Xcode for Windows: Develop iOS Apps on PC

Written by Reinder de Vries on February 28 2020 in App Development

How can you run Xcode on Windows and develop iOS apps with a Windows PC? The short answer is: you can’t! You’ve got a few alternatives to get around that, however. In this tutorial, we’ll discuss how you can install Xcode on Windows to build iOS apps.

Here’s what we’ll get into:

• Rent a Mac in the cloud (starting at $20/mo)
• Run and compile Swift directly on Windows/Linux
• Learning to code with a Swift Sandbox
• Build your own “Hackintosh” by installing macOS on a PC
• Run Xcode on Windows by installing macOS on a virtual machine
• Develop iOS apps on Windows with cross-platform tools
• Get your hands on a second-hand Mac (starting at $300)

Xcode for Windows: What & Why

Xcode contains everything you need to build iOS apps, and it only runs on macOS!

That’s when the problems start. You want to make an iOS app with your Windows PC, but you can’t buy a PC or laptop with macOS pre-installed on it. Unlike Windows, Apple doesn’t license its operating system to other computer manufacturers. You can only use macOS on a Mac.

In fact, when you obtain a license to use macOS, which happens when you purchase a Mac computer, you have to agree to only run the operating system on Apple hardware. This effectively limits you to only develop apps on a Mac.

“It’s more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.”
— Steve Jobs (1983)

But… it’s more fun to be a pirate, than to join the navy, right? Let’s discuss a few alternatives that’ll let you run Xcode on Windows and develop iOS apps on a Windows PC!

Rent a Mac in the Cloud

An even easier way to get your hands on macOS, albeit more expensive, is to rent a Mac “in the Cloud”. You can work with Xcode on Windows with this approach, because you’re essentially connected to a Mac that’s elsewhere.

Here’s how that works:

• Someone connects a bunch of Mac’s to the internet
• You sign in on one of those Macs via a Remote Desktop Connection (RDP)
• Done! You can use this Mac from Windows/Linux and build iOS apps

Services like MacinCloud and MacStadium offer affordable rent-a-Mac products, usually paid on a monthly basis. Prices typically start at $20/month and you can choose from several hardware options, including Mac Mini and Mac Pro.

Starting at	Type
MacinCloud	$20/month	Dedicated, Virtual, Server
MacStadium	$79/month	Dedicated, Enterprise
virtualmacosx.com	$9.75/month	Shared (timesharing)
Mac Cloud	$49/month	Virtual
Flow	Premium	Dedicated, Enterprise
HostMyApple	$25/month	Virtual, Dedicated

You connect to those cloud-based Macs via a Remote Desktop Connection (RDP). Windows includes a stock Remote Desktop Client you can use, and so do most Linux operating systems. Once you’re logged on, you can launch Xcode, and start building your iOS app. That way you’re effectively running Xcode on your Windows PC!

Cloud-based Macs usually come in 3 flavours:

• A dedicated Mac, which means you get access to a physical Mac located in a data center, as if you bought a Mac in the Apple Store and put it on your desk.
• A virtual Mac, which means you get access to a virtual Mac in a data center, much like the VirtualBox solution mentioned earlier. Your Mac won’t run on Apple hardware, but it will run macOS.
• A Mac Build Server, which is a specialized kind of Mac that can be used to compile iOS apps. You’ll create those apps on your Mac, and then instruct the Build Server to compile the app for you.

A dedicated Mac is the most convenient, and the most powerful option. A virtual Mac is OK too, but it typically does not perform as well as a physical Mac computer.

Running Xcode via a Mac in the cloud has a drawback: you can’t easily connect your iPhone to Xcode via USB! With Xcode on your local Mac you can run and debug your app on your own iPhone, via the USB/Lightning cable. This obviously won’t work when your Mac is in the cloud…

Don’t worry! There are plenty of solutions for that:

• A simple approach is to run your app on iPhone Simulator, right from within Xcode. You can launch iPhone Simulator in Xcode, and debug your app with it. This is perfect for the development phase of your project.
• An alternative solution are tools like Flexihub, NoMachine and USB Network Gate. They only work with dedicated Mac hardware, and you need to have a dedicated IP address.
• Install your iOS app on your iPhone via TestFlight, and debug it with a tool like Bugsnag. You can monitor and debug live crashes in your app.

