Install Iphone Simulator On Mac

Question or issue on macOS:

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How To Install Iphone X Simulator On Mac

Nov 26, 2020 xcrun simctl install booted xyz.app. Open iPhone simulator and click on app and use; For versions below iOS 8, do the following simple steps. Note: You’ll want to make sure that your app is built for all architectures, the Simulator is x386 in the Build Settings and Build Active Architecture Only set to No. Install the iOS Simulator. On your Mac, open Xcode. On the Xcode menu bar, select 'Xcode'. Navigate to the 'Preferences' menu option. Click 'Downloads'. In the 'Components' tab, select the iOS Simulator versions that you would like. Click “Install”. Although it’s not an officially approved method, you can run any iPhone or iPad app you’ve purchased or downloaded on an M1-based Mac. It’s buggy, but we’ve successfully run Instagram. IOS – How to install.ipa file to the iPhone simulator; IOS – cannot install iOS 7.1 simulator for Xcode 6 (weird file mounting error) IOS Simulator installed app location in Xcode 6.1; IOS – Is it possible to install Swift Playgrounds in iOS Simulator; IOS – How to debug an app that runs fine on iOS simulator, but crashes on iPhone X.

I have an iphone simulator running on my Mac.

I have a .ipa file, can you please tell me how can I install it on the simulator?

How to solve this problem?

Solution no. 1:

You can’t. If it was downloaded via the iTunes store it was built for a different processor and won’t work in the simulator.

Solution no. 2:

I found an .ipa file that I wanted using iTunes and copied it over to my desktop.

After that I changed the extension to .zip and extracted it.

Next I found the Payload folder and moved the application inside to my desktop.

Finally I moved that application to my iPhone simulators applications folder found at:

HD
> Applications
> Xcode.app (right click – Show Package Contents)
> Contents
> Developer
> Platforms
> iPhoneSimulator.platform
> SDKs
> iPhoneSimulator6.0.sdk
> Applications

Hope this helps!
(Note: Some apps crash more often than others.)

Solution no. 3:

In Xcode 6+ and iOS8+ you can do the simple steps below

Paste .app file on desktop.
Open terminal and paste the commands below:
cd desktop
xcrun simctl install booted xyz.app
Open iPhone simulator and click on app and use

For versions below iOS 8, do the following simple steps.

Note: You’ll want to make sure that your app is built for all architectures, the Simulator is x386 in the Build Settings and Build Active Architecture Only set to No.

Path: Library->Application Support->iPhone Simulator->7.1 (or another version if you need it)->Applications
Create a new folder with the name of the app
Go inside the folder and place the .app file here.

Solution no. 4:

Update for Xcode 9.4.1+

Hope my answer is getting seen down here as this took me a while to figure out but I just got it working.

First of all you need to build and run the App on your simulator. Then you open the Activity Monitor. Double click the name of your App to find its content.

In the next screen open the Open Files and Ports tab and find the line with MyAppName.app/MyAppName.

Copy the link but make sure to stop at the MyAppName.app. Do not copy the path following it.

Control click onto the finder icon and select Go to folder.

]

Paste the path and click enter. You will see your MyAppName.app file.
Copy it to the Desktop and zip it. Move it to your desired 2nd computer and unzip the file. Build a random project to have a simulator open.

Lastly: Literally drag and drop the App from your Desktop into your Simulator. You will see the install and the App opens and does not crash.

Solution no. 5:

You cannot run an ipa file in the simulator because the ipa file is compiled for a phone’s ARM architecture, not the simulator’s x86 architecture.

However, you can extract an app installed in a local simulator, send it to someone else, and have them copy it to the simulator on their machine.

In terminal, type:

This will open all the applications folders of all the simulators you have installed. Each of the applications will be in a folder with a random hexadecimal name. You can work out which is your application by looking inside each of them. Once you have found out which one you want, right click it and choose “Compress …” and it will make a zip file that you can easily copy to another computer and unzip to a similar location.

