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Modding Knights of the Old Republic on iOS

A practical guide to obtaining a decrypted IPA, preparing it for TSLPatcher (and related tools), and sideloading a modded build back to an iPhone or iPad. KotOR and The Sith Lords (often called K1 and K2) are distributed on iOS as IPA files—standard iOS app packages you can back up, inspect on a computer, and (once decrypted) modify like a PC game folder.

On this page: Getting the IPA · ipatool path · Decrypt helper files · Modding · Sideloadly · Troubleshooting

Getting a decrypted IPA

You need a copy of the game in decrypted form. Two common routes:

On-device decryption (AppDump2 + TrollStore) — when your device can run those tools.
Download with ipatool (PC/Mac) — when you cannot or prefer not to use the first method; you then merge in decrypted files from a separate download (see below).

What you will use

Sideloadly — for installing the finished IPA to your device from a PC (required later; install it on your computer now).
AppDump2 and TrollStore — on iOS only, for dumping/decrypting an installed app’s IPA, if your device supports them.
A file manager or transfer method to move the IPA from the device to your PC.

Steps (AppDump2 + TrollStore)

Install Sideloadly on your computer from the link above.
On your iOS device, set up AppDump2 and TrollStore using the official instructions for each.
Use AppDump2 together with TrollStore to produce a decrypted IPA of KotOR (K1) or The Sith Lords (K2).
Send that IPA to your PC with the file manager or method you prefer.

If that completes successfully, you can skip the ipatool section and go straight to Modding your decrypted IPA.

Using `ipatool`

If you cannot install AppDump2 or TrollStore (or they fail on your device), you can download an encrypted copy of the app from Apple’s servers with ipatool. Those downloads are not fully usable for modding until you add decrypted pieces from the MEGA links in Merging decrypted assets.

Install ipatool on your PC or Mac and follow the project’s README. Sign in to your Apple account (the same one that owns the App Store purchase of the game).

Example (replace the placeholders with your email and password—do not type the angle brackets):

ipatool auth login --email your@email.com --password your-secure-password

Security notes:

Your password is sensitive. Prefer running this on a trusted, private machine, and be aware that shells often log command history. Consider the tool’s documentation for environment variables or other safer patterns if available.
You must own the game on the Apple ID you use. Piracy is not supported; this guide assumes a legitimate App Store copy.

Download the game

Use ipatool download with the correct bundle ID:

Game	Bundle ID
KotOR (K1)	`com.aspyr.kotor.ios`
The Sith Lords (K2)	`com.aspyr.kotor2.ios`

Examples:

ipatool download -b com.aspyr.kotor.ios
ipatool download -b com.aspyr.kotor2.ios

If the download “finishes” with a file-in-use or `.tmp` error

ipatool may report that a temporary file could not be closed. In the same folder as ipatool.exe (on Windows), look for a file like Something.ipa.tmp. Rename it and remove the .tmp extension so the file ends in .ipa. You should then have a valid IPA archive to extract.

If you use only this ipatool route, you still need the extra decrypted material from the next section before modding and sideloading will work as intended.

Merging decrypted assets

If you used ipatool, obtain and merge the following decrypted file packs (hosted off-site; links may change if the uploader updates them—check community threads if a link is dead):

K1 (KotOR): MEGA – K1 decrypted pack
K2 (The Sith Lords): MEGA – K2 decrypted pack

Merge steps (high level):

Extract the IPA you got from ipatool with a tool like 7-Zip (Windows) or an equivalent archive tool.
Inside the extracted app bundle, delete any folders named SC_Info (there are usually at least two; you may see three). These relate to app encryption; removing them is part of the usual workflow.
Extract the MEGA download for your game and copy its contents into the same extracted IPA tree, overwriting when prompted.
If you are not asked to overwrite anything, double-check that you are merging into the correct inner app folder (the structure should mirror a normal KotOR install layout, e.g. Override, modules, and similar for that title).

You should end up with a decrypted IPA structure that TSLPatcher and file-based mods can treat like the PC version’s folders, ready for the modding and Sideloadly steps.

Modding your decrypted IPA

You now have a decrypted IPA (either directly from the device or after ipatool + MEGA merge).

Point TSLPatcher (or your mod’s installer) at the extracted app folder — the same tree where Override, modules, and related directories live.
If TSLPatcher insists on a PC-style path, it may look for a swkotor.exe (or similar) to recognize the game. The usual workaround is to add a dummy/placeholder file with that name in the right place so the patcher accepts the directory as a valid KotOR root (follow your mod’s or tool’s current instructions; paths differ slightly for K1 vs K2).
Install mods in the standard way: Override, modules, and other folders as each mod’s readme specifies.

Case-sensitivity on iOS

iOS’s filesystem is case-sensitive in a way that often differs from Windows. A case-sensitivity fix step is required for many mods, or you may get crashes (e.g. “New game” → immediate exit) or missing assets.

Run the fix only inside the real content folders, for example: modules, Override, streamwaves, streamsounds, streamvoice, rims, or lips, as your tool describes.
Do not run a blanket lowercasing or rename pass on the top level of the whole IPA—only these game-data locations.

Repack the IPA (zip, not a single nested folder)

When the mods and case fix are done:

Zip the contents of the top level of your modified app payload so the archive opens directly to folders and files, not to a single parent folder with everything hidden inside.
The usual mistake is creating MyApp/MyGame/Override/... as the only path inside the zip. Instead, the zip root should show Override, modules, and friends at the top of the archive, matching how the unzipped IPA looked.
After zipping, rename the archive to .ipa if your tool expects that extension.

Continue to Sideloadly.

Sideloadly

Install the modded build on your device:

Open Sideloadly and choose your .ipa.
Open Advanced options and review:
- Signing mode: Apple ID sideload (as documented; other modes are untested in this guide).
- Enable file sharing — useful for later file access / tutorials.
- Remove limitation on supported devices — if you hit artificial compatibility blocks.
- Try to support older iOS versions — can help on hardware the App Store labels “incompatible” even when the app runs.
Connect the device, select it in Sideloadly (iDevice), open the log viewer (icon with two arrows), then press Start.

Expect a long install. The transfer and signing process can take many minutes. It is normal to wait a while; avoid unplugging the device mid-run unless a guide tells you to recover from a specific error.

Sideloadly error: `LOCKDOWN_E_MUX_ERROR`

You may see log lines like:

Got error: Call to lockdownd_start_service failed: LOCKDOWN_E_MUX_ERROR. IPA file exists, retrying
FAILED: Call to lockdownd_start_service failed: LOCKDOWN_E_MUX_ERROR

Free space: Many failures come from the device not having enough free space. As a rule of thumb, try to keep at least twice the IPA file size free (e.g. 10 GB free for a ~5 GB package).
Connection: Unplugging/re-plugging the cable or restarting Sideloadly can clear transient USB/lockdownd issues.
Patience: The process retries; if it is still progressing, let it run.

When the log shows 100% successfully, the sideloaded build should be on your device.

After a successful install

7-day (free) signing: On a free Apple ID, you typically must re-sign about every 7 days unless you have a paid Apple Developer membership. This is an Apple platform rule, not a Sideloadly quirk. Re-sideload periodically to refresh the signature.
“New game” crash: If the game crashes immediately when starting a new game, the usual cause is skipped or incorrect case-sensitivity fixes — return to the PC, fix folder/file casing inside the allowed directories, and sideload again.
Known quirk: Some mod builds (e.g. around Neocities mod build content) can show blaster icon issues; causes are not fully pinned down in all cases.

Troubleshooting & tips

Symptom	What to check
ipatool login fails	Apple ID, password, 2FA flow per ipatool docs; region/account issues.
No “overwrite” when merging MEGA files	Wrong folder; compare against an unzipped K1/K2 app layout.
TSLPatcher won’t accept path	Dummy `swkotor.exe` (or K2 equivalent per tool); correct root folder.
Build won’t open or crashes in-game	Case-sensitivity; mod load order; vanilla vs modded `modules` conflicts.
Sideloadly stuck / mux errors	Disk space on the device, cable, USB port, and patience with retries.

Legal & ethics: This guide is for people who purchased the iOS app and want to use mods. Do not use these instructions to pirate the game or to bypass DRM for copies you do not own.

Disclaimer: iOS and tool behavior change over time. Always use the latest official ipatool, Sideloadly, and TrollStore / AppDump2 documentation. Third-party downloads (e.g. MEGA packs) are provided by the community, not this document—verify sources you trust.

For questions or updates, refer to the community maintaining your preferred mod list or installer.

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