Initially started as a project to allow jailbroken iOS users to test apps before buying them from the iTunes App Store, Installous app later reshaped into a hub where anyone could download paid iOS apps without having to pay anything. There were millions of apps for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch users — all of them free to download. But now you won’t be able to install or download Installous app, as the Hackulous repository has been shut down.
According to a blog post on Hackulous website, this famous Cydia repo is shutting down, taking with it all the apps including Installous. This means no more cracked or pirated apps. The journey ends with this blog post:
We are very sad to announce that Hackulous is shutting down. After many years, our community has become stagnant and our forums are a bit of a ghost town. It has become difficult to keep them online and well-moderated, despite the devotion of our staff. We’re incredibly thankful for the support we’ve had over the years and hope that new, greater communities blossom out of our absence.
Many of the jailbreakers are not buying the story, primarily because Installous always had an active community. There are thousands of app downloads every day. Revenue, or the lack thereof, could have been a potential reason to discontinue Installous and Hackulous repo. However, with the growth in number of users, revenue from ads inevitably increases. So what forced Hackulous to close its doors?
Update 2013: If you are looking for apps similar to Installous, then don’t forget to check out our article where we share some interesting Cydia repos and Installous-like apps available for download. Article link: Best alternatives to Installous apps on Cydia.
The sudden death of Hackulous has left many of us wondering and are curiously looking for a clearer explanation. The site offers no answer, which leaves us with no option but to believe their side of the story. It’s true that iOS 6 jailbreak is unavailable and the future of iOS jailbreak is bleak as Apple is continually working on strengthening its upcoming iOS firmwares.
We have seen reports from a Chinese company revealing the statistics of iOS jailbreaks. The company concludes that iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch jailbreaking is down by 10% compared to last year. Reason: there’s no jailbreak for iDevices.
Despite the ongoing jailbreak updates, the folks working on Hackulous repo could probably predict the future of jailbreak in advance, which is why they are closing down.
Installous app, similar to the iTunes App Store, offered both the latest and older version of apps for free download. Installous users uploaded the IPA file on file-sharing sites like Depositfiles, Slingfile, etc. The files are still available, but it’s difficult to search without Installous.
