Devices and Simulator
Configure and manage devices connected to your Mac or devices in Simulator and use them to run your app.
Overview
As you build your app, run it on real or simulated devices to test new features and evaluate your progress.
Run your app on a real device to confirm that you can interact with it as you intend, and that your app’s performance on a real device meets your expectations. To run your app on a real device, first enable Developer Mode on your iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, or watchOS device, then connect your device to your Mac and run your app from Xcode.
Run your app on Simulator to quickly evaluate new features and bug fixes, and to see how your user interface works on devices that you don’t have access to. Use Simulator’s features to streamline your testing, but be aware that there are some scenarios that require testing on hardware instead of Simulator.
Topics
Essentials
Running your app in Simulator or on a devicePairing your devices with XcodeEnabling Developer Mode on a device
Simulator management
Downloading and installing additional Xcode componentsInstalling your app in many Simulator platforms and versions
Simulator interactions
Interacting with your app in the iOS and iPadOS simulatorInteracting with your app in the tvOS simulatorInteracting with your app in the watchOS simulatorInteracting with your app in the visionOS simulatorConfiguring Simulator for your working environmentSimulating an external display or CarPlayCapturing screenshots and videos from Simulator
Simulator testing considerations
Testing in Simulator versus testing on hardware devicesSharing data with SimulatorTesting complex hardware device scenarios in SimulatorIdentifying graphics and animations issues in Simulator