Is there a Switch emulator on the App Store?

Not as of October 2026. Apple has allowed retro console emulators since April 2024, but App Store apps cannot use JIT, and Switch emulators depend on it. Apps in EU and Japanese alternative marketplaces face the same limit. Be wary of any App Store app claiming to play Switch games.

Can my iPhone 13 or 14 run MeloNX?

It can be installed: with a free Apple ID the minimum is iPhone 12, and a paid developer account goes down to iPhone 6s on iOS 15. MeloNX recommends iPhone 15 Pro or newer, though. nxnative needs an A17 Pro or newer, so iPhone 13 and 14 can't use it.

Does a free Apple ID work?

Yes, but apps signed with a free account expire after 7 days and must be refreshed, and you can have at most 3 sideloaded apps, SideStore included. iPhones under 4GB and iPads under 8GB also need Extended Virtual Addressing, which only a paid developer account ($99 per year) provides.

Should I update to iOS 27?

If you rely on JIT for MeloNX, wait. iOS 27 came out on September 14, 2026. StikDebug's issue tracker had a report that JIT failed for every app on iOS 27.0; the issue is closed, but there is no official word that it is fixed. Check StikDebug's and MeloNX's latest notes before updating.

Can I install MeloNX with an enterprise certificate or signing service?

It's not a good fit. Apps signed with enterprise certificates or third-party signing services don't get the get-task-allow entitlement needed for JIT, and the certificates can be revoked at any time. MeloNX's docs say to use an Apple ID sideloader, not a certificate. Such services are also often bundled with pirated apps.

Does nxnative need JIT?

The docs don't say. nxnative rewrites game code at build time, unlike emulators that translate code while running, but as of October 2026 the project has not stated that JIT is unnecessary. Its listed install methods are sideloading with AltStore, Sideloadly or LiveContainer.

Switch Emulator iPhone / iPad: MeloNX & nxnative Guide 2026

As of October 2026, there are two ways to play Switch games on an iPhone or iPad. One is MeloNX, an iOS emulator based on Ryujinx; the latest version is 2.7 (2026-10-11), and it needs sideloading plus JIT. The other is nxnative, which builds a single game into an IPA on a Mac for you to sideload; it needs iOS / iPadOS 26 or later and an A17 Pro or M1 chip or newer. Neither installs from the App Store.

Why it isn't on the App Store

Apple changed its review guidelines in April 2024 to allow retro console emulators, but App Store apps still can't use JIT.
Switch emulators translate the game's ARM code into native code while running, which is JIT. iOS only allows that when a debugger is attached, which requires the developer-signing entitlement get-task-allow. App Store and TestFlight apps never have it.
Apps in alternative marketplaces in the EU and Japan, such as AltStore PAL, face the same technical limit, as heise reported. Dolphin's iOS developer also asked Apple for JIT access and was turned down.

So you sideload, then turn on JIT with a tool such as StikDebug. The details are in the iOS JIT and StikDebug guide.

Which route to take

Item	MeloNX	nxnative
What it is	Emulator (Ryujinx line)	Native port; the project says it is "not an emulator"
Version	2.7 (2026-10-11)	Rolling (repo created 2026-10-13)
Games	General purpose; depends on each game's compatibility	One IPA per game; 109 listed as playable
OS and chip	Recommended on iPhone 15 Pro or newer; minimums below	iOS / iPadOS 26+, A17 Pro or M1 or newer
JIT	Required; it won't run without it	Not stated in the docs
Computer	Needed for the first sideload	A Mac is required to build
Memory entitlement	Increased Memory Limit on every device	Increased Memory Limit recommended for large games

nxnative needs A17 Pro or M1 because game textures use BC compression, which older iPhone GPUs can't read.

Devices and iOS versions (MeloNX)

Device	Supported?	Notes
iPhone 15 Pro and newer	Recommended	8GB and 12GB models both get the same 6GB app memory limit
iPad Pro 5th gen and newer, iPad Air 5 and newer	Recommended	8GB of RAM or more
iPhone 12 to iPhone 15	Installable	Free Apple ID minimum is iPhone 12
iPhone 6s to iPhone 11	Paid account only	Paid developer account minimum is iPhone 6s on iOS 15
iPhones under 4GB, iPads under 8GB	Paid account only	Extended Virtual Addressing is required

On iOS versions:

iOS 17.4 to 18.x: fully supported by StikDebug and the easiest for JIT.
iOS 26.x: StikDebug works, but only in apps that developers have updated for the new method. MeloNX is updated, and on iOS 26 it requires StikDebug for JIT.
iOS 27: released September 14, 2026. MeloNX has claimed iOS 26.6 and 27 support since 2.4, and 2.7 added iOS 27 AirPlay support. However, StikDebug's issue tracker had a report that JIT failed for every app on iOS 27.0, with no official word on a fix. If you depend on JIT, read StikDebug's and MeloNX's latest notes before you update.

