sideload

American  

[sahyd-lohd] / ˈsaɪdˌloʊd /

Or side-load

verb (used without object)

1. to transfer software, data, etc., from one local system or device to another, typically from one's computer to a mobile device.

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verb (used with object)

1. to transfer (software, data, etc.) by this process.

   It'll take two more minutes to sideload my podcasts to my phone.

Etymology

Origin of sideload

First recorded in 1995–2000; in the sense “off to the side,” i.e., not over the internet; patterned after upload and download

Example Sentences

On Monday it released a download kit to make it easier for Android users to sideload the app onto devices.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2025

I was happy to find that it’s relatively easy to quickly sideload ePub files to it.

From The Verge • Jun. 30, 2022

He went on to liken allowing users to sideload their own apps on iPhone to being like an automaker selling a car without airbags or seat belts.

From The Verge • Nov. 9, 2021

Users who attempt to sideload channels this way are shown warning messages that the platform “does not test or review non-certified channels” and that some content may be “offensive or inappropriate for some audiences.”

From The Verge • Nov. 3, 2021

It tried to "sideload" the app on Android phones - to try and avoid Google's own 30% charge.

From BBC • May 2, 2021