Solution no. 6:

UPDATE: For Xcode 8.0+ you need to follow below Steps:

Download application from iTunes
Select downloaded app, right click show in finder
Copy .ipa file to Desktop, rename it to .zip file
Extract that .zip file and you will get directory with application name
Check that directory you will find app file in Payload folder, copy this app file
Go to ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices

FYI: Library folder is hidden by default in mac, you can see hidden file using below command.

Now here you’ll see many directories with long hexadecimal names, these all are simulators.

To find your desired simulator, sort these directories using “Arranged By > Date Modified”.

Select that simulator file and go to below location.

<HEXADECIMAL-SIMULATOR-STRING>/data/Containers/Bundle/Application/
Create new folder name with <download-app-name> and paste app file in that folder
Open Terminal and run below command to install this application

Example <APP_FILE_PATH> will be looks like below:

Solution no. 7:

First of all, IPAs usually only have ARM slices because the App Store does not currently accept Simulator slices in uploads.

Secondly, as of Xcode 8.3 you can drag & drop a .app bundle into the Simulator window and it will be installed. You can find the app in your build products directory ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/projectname-xyzzyabcdefg/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator if you want to save it or distribute it to other people.

To install from the command line use xcrun simctl install <device> <path>.

device can be the device UUID, its name, or booted which means the currently booted device.

Solution no. 8:

You can run the application file of project in simulator – not .ipa file.

You can get it from:

Libraries-->Applicationsupport-->iphone simulator-->4.3(its ur simulator version)-->applications-->then u can see many files like 0CD04F.... find out your application file through open it.

You can copy the file to your system(which system simulator u need run ) location Libraries-->Applicationsupport-->iphone simulator-->4.3(its your simulator version)-->applications-->

Then open the simulator 4.3 (its your simulator version where you pasted). You can see the application installed there.

Getting from other people:

Please tell them to find out Libraries-->Applicationsupport-->iphone simulator-->4.3(its ur simulator version)-->applications-->then you can see many files like 0CD04F.... from their system and receive that file from them.

After they have got the file, please copy and paste the file in to your system `Libraries–>Applicationsupport–>iphone simulator–>4.3(its your simulator version)–>applications–>(paste the file here).

Then you can see the app is installed in your system simulator and you can run it after clicking the file.

Solution no. 9:

Copy From Here:
– Run the application in the Xcode.
– Select Finder go to Go and click on select Library Library/Application Support/iPhone Simulator/7.0.3-64/Applications
– Select 32 bit folder Copy your application.

Paste To Here:
– /Applications/Xcode-Beta.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhone Simulator. SDK/Applications
– Paste here and run the simulator.

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Solution no. 10:

For Xcode 10, here’s an easy way that worked for me for a debug IPA (development profiles)

Unzip the IPA to get the Payload folder.
Within the Payload folder is the app executable.
Drag and drop the app to an open simulator. (You might see a green add button when you drag it over the simulator)

It should install that app on that simulator.

Hope this helps!

Important:The information in this document is deprecated in Xcode 9. For Xcode 9 and later, see Simulator Help by choosing Help > Simulator Help in Simulator.

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Simulator app, available within Xcode, presents the iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch user interface in a window on your Mac computer. You interact with Simulator by using the keyboard and the mouse to emulate taps, device rotation, and other user actions.

The chapter presents the basics of using Simulator. You can perform these steps using your own iOS app or, if you do not have an app to use, with the HelloWorld sample code. For more detailed information on interacting with Simulator and using it to test and debug your apps, refer to the later chapters in this guide.

Access Simulator from Xcode

There are two different ways to access Simulator through Xcode. The first way is to run your app in Simulator, and the second way is to launch Simulator without running an app.

Running Your iOS App

When testing an app in Simulator, it is easiest to launch and run your app in Simulator directly from your Xcode project. To run your app in Simulator, choose an iOS simulator—for example, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, or iPhone 6 + Apple Watch - 38mm—from the Xcode scheme pop-up menu, and click Run. Xcode builds your project and then launches the most recent version of your app running in Simulator on your Mac screen, as shown in Figure 1-1.

Note: If you are testing an app with a deployment target of iPad, you can test only on a simulated iPad. If you are testing an app with a deployment target of iPhone or universal, you can test on either a simulated iPhone or a simulated iPad.