What the memory entitlements are

iOS doesn't give apps enough memory for Switch games by default, so entitlements raise the limit:

Entitlement	Who needs it	How to get it
Increased Memory Limit	Every device running MeloNX	The recommended Impactor sideloader can request it; paid accounts can also enable it in the Apple Developer portal
Extended Virtual Addressing	iPads under 8GB, iPhones under 4GB	Paid developer account only
Increased Debugging Memory Limit	Enabled alongside the others in the older paid-account method	Paid developer account

MeloNX 2.5 added an Extended Virtual Addressing check, 2.6 added a RAM tester, and 2.7 works around the per-app memory cap by moving game memory into a system extension process. Staying on the latest version avoids a lot of trouble.

Sideloading tools at a glance

Tool	What it does	Key points
Impactor (formerly PlumeImpactor)	Desktop sideloader for macOS, Linux and Windows	Recommended by MeloNX; can request memory entitlements and place pairing files
SideStore	Refreshes apps on the phone itself	First install needs a computer; refreshing needs LocalDevVPN on and Wi-Fi
AltStore Classic	The classic sideloading store	Needs AltServer running on a computer
AltStore PAL	Alternative marketplace in the EU, Japan and Brazil	Apps must pass Apple notarization; JIT is still restricted
Sideloadly	Desktop sideloader	One of the install methods nxnative lists
LiveContainer	Runs several IPAs inside one container app	Gets around the free account's 3-app limit
StikDebug	Enables JIT on the device	iOS 17.4+; no computer needed after the first pairing
Paid developer account ($99/year)	Signatures last one year	No 3-app limit; unlocks Extended Virtual Addressing
TrollStore	Permanent installs via a system bug	Only up to iOS 17.0; useless on current iOS

Apps signed with a free Apple ID expire after 7 days, with at most 3 sideloaded apps including SideStore. Enterprise certificates and signing services can't get get-task-allow and so can't enable JIT; MeloNX's docs say to use an Apple ID sideloader, not a certificate.

Installing MeloNX (the recommended route)

(Optional, recommended) Install SideStore on the phone first so you can refresh and update on the device later.
Install Impactor on your computer and sign in under Settings > Login with your Apple ID (the same one SideStore uses).
Download the IPA from MeloNX's official site, melonx.org, import it into Impactor, connect your device, select it and click Install. Impactor requests the memory entitlements MeloNX needs.
(Optional) In SideStore's My Apps, tap + and install the same IPA again so SideStore can refresh it later.
On the phone, trust the developer under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, and on iOS 16 or later turn on Developer Mode.
Enable JIT and launch MeloNX with StikDebug; see the JIT guide.
In MeloNX, import keys and firmware with the file picker. Since 2.5, MeloNX lets you continue without title.keys. See keys and firmware explained.
Add your own games and play.

Paid developer accounts can also use the older method: sideload MeloNX with any Apple ID sideloader, enable Increased Memory Limit, Extended Virtual Addressing and Increased Debugging Memory Limit for it under Identifiers in the Apple Developer portal, delete and reinstall, then confirm inside the app that they are active.

MeloNX settings

Setting	Suggestion	Notes
Resolution	Default (1x)	Phones are limited on heat and memory
Shader cache	On	Since 2.6 you can clear all shader caches in one tap
Async shaders	Experimental; turn off if problems appear	Added in 2.4
MetalFX spatial upscaling	Worth trying	Added in 2.7
Controllers	MFi controllers	Keyboard, touch, Joy-Con and almost all MFi pads work; Joy-Con motion is blocked by iOS; 2.7 added button remapping and experimental Steam Controller support
Updates and DLC	Supported	MeloNX says mods and cheats are "not supported but may work"
Audio	Update to the latest version first	2.6 switched to a new audio backend

2.7 also added BCn-to-ETC2 texture recompression for GPUs without BCn support.

The nxnative route (concept)

On a Mac with macOS 26.6+ and Xcode 27.2 (plus Xcode's iOS platform component), feed your own game files and prod.keys to nxnative's script to build an unsigned IPA. The first build takes 30–60 minutes.
Sideload the IPA with AltStore, Sideloadly or LiveContainer, and turn on Increased Memory Limit for large games when available.
If the IPA is too large to install, nxnative's site says you can rebuild with the game's resources packed separately and run the copy step it prints once.
Saves and logs sit in the Files app under the game's name (save/ and log.txt). Documents/env.txt lets you set handheld mode, a 30 fps target to save battery, or an FPS counter.
Some sideloaders create a new data folder on reinstall; copy save/ and pso_user.tsv over from the old one.

nxnative has no amiibo or online support. Community projects also offer IPA builders for Windows and a branch aimed at iOS 16.1 and 17; none of them are official, and their compatibility claims are unverified.

What doesn't work yet

Eden has only an iOS proof of concept in its official repository; there is no usable iOS build.
Citron Neo has no iOS build. Sudachi has stopped development and Pomelo is archived.
Ryubing says it will not make an iOS version.

More Apple coverage is on the iOS platform hub, and Mac options are in the Mac guide.

Switch Emulator on iPhone and iPad: MeloNX and nxnative Setup Guide (October 2026)

Key points