--- title: Downloading and installing additional Xcode components framework: xcode role: article role_heading: Article path: xcode/downloading-and-installing-additional-xcode-components --- # Downloading and installing additional Xcode components Add more simulated devices, optional features, and support for additional platforms. ## Overview Overview Xcode lets you manage optional components yourself so that you can install only the components you use and remove the ones you don’t. For example, install simulator runtimes for the devices and operating systems your app runs on, or add support for platforms that you target. You download and install Xcode components in Xcode settings or using the command line. note: Developing for visionOS requires a Mac with Apple silicon. Manage Xcode components in settings To manage your components, choose Xcode > Settings and click Components in the sidebar. Xcode shows the installed and enabled components along with the amount of storage you can recover if you remove them. There are three types of components: To download and install a component in any of these sections, click the Get button next to the component. To remove or disable components you no longer use and recover their storage space, click the information button next to the component. In the dialog that appears, click Delete or Turn Off depending on the component. You can also install platform support when you create a project by selecting a template and clicking the Get button that appears for platforms that aren’t installed. For more information, see Creating an Xcode project for an app. note: You can create a new Xcode project or work with an existing Xcode project on a platform that Xcode is installing, but you can’t run or build the project until Xcode finishes downloading and installing the files. Install previously released simulator runtimes in settings You can get previously released simulator runtimes in the Components settings. Under Other Installed Platforms, click the Add Platforms button. To filter the list in the dialog that appears, choose a platform and enter a term in the filter field in the toolbar. Then, select one or more versions in the list below, and click Download & Install. Install simulator runtimes from the Xcode run destination When you open an Xcode project for a platform that doesn’t have any installed simulator runtimes, Xcode displays a Get button next to the run destination and in the canvas. Click the Get button to download and install the most recent simulator runtime for that platform. The run destination in your Xcode project indicates when Xcode is downloading a simulator runtime. You can select a run destination when Xcode completes the download and installation. Download Xcode components from the command line You can also download components in Terminal using the xcodebuild command. For example, use the command line to download Xcode components once and then install them across multiple Mac computers. To download simulator runtimes for a specific platform, use this syntax: xcodebuild -downloadPlatform [-exportPath -buildVersion -architectureVariant ] For example: xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS -exportPath ~/Downloads To specify an OS version, add the -buildVersion option: xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS -exportPath ~/Downloads -buildVersion 18.0 To download all the supported platforms for the version of Xcode you select, use this syntax with the -downloadAllPlatforms option: xcodebuild -downloadAllPlatforms [-exportPath ] By default, Xcode downloads a variant based on your Mac computer’s architecture and whether you use Rosetta run destinations. Xcode downloads a universal variant for Intel-based Mac computers and when you use Rosetta run destinations. Otherwise, Xcode downloads an Apple silicon variant to save disk space for the platform you specify. To download the universal variant that works on both Apple silicon and Intel-based Mac computers, use the -architectureVariant option: xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS -architectureVariant universal Install downloaded packages from the command line After you download component packages, you can install them in Terminal with the xcodebuild command. First, select the version of Xcode you want to use with the xcode-select -s command. Next, run xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch to install any required system components, including the simctl utility. Then, run xcodebuild with the -importPlatform option to install the component. xcode-select -s /Applications/Xcode-beta.app xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch xcodebuild -importPlatform "~/Downloads/watchOS 9 beta Simulator Runtime.dmg" Download and install new hardware support in between Xcode releases To download and install hardware support updates in between Xcode releases, use xcodebuild with the -runFirstLaunch and -checkForNewerComponents options. Before running this command, select the version of Xcode you want to use with the xcode-select -s command. xcode-select -s /Applications/Xcode.app xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch -checkForNewerComponents If new components exist, the -checkForNewerComponents option stores the files in the ~/Library/Developer/Packages/ directory and installs the components for the Xcode version you select. Download and install the Metal Toolchain To build your Metal apps, download and install the optional Metal Toolchain for the platforms your app targets. If a sheet appears when you first launch Xcode that lets you select components, select the app’s platforms, select Metal Toolchain under Additional Components, and click Install. Otherwise, you can manage all your downloads, including the Metal Toolchain, using the Components settings in Xcode. Choose Xcode > Settings, click Components in the sidebar, and then click the Get button next to Metal Toolchain under Other Components on the right. If you attempt to build an app that requires the Metal Toolchain before downloading the toolchain, a dialog appears. Click Download to download the Metal Toolchain. Alternatively, to download and install the toolchain from the command line, run this command from Terminal: xcodebuild -downloadComponent metalToolchain To download and install the toolchain separately, first download and export it to a file: xcodebuild -downloadComponent metalToolchain -exportPath ~/Downloads Then, install the toolchain into Xcode: xcodebuild -importComponent metalToolchain ~/Downloads/metalToolchain.dmg ## See Also ### Files and workspaces - [Managing files and folders in your Xcode project](xcode/managing-files-and-folders-in-your-xcode-project.md) - [Managing multiple projects and their dependencies](xcode/managing-multiple-projects-and-their-dependencies.md)