An interesting use case for renting a Mac in the cloud comes from the latest developments in Apple’s hardware. Many designers, developers and desktop-publishers have voiced their concerns over Apple hardware lagging behind, offering low-spec computers for a fairly high price.

If you don’t want to take your $3.000 MacBook Pro with you in a coffee shop, or on your next trip to Thailand, why not purchase a low-end Windows or Linux laptop, and connect to your Mac in the cloud? You can either host it at home yourself, co-locate it in a data center, or rent a dedicated cloud-based Mac.

Do you want to learn how to code iOS apps, but don’t want to invest money in a Mac? Rent a Mac in the cloud for the duration of the iOS development course you’re taking! It’s a great way to bootstrap learning iOS development, and you can always buy your own Mac later.

Learn how to code iOS apps

Get started with Xcode and Swift

Ready to get started with iOS development? Learn how to code iOS apps with Xcode and Swift with our immersive iOS development course. Works both on Mac and PC!

5 лучших эмуляторов iOS под Windows

Сегодня я расскажу, как использовать приложения для iOS на своем PC с помощью эмуляторов iPhone . В этой статье я перечислю все эмуляторы iOS , которые в настоящее время доступны для платформы Windows.

Что такое эмулятор iOS?

Эмулятор — это программное обеспечение, с помощью которого можно запускать приложения, предназначенные для других операционных систем: Android , iOS и т. д.

Эмулятор iPhone позволяет запускать iOS-приложения на PC без необходимости использования iPhone . Подобное программное обеспечение полезно для разработчиков, особенно при создании приложений под другие платформы. Если бы при тестировании приложение каждый раз нужно было переносить на iPhone , это занимало бы очень много времени. В таких случаях эмуляторы становятся практически незаменимыми.

Существует много эмуляторов iOS для Windows , но в этой статье я перечислю лучшие из них. Как вы, знаете, iOS — это любимая операционная система разработчиков, и большинство приложений сначала запускаются только для iOS . С другой стороны, iPhone очень дорогой, и многие считают, что он не стоит этих денег. Так что большинство покупает бюджетные смартфоны.

Для Windows существуют десятки эмуляторов iOS на ПК , и для большинства из нас трудно определить лучший из них. Но не волнуйтесь, поскольку наша команда до написания этой статьи тщательно изучила эмуляторы iOS , вы сможете легко выбрать лучшие из приведенного ниже списка.

Лучшие эмуляторы iOS для Windows 7/8/8.1/10

1) iPadian iPhone Emulator

Один из лучших эмуляторов iPhone для Windows. IPadian Emulator доступен в двух версиях. Одна бесплатная, другая стоит 10 долларов. С ее помощью можно запускать любые приложения для iOS, например WhatsApp, Snapchat и т. д., которые нельзя запустить в бесплатном iPad-эмуляторе. Я настоятельно рекомендую купить платную версию. Я лично попробовал iPadian для Windows 8:

Как установить iPad-эмулятор на компьютере с Windows:

Для запуска iPadian iPhone Emulator на компьютере выполните следующие действия.

• СкачайтеiPadian Emulator ;
• Дважды кликните по файлу установщика, который вы загрузили в предыдущем шаге;

• Следуйте указаниям мастера установки эмулятора iOS для Windows ;
• После успешной установки iPadian Emulator на компьютер можно выполнять дальнейшие шаги для запуска iOS-приложений .

Как запускать iOS-приложения на ОС Windows 7/8/8.1 с помощью iPadian Emulator:

• Дважды кликните по иконке iPadian ;
• Теперь в интерфейсе эмулятора нажмите на иконку магазина приложений;
• Загрузите свои любимые приложения и наслаждайтесь эмулятором iOS на PC .

