iOS 9.3.5 is famously secure in the stock state, but the jailbreak community cracked it using a tool called Phoenix (by Siguza and tihmstar). You sideload the Phoenix app via a computer (using AltStore or Sideloadly), run the exploit, and watch as your old iPhone resprings with Cydia on the home screen. This is non-negotiable. Without a jailbreak, Apple’s code signature enforcement will kill any sideloaded IPA within seven days.
Using a desktop tool like iFunBox or 3uTools (Windows) or Cydia Impactor (legacy), you drag the YouTube IPA into the device. The phone vibrates. The green "YouTube" icon appears. You hold your breath. The Reality: Does It Actually Work? This is the cruel twist. You install the IPA. YouTube opens. The old, skeuomorphic icon appears—the red TV set with the white play button. For a moment, you are transported to 2016. The UI is smooth. It runs perfectly on the A5 chip. download youtube ipa file for ios 9.3.5
But in 2025, they are time capsules. And like any good time capsule, opening them to the modern world is fraught with error messages, broken certificates, and the dreaded "This app requires iOS 10.0 or later." The green "YouTube" icon appears
The most common cry from the owners of these devices is simple: "How do I get YouTube back?" Without a jailbreak