Running Your watchOS App

To run your WatckKit app, choose a combination of an iOS device and watchOS device from the Xcode scheme pop-up menu. For example, to run the watch app in a 38mm watch paired with an iPhone 6, choose 'iPhone 6 + Apple Watch - 38mm' from the scheme pop-up menu.

Running the WatchKit target launches two simulators, one for the iOS device and one for the watchOS device. Figure 1-2 shows an iPhone 6 and a 42mm watch running in two different simulators.

Running Your tvOS App

To run your tvOS App, choose a tvOS device from the Xcode scheme pop-up menu. Running the tvOS target launches the most recent version of your app in a simulated new Apple TV device, as shown in Figure 1-3.

Launching Simulator Without Running an App

At times, you may want to launch Simulator without running an app. This approach is helpful if you want to test how your app launches from the Home screen of a device or if you want to test a web app in Safari on a simulated iOS device.

To launch a Simulator without running an app

Launch Xcode.
Do one of the following:
- Choose Xcode > Open Developer Tool > Simulator.
- Control-click the Xcode icon in the Dock, and from the shortcut menu, choose Open Developer Tool > Simulator.

To launch a watchOS Simulator without running an app

Launch Xcode.
Do one of the following:
- Choose Xcode > Open Developer Tool > Simulator (watchOS).
- Control-click the Xcode icon in the Dock, and from the shortcut menu, choose Open Developer Tool > Simulator (watchOS).

Simulator opens and displays the Home screen of whichever simulated device was last used.

View the Installed Apps

From the Home screen, you have access to all of the apps that are installed in the simulation environment. There are two ways to access the Home screen in Simulator from your app:

Press Command-Shift-H.
Choose Hardware > Home.

Use the installed apps to test your app’s interaction with them. For example, if you are testing a game, you can use Simulator to ensure that the game is using Game Center correctly.

iOS Device Home Screen

Much like the Home screen on an iOS device, the simulator’s iOS Home screen has multiple pages. After clicking the Home button (or accessing the Home screen through the Hardware menu), you arrive at the second page of the Home screen. To get to the first page, where all of the preinstalled apps are found, swipe to the first Home screen by dragging to the right on the simulator screen.

On the Home screen, you see that all of the apps that have been preloaded into Simulator. See iOS Device Home Screen.

The apps that you see on the Home screen are specific to the iOS device simulation environment. Because Passbook and the Health app are available only for the iPhone, these apps don’t appear if you are simulating a legacy device or an unsupported device type.

watchOS Device Home Screen

The Home screen for a simulated watchOS device behaves the same as it would on an actual device. You can click and drag to simulate the finger dragging around the screen and launch an app by clicking on it. Figure 1-4 shows the home screen of a 42mm watch with a developer app, the Lister sample code.

Use Safari to Test Web Apps

From the Home screen, you can access Safari within Simulator. Use Safari to test your iOS web apps directly on your Mac.

From the Home screen, click Safari.
In the address field in Safari, type the URL of your web app and press the Return key.

If your Mac is connected to the Internet, it displays the mobile version of the URL you specified. For example, type apple.com into the address field and press Return. Safari displays the Apple website. See Figure 1-6.

Use Maps to Simulate Location Awareness

Simulator provides tools to assist you in debugging your apps. One of the many features you can debug in Simulator is location awareness within your app. Set a location by choosing Debug > Location > location of choice. The menu has items to simulate a static location or following a route.

A simulated watchOS device with the location set to None checks the paired iPhone device for the location.

You can specify your own location, which can be seen in the Maps app.

From the Home screen, click Maps.
Choose Debug > Location > Custom Location.
In the window that appears, type the number 40.75 in the latitude field and the number -73.75 in the longitude field.
Click OK.
Click the Current Location button in the bottom-left corner of the simulated device screen.

After completing this task, notice that the blue dot representing your location is in New York, NY, near the Long Island Expressway, as shown in Figure 1-7.

