info.plist in SomethingElse.app:
    CFBundleDisplayName: SomethingILiked (doesn’t matter)
    CFBundleIdentifier: net.chillidesign.getitdone (was net.chillidesign.done, a 2 at the end also should have worked)
    CFBundleName: GetItDone (should be the same as the bundle name in the Applications directory!)

    - Did a respring, was happy.

    The difference is that I also changed the bundle name and the CFBundleName in the Info.plist, otherwise the App will interfere with his twin brother/sister (and crashes on launch)

  13. February 15th, 2010 at 11:30 | #13

    - Edited Info.plist in SomethingElse.app

    I meaned: – Edited Info.plist in GetItDone.app

  14. July 20th, 2010 at 07:56 | #14

    Hey, do you have to have a jail broken device to do this or does that not matter?

  15. July 30th, 2010 at 08:47 | #15

    Looks like no-one home anymore.

  16. September 14th, 2010 at 15:35 | #16

    Yes it does require a jailbroken device.

  17. avatar
    zed
    October 16th, 2010 at 08:05 | #17

    hey guys i found how to stop from crashing.

    -Get the .ipa from itunes and make a copy, make that copy open with .zip.

    -When u open it go to, payload, example..app (you have to change this name for a new one leaving the .app example: abc.app ) , info.plist

    -edit info.plist like this CFBundleDisplayName ( abc )
    CFBundleIdentifier: ( just add a number in the end) exmaple :net.chillidesign.getitdone (net.chillidesign.done2)
    CFBundleName: (abc)

    -Remember all that must be saved on the copy that u make from itunes .ipa

    - When ur done right click on the copy and hit open with : itunes

    - and thats it, itunes must sync ur new app in ur devices

  18. avatar
    Anthony
    October 21st, 2010 at 17:21 | #18

    I Have followed your instructions. I also have a mac. I have the same issue as everyone else in that the app appears but won’t open. I’m trying to install the world war app twice or three times. Any assistance would be appreciated.

    Thanks

  19. avatar
    ltndncr
    October 26th, 2010 at 20:00 | #19

    Hey thanks for the directions and video. I tried this with the paid version of pocket informant app but no luck. I’m using iphone browser on my PC instead of SSH and I have a jailbroken 3GS. When I did the restart it showed the 2nd app (new name) with a white square instead of the icon and the app doesn’t open.

    In the root – application folder it lists only some of my apps and this app isn’t in there. Any suggestions?

  20. avatar
    Max
    December 2nd, 2010 at 04:25 | #20

    Hello brian, Great info and video!!
    Does this work w whatsapp too since they need to connect w their server and may or may not be able to deal w the altered names? What do u think?

    How could I get a second whatsapp working over the same itunes account but on a different phone of another country? Can I just load it again and pay again or is itunes not allowing me to do that?

    Thanks!
    Max

  21. avatar
    david
    January 1st, 2011 at 15:29 | #21

    This worked for me using the app store to install it onto
    my phone after i had modified it with winzip. I managed to
    duplicate “cartel wars”, and changed it’s udid # but somehow it
    still knows i have annother copy installed on my phone somewhere.
    Any ideas??

  22. avatar
    david
    January 1st, 2011 at 15:30 | #22

    sorry, not app store to install, i used itunes

  23. avatar
    Devian Banks
    February 15th, 2011 at 23:33 | #23

    Successufully created 3 apps for Global Wars on one iphone. Nice.

  24. avatar
    Sziky
    March 15th, 2011 at 15:55 | #24

    I did it and i’m fine but i have a question. The normally installed applications have a Documents folder. Is here still somewhere a Documents folder created or what?

  25. avatar
    John
    March 16th, 2011 at 21:54 | #25

    Has anyone able to install whatsapp twice? I tried so many times but no luck…

  26. avatar
    Ramon
    April 13th, 2011 at 21:51 | #26

    I have an IPAD2..have 2 SKYPE accounts and would like to have 2 apps on the IPAD…is is possible? Thanks for your attention

  27. avatar
    UxaiR
    May 15th, 2011 at 13:26 | #27

    Thanks dude you are a LIFE SAVER !
    I followed all the procedure step by step and it worked perfect for me ! :D

    just Wanted to know that if there is another update of the same app and we update the app from the app store would both of the apps updated or just one with the original name ?

  28. June 28th, 2011 at 15:46 | #28

    Haven’t tried it, but it should

  29. avatar
    Coltonl
    July 9th, 2011 at 21:39 | #29

    I tried with HIgh School Hero with no success. Any tips?

  30. avatar
    Angela Oboyle
    August 26th, 2011 at 01:29 | #30

    It is in reality a nice and helpful piece of info. I am satisfied that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.

  1. November 25th, 2009 at 16:13 | #1
  2. September 14th, 2010 at 09:00 | #2