Popcorn Time, an app that delivers streaming torrents to users, has been downloaded more than 1 million times on non-jailbroken iPhones.
Speaking to VentureBeat, the makers of Popcorn Time say the app has reached the 1 million mark just two months after it was made available to non-jailbroken devices. To make the milestone even more of a victory for Popcorn Time, Apple strictly prohibits users from sideloading apps that are not approved for the Apple App Store. Popcorn Time, because of its potential to promote the bootlegging of copyrighted content, is not an official iOS app.
"We take huge pride in this," said Popcorn Time. "This is us, this is what we've created and it's f***ing breaking records."
However, in May, the app's developers have figured out a way to get around Apple's restrictions without being detected by the system. The method involves the use of an iOS installer that users have to download into their Windows computers and then connect their iPhone to their PC. The Windows version of the software was followed by a Mac version in May. As of press time, 1.1 million iPhone users with non-jailbroken phones have downloaded what is nicknamed as the Netflix for Pirates.
"This achievement we stand behind, that even though we've had so many huge achievements this year, we all here agree that this achievement - this is the tip of the iceberg," says Popcorn Time's makers. "This is the cherry on top. This is the most exciting achievement we never thought was even possible when we just picked up this project."
Popcorn Time also says that it is the most downloaded app outside of the Apple App Store and Google's Play Store, although there is currently no way to verify this claim. Currently, it is also the only app in the world that can be sideloaded into iOS.
Given how stringent Apple is when it comes to approving apps into its ecosystem, it is likely that the iPhone maker will issue a software update to disable Popcorn Time in non-jailbroken iPhones. However, since the app has broken into the "walled garden" two months ago, it is unclear if Apple has already detected its existence and is working on a fix to kick it out.
The 1 million number applies only to non-jailbroken iPhones. Popcorn Time is also available for Windows, Android and jailbroken iPhones, and its maker says the Popcorn Time downloads for iOS in jailbroken and non-jailbroken devices alone is only the third-biggest number of downloads. Android users have downloaded the app the most, followed by Windows PC users in second and iOS users in third. Popcorn Time is also available for the Mac and Linux.
