Remember to periodically audit your installed simulators – old runtimes from two major OS versions ago can usually be removed safely, freeing up valuable SSD space for your next project. Need to test on a specific device type (iPhone 15 Pro, Apple Watch Ultra)? Once the runtime is downloaded, open Window → Devices and Simulators in Xcode to create any simulated device you need.
xcrun simctl runtime delete "iOS 17.5" To list runtime identifiers first: xcode download simulators
xcodebuild -downloadPlatform Or, for more detail: Remember to periodically audit your installed simulators –
#!/bin/bash # Install required iOS simulators for CI xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS -version 17.5 xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS -version 16.4 xcrun simctl list devices | grep "iPhone" Final Thoughts Downloading simulators in Xcode is straightforward once you know where to look. The Platforms tab inside Xcode Settings is your best friend for interactive use, while xcodebuild shines for automation. xcrun simctl runtime delete "iOS 17
sudo xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS To download a specific version:
Apple’s Xcode Simulator is an essential tool for testing iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS apps without needing physical devices. However, Xcode doesn’t always install every simulator version by default. Whether you need to test against older OS versions or the latest betas, you’ll need to manually download additional simulators.
xcodebuild -downloadPlatform -all Find the identifier (e.g., iOS 17.5 ), then run:
Remember to periodically audit your installed simulators – old runtimes from two major OS versions ago can usually be removed safely, freeing up valuable SSD space for your next project. Need to test on a specific device type (iPhone 15 Pro, Apple Watch Ultra)? Once the runtime is downloaded, open Window → Devices and Simulators in Xcode to create any simulated device you need.
xcrun simctl runtime delete "iOS 17.5" To list runtime identifiers first:
xcodebuild -downloadPlatform Or, for more detail:
#!/bin/bash # Install required iOS simulators for CI xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS -version 17.5 xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS -version 16.4 xcrun simctl list devices | grep "iPhone" Final Thoughts Downloading simulators in Xcode is straightforward once you know where to look. The Platforms tab inside Xcode Settings is your best friend for interactive use, while xcodebuild shines for automation.
sudo xcodebuild -downloadPlatform iOS To download a specific version:
Apple’s Xcode Simulator is an essential tool for testing iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS apps without needing physical devices. However, Xcode doesn’t always install every simulator version by default. Whether you need to test against older OS versions or the latest betas, you’ll need to manually download additional simulators.
xcodebuild -downloadPlatform -all Find the identifier (e.g., iOS 17.5 ), then run: