Newer tools like (a permanent sideloading utility) allow users to install modified IPAs that behave like tweaks without a full jailbreak. This has led to a resurgence of "Cydia-style" repositories, but instead of .deb files (Cydia tweaks), people are sharing .ipa files (modded apps).
4 minutes Introduction: The Ghost in the Machine If you’ve been around the iOS customization scene for more than a few years, the name Cydia needs no introduction. For the uninitiated, Cydia was the "App Store for Jailbroken iPhones"—a third-party installer that allowed users to break free from Apple’s walled garden. cydia ipa
Unlocking the Vault: What You Need to Know About Cydia IPA Files Newer tools like (a permanent sideloading utility) allow
Cydia changed the game forever. But its legacy now lives on in the IPA files we sideload—not as a jailbreak, but as a memory of a time when we truly owned our phones. For the uninitiated, Cydia was the "App Store
This is the most important takeaway. An IPA file runs inside the iOS sandbox. Jailbreaking requires escaping that sandbox to rewrite system partitions. You cannot do that with a standard sideloaded IPA.