verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb

1. 1
   To transfer data between two local devices, rather than to or from a remote device. transitive

   "I'm going to sideload my computer's address book onto my mobile phone."

2. 2
   To install an app on a mobile device by using unofficial channels, such as avoiding the use of an app store by obtaining it directly from the developer or downloading from a software repository. transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms

jailbreak

Example

More examples

"I'm going to sideload my computer's address book onto my mobile phone."

Etymology

From side + load, modelled on upload and download.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.