Change the Simulated Device and OS Version

Simulator provides the ability to simulate many different combinations of device type and OS version. A device type is a model of iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Some iPhone devices can also have a paired Apple Watch. Each device-OS combination has its own simulation environment with its own settings and apps. Simulator provides simulators for common device-iOS, device-watchOS-iOS device, and device-tvOS combinations. You can also add simulators for a specific combination you want to test. However, not all device type and OS version combinations are available.

Note: To test apps for the iPad mini, use a simulated iPad with the same pixel resolution as the iPad mini.

You can switch between different device-OS combinations. Switching closes the window for the existing device and then opens a new window with the selected device. The existing device goes through a normal OS shutdown sequence, though the timeout might be longer than the one on a real device. The new device goes through a normal OS startup sequence.

To change the simulated device

Choose a Hardware > Device > device of choice.
Simulator closes the active device window and opens a new window with the selected device.

If the device type and OS version combination you want to use is not in the Device submenu, create a simulator for it.

To add a simulator

Choose Hardware > Device > Manage Devices.
Xcode opens the Devices window.
At the bottom of the left column, click the Add button (+).
In the dialog that appears, enter a name in the Simulator Name text field and choose the device from the Device Type pop-up menu.
Choose the OS version from the iOS Version pop-up menu.
Alternatively, if the iOS version you want to use isn’t in the iOS Version pop-up menu, choose “Download more simulators” and follow the steps to download a simulator.
Click Create.

If the OS version you want to use is not installed, download it and follow the steps to add a simulator again.

To download a simulator

In Xcode, choose Xcode > Preferences.
In the Preferences window, click Downloads.
In Components, find the legacy simulator version you want to add, and click the Install button.

You can also delete and rename simulators in the Devices window.

To delete a simulator

In Simulator, choose Hardware > Device > Manage Devices, or in Xcode, choose Window > Devices.
Xcode opens the Devices window.
In the left column, select the simulator.
At the bottom of the left column, click the Action button (the gear next to the Add button).
Choose Delete from the Action menu.
In the dialog that appears, click Delete.

To rename a simulator, choose Rename from the Action menu and enter a new name.

For how to manage real devices that appear in the Devices window, read Devices Window Help.

Alter the Settings of the Simulated Device

You can alter the settings within Simulator to help test your app.

On a simulated device, use the Settings app. To open the Settings app, go to the Home screen and click or on tvOS, choose Settings. In Figure 1-8 you see the Settings app as it appears when launched in the iOS simulation environment.

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The Simulator settings differ from the settings found on a hardware device. Simulator is designed for testing your apps, whereas a hardware device is designed for use. Because Simulator is designed for testing apps, its settings are naturally focused on testing, too. For example, in a simulated iOS device the Accessibility menu provides the ability to turn on the Accessibility Inspector, and the Accessibility menu on a device allows you to turn on and off different accessibility features.

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Through the settings, you can test both accessibility and localization of your app. See Testing and Debugging in iOS Simulator for information on how to manipulate your settings for the various types of testing you are interested in.

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Remember: Changes made in the Settings app of simulated device affect only the simulation environment that is currently running.

Rotate iOS Devices

You can use Simulator to manipulate the simulated device much as you do a physical device.

To rotate your simulated device, choose Hardware > Rotate Left. When you rotate your simulated device, Settings rotates (see Figure 1-9), just as it would on a hardware device.

Test in Simulator and on a Device

Simulator is designed to assist you in designing, rapidly prototyping, and testing your app, but it should never serve as your sole platform for testing. One reason is that not all apps are available in the simulator. For example, the Camera app is available only on hardware devices and cannot be replicated in the simulator.

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In addition, not all bugs and performance problems can be caught through testing in Simulator alone. You’ll learn more about performance differences in Testing and Debugging in iOS Simulator. You can also find more information on testing your app on a device in Launching Your App on Devices in App Distribution Guide.

Quit Simulator

Simulator continues running until you quit it. Quitting Xcode will not close Simulator because they are separate applications. Similarly quitting simulator will not close Xcode.

To quit Simulator, choose Simulator > Quit Simulator. The device is shut down, terminating any running apps.

Note: Both Simulator and watchOS Simulator can be open at the same time.