Installing the same app twice on the iPhone
A 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
- Open iTunes
- Go into the Application section
- Right click on the application you want to duplicate
- Select Show in Finder (Show in Explorer on PCs)
- Right click on the .ipa file and copy it to you desktop (or where every you’d like)
- Replace the .ipa with .zip – An IPA files is just another type of a .Zip file
- Un-compress the zip file
- Open the new folder and Go into the Payload folder
- Right click on the App and select show package contents (MAC ONLY STEP, Should just be a folder on the Windows)
- Find the Info.plist files and open it in you favorite editor. (I prefer Plist Editor Pro)
- Change the “Bundle display” name to whatever you’d like. This is the name that will be displayed on the iPhone (optional step)
- Change the “Bundle identifier” (I recommend just putting a 2 at the end.)
- Save the file
- Open your favorite FTP software and connect into your iPhone/iPod Touch
- Navigate to the root directory and then into the Application folder
- Transfer the application into this folder
- Reboot or Respiring your iPhone/iPod and the application should now be somewhere on your home-screen
- Open the App and enjoy
If you have any issue please watch the video above.
I got it to duplicate the icon but when i try to open it it just crashed. any ideas?
Tried that with NewsTap.
2nd copy crashes on launch.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Great blog but How about for cydia apps?
Cheers
Is there a reson that it crashes? Or does it really just matter what app you are trying to duplicate?
Thanks
i tried this with the mxit app… and it keeps on crashing can you help me out???
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 .
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???
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)
- Edited Info.plist in SomethingElse.app
I meaned: – Edited Info.plist in GetItDone.app
Hey, do you have to have a jail broken device to do this or does that not matter?
Looks like no-one home anymore.
Yes it does require a jailbroken device.
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
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
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?
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
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??
sorry, not app store to install, i used itunes
Successufully created 3 apps for Global Wars on one iphone. Nice.
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?
Has anyone able to install whatsapp twice? I tried so many times but no luck…
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
Thanks dude you are a LIFE SAVER !
I followed all the procedure step by step and it worked perfect for me !
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 ?
Haven’t tried it, but it should
I tried with HIgh School Hero with no success. Any tips?
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