2) MobiOne Studio (проект официально прекращен)

Обновление — этот проект iPhone эмулятора официально прекращен, но его все равно можно установить на свой компьютер, загрузив EXE-файл со сторонних сайтов.

3) Air iPhone Emulator

Еще один отличный эмулятор iOS , который доступен для Windows 7/8/8.1 и т. д. Используя его, можно без проблем запускать iOS -приложения на своем компьютере. Если вы i OS-разработчик , можно использовать этот эмулятор, чтобы бесплатно тестировать приложения. Если вам не понравился iPadian Emulator , особенно его бесплатная версия, тогда можно попробовать данную альтернативу:

4) Xamarin Testflight

Что касается поддержки разработчиков, я должен сказать, что в этом плане Xamarin Testflight — лучший эмулятор iOS для Windows 7 . Хотя это платное программное обеспечение, но оно стоит своих денег:

5. Appetize.Io

Это облачный эмулятор, и вы не сможете загрузить его на свой компьютер. Ранее существовал эмулятор iPhone , известный как App.io , но он больше не доступен. Поэтому, если вы ищете альтернативу App.io , то вам стоит попробовать Appetize.io :

Чтобы использовать его, загрузите файл .ipa и введите свой адрес электронной почты. На указанный ящик вы получите ссылку. Нажмите на нее, чтобы протестировать .ipa-файл в онлайн-эмуляторе Appetize.io .

Заключение

В этой статье мы рассмотрели лучшие эмуляторы iOS на компьютер. Я также рассказал о функциях каждого из перечисленных выше эмуляторов.

Если статья была для вас полезной, просим поставить лайк и подписаться на наш канал . Также посетите наш сайт , чтобы увидеть больше подобного контента.

IOS programming on Windows system [duplicate]

I’m interested in learning IOS programming but at the moment i do not have access to a Macintosh system. Just wondering if there is an equivalent of IOS SDK for Windows? I do have an iphone though 🙂

4 Answers 4

You can check out GNUStep which is a cross-platform objective-c API that you can work with on windows. Not exactly the same, but you can at least get your feet wet in working with objective-c and cocoa-like objects.

You need a Mac to get started with iOS development. However, you could google «Hackintosh» and try to install Mac OSX on your windows laptop, which will enable you to install XCode and later iOS Development.

Yes, there are indeed development platforms on windows for the iPhone and iPad. The usually do not support the native iOS language: objective-c. However, most of them to allow you to build and or deploy onto iOS through some method or other. Here are a few recommendations:

DragonFire SDK. It is currently only for game development, but if you’re really determined you can make a non-game app simply by adding UI elements programmatically (however this can be very painful). Dragon Fire SDK runs on Windows XP, Vista and 7. It costs a bit of money to be get full features from the SDK and submit to the AppStore. Here is the link: http://www.dragonfiresdk.com I have used it before, it works wonders. You can develop for the iPhone or iPad and it’s all in C/C++. It comes with examples and help files too.

Stencyl. This is a simple and easy to use Game IDE that allows you to deploy your 2D games onto multiple platforms: Windows, Mac OSX, iOS, etc. STencyl requires no coding, however if you pay for the full version you can add your own objective-c or flash code. Here’s the link: http://www.stencyl.com

Unity. Unity 3D is a very complex and very high end (in other words, expensive) game IDE and engine that lets you build 3D games for any platform (almost any, ex. iOS, OSX, Windows, Xbox, Wii, Playstation, Android, Linux). Unity costs (on the cheaper end) $1500. so this is probably not the best solution if you don’t have the money to buy a Mac which is around the same price. However, if you’re looking for one of the best Game Engines and IDEs with options to distribute to literally every platform, you may want to check it out: http://unity3d.com

All in all, DragonFire SDK is probably your best bet. It gives you the most flexibility on your PC for the price and it doesn’t take a huge learning curve. I tried DragonFire before getting my Mac or knowing about iOS Development. And I had a simple guitar app up and running with DragonFire in an hour or so using my prior C++ knowledge.

If you aren’t looking for a development platform, try out GNUStep to get a basic understanding of Obj-C. You could also look into building a «Hackintosh».

Xcode for Windows (12 Ways to Build iOS Apps on PC)

I wish I had known this when I first started because I delayed myself for 3 years before biting the bullet and buying a Mac.

Had I known about running Xcode on Windows or about the solutions below, I might’ve started building iPhone apps much earlier!

Rent a Mac

Before committing to buying a new Mac, you can actually “rent” one for development. You’ll remotely access the Mac and Xcode through your PC.

It’ll be like having the Mac desktop in a window on your Windows Desktop.

The really nice thing about this option is that the cost is really low and it’s the fastest option to get up and running.

If you decide that app development isn’t for you, you just cancel your plan.

1. MacStadium
These guys were featured in the recent Apple keynote when they introduced the updated Mac Mini! They have the newest Macs available.

(Use coupon code “CODEWITHCHRIS” for 50% off your first month. If you do, please let me know in the comments below. I’ll get a small kick back at no extra expense to you so thank you for supporting my site!)

If you go down this route for iOS app development, make sure you get my Xcode cheatsheet with references and keyboard shortcuts for Windows users.

There are a couple other companies that provide this service:

2. MacInCloud
This is the most well known service out of the three. You won’t have to install Xcode because it comes preinstalled. You can also do pay-as-you-go so it’s a pretty low commitment. Some people complain that it’s slow but you can try it out for yourself since it’s only about a buck an hour!

3. XcodeClub
XcodeClub is run by Daniel who is a passionate developer himself. From the reviews I see, the service is fast and friendly. The pricing is less flexible than MacInCloud and you’ll have to commit to at least a month.

Virtualize MacOS

If you’re a little more technically savvy, you can use virtualization software and run a “virtual Mac” on your PC.

The services above are essentially doing the same thing on their servers and then they charge you a fee to access the virtual machine.

By setting it up yourself on your own PC, you essentially cut the middle man out of the equation.

Unfortunately it does take a little bit of technical know-how to get this up and running.

The two most popular pieces of software to do virtualization are VirtualBox and VMWare Workstation.

You can download them below and then use Google to find a guide on how to install the latest MacOS (Mojave) with either VirtualBox or VMWare Workstation.

After that, spin up your new virtual Mac and download Xcode. This is as close as you’ll get to running actual Xcode on Windows!

4. VirtualBox
VirtualBox is open source software which means that it’s free. That probably explains why it’s a lot more popular than VMWare Workstation when it comes to running MacOS on your Windows machine!

5. VMWare Workstation
Unfortunately you’ll have to pay for this piece of software and at the time of this writing, a license costs about half the price of a brand new Mac Mini which is perfectly suitable for iOS app development. I would recommend you try VirtualBox first or try to buy a used Mac Mini.

Build a “Hackintosh”

You can also build a “Hackintosh” which is a PC that has been customized to run MacOS.

This requires the most effort out of all the options presented so far but it can work for someone who wants a separate physical computer running MacOS.

6. Hackintosh.com
A great resource for all things Hackintosh. The first How-To section contains links to a number of great tutorials for building your own Hackintosh and installing High Sierra.

7. Hackintosh Subreddit
I love looking for Reddit communities on anything that I’m interested in because there are always interesting conversations happening. Reddit provides a way to have a dialogue with like minded individuals, to get help and to help others!

8. Hackintosh Articles on 9to5mac.com
I included this link because it contains up to date news and articles for Hackintosh builds.

Third Party Solutions

Lastly, there are many third party solutions that you can use to do iOS development on Windows.

You won’t be using Xcode in these solutions but you’ll be able to generate an app that can run on iOS devices.

Check out these great Xcode alternatives:

9. React Native
Use JavaScript to build native mobile apps.

10. Xamarin
Use C# to build a mobile app that you can deploy natively to Android, iOS and Windows.

11. Appcelerator
Build native mobile apps using JavaScript.

12. PhoneGap
Build hybrid cross-platform mobile apps using HTML, CSS and JavaScript.