May 11, 2017 If you’re an iOS developer, then Microsoft’s Xamarin already allowed you to develop your iOS applications in C# with the help of tools like Xamarin.iOS for Visual Studio. Until now, though. Nov 12, 2017 Hey, So i have been developing games in unity for quite some time now and all of my games are for android. I would love to make them available for iOS as well as i think main beauty of unity is to write one code and deploy it to mulitple platforms, but the fact that i have to have apple computer, send project from one computer to another, build xcode,build iap, set 1000 different settings, get. Aug 02, 2016 The good news is that you can develop and test your apps on your iOS device without a paid Apple Developer account. This is particularly great for developers who want to try out, or are just starting to develop, using a framework like Ionic, since it saves the cost but gets you a lot of the features of having a full Apple Developer account. Cross-platform tools are awesome: you code your app once, and export it to iOS and Android. That could potentially cut your app development time and cost in half. Several cross-platform tools allow you to develop iOS apps on a Windows PC, or allow you to compile the app if there’s a Mac in your local network. Well, not so fast. Mar 09, 2019 It's hard to imagine developing apps for the iOS platform without macOS. However, with the combination of Flutter and Codemagic, you can develop and distribute iOS apps without using macOS. In our previous post, we have explained the process of code signing iOS apps without a Mac. To develop an iOS or Mac app you will need the following. But don't buy the older 2015-2017 MacBook Air without the Retina display if you see one on sale (it's been discontinued by Apple) - in.
How to Install Xcode on Windows and build your own iOS or MacOS apps
If you really want to make Apps for iOSand MacOS Without paying any single penny on Apple hardware (MacBook or iMac) then you are at right place.
Here, In this article, we have answers to all your queries.
You must have heard about this myth that if you really want to build apps for iOS or macOS then you must own a MacBook or an iMac which is certainly not true.
You can make iOS apps without using Macbook or iMac. Yes! it is possible.
The reason they say this is because of Xcode (an IDE which is only available for MacOS ).
This software is only meant for Mac machines but now with the help of certain tools, you can operate Xcode in windows as well.
Now the question arises How to use Xcode on windows? There are many ways to do that.
We will tell you about the most efficient ways by which you will be able to achieve your iOS development goal.
Different Ways to use Xcode in Windows.
1. Virtual Machine (Vmware Workstation)
The first and foremost way to use Xcode in your windows machine is the use of a virtual machine.
It is a software which is capable of running different OS (operating system) in the existing OS.
In simple words, you will be able to use and control macOs and that can be of any version by just by installing it on Vmware.
Vmware is a virtual machine software. It basically fools your computer to believe that its Apple iMac or MacBook so that Xcode can be run on it.
Now the harsh reality.
Everything offers some pros and cons.
Vmware also has some pros and cons with it.
Yes, you will be able to enjoy macOS free of cost but it won’t be as responsive and fast as a real MacBook or iMac.
Even if you have the strongest hardware you may face some issues like lag or heating issues.
So we won’t strongly recommend it to you but if you just want to have a taste of it then of course you can go for this option.
2. Rent a Mac
The second option in this list is renting a Mac online.
This service is widely used by many developers who can’t afford to purchase Apple’s expensive MacBook or iMac.
You can even remotely access a mac by sitting in any part of the globe.
The best thing about this option is that the cost is really low and it’s the fastest option to get up and running.
Now there are many companies that offer this fantastic service.
Some of them are:
This is the most well-known service for renting a mac online. We personally witnessed it a few months back and was very satisfied with their plans and quality service. As We said this before that it will be a bit slow but do very justice with its price.
You can get more information by visiting their website or by clicking the name above.
This is another service offered to use macOS X remotely. After MacinCloud this is the second best choice to opt for. But here too the issues will be the same related to speed and smoothness.
Our third option in this category is XcodeClub. This service is run by a dedicated developer himself and if we see the reviews many people are liking it. If you can’t go with the choices above then I recommend you to give this a try. So now you can work without Xcode for Windows, if your machine is not resource-rich. You can head-over to this cloud solution.
Building a Hackintosh
What is Hackintosh
Hackintosh is basically a pc which is capable of running MacOS as smooth as real iMac and MacBook. Yes, it is possible. In this option, you don’t need to use any virtual machine ( VMware ) or any online mac renting service. This requires the most effort out of all the options above presented. However, it can work for someone who wants a separate physical computer running MacOS. Now you can use Xcode on Windows to modify an operating system. You only need few things such as bootable USB-drive etc. In order to learn more about building Hackintosh, you can visit many websites on the Internet or just YouTube it. There are numerous step-by-step guides to follow.
Third Party Solutions
Last but not the least option you have, is the use of the third party solutions. But again as we said earlier you have to compromise some features either its speed or something else. Here 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 if you are not satisfied with Xcode
ReactNative helps you to create real and exciting mobile apps using JavaScript only. This is supported by both ios and Android platforms. React Native acts as a framework that builds a hierarchy of UI (User Interface) components to build the JavaScript code. With React Native Framework, you can render UI for both iOS and Android platforms. Also, this framework is open source. The big advantage of React Native is that its components have counterpart rights which allows you to reuse the components for building both Android and iOS app. You won’t need Xcode for Windows to run this application.
Xamarin is a software company founded in 2011. Recently in 2016, Microsoft acquired it. Xamarin provides developers with tools to develop cross-platform mobile applications. As per Xamarin stats, more than 15000 companies rely on their tools and the list includes many big names out there.
This allows you to built hybrid cross-platform mobile apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It’s an open-source cross-platform Mobile Application development framework by Nitobi Software (now Adobe) which allows web developers to build mobile apps. Despite the fact that you’re utilizing HTML/CSS and JavaScript to create applications, recollect that it’s not a customary desktop program environment and the client encounter example is fundamentally extraordinary.
Appcelerator is an open source framework that allows the creation of native mobile apps on platforms of iOS and Android. It focuses on streamlining development whilst using powerful native components from JavaScript code. The biggest benefit of Appcelerator for developers is the ease of cross-platform development. From a single code base, a developer can produce an app that will run on virtually every tablet and phone in the market.
Also Read:
Conclusion
So these were some ways to develop iOS and macOS apps for Windows. To do that you will need Xcode for Windows or any alternative for developing Mac, iOS apps . Tell us what method do you like and want to follow, would love to hear that.
Is it possible to create apps for iOS devices on a Windows PC? How to develop iOS apps on Windows is, probably, one of the most common questions asked by those who want to develop applications for Apple platforms but have no Mac at their disposal. In this article, we'll tell you about the simple solution that will help you with iOS development on Windows and write apps for iPhone /iPad without using a Mac.
Contents
Develop iOS apps on Windows
If you are going to build iOS apps on Windows, you should know that macOS is the only platform able to work with the iOS SDK. That means Xcode, the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that contains everything you need for building and publishing iOS applications, will run only on this platform.
As long as you don't have a Mac but still need to use macOS to write iOS apps, virtualization software is the simplest solution. Installed on your Windows PC, a virtual machine (VirtualBox, VMware, etc.) will provide you with the access to macOS, this way making it possible for you to develop iOS apps on Windows.
Here’s what you‘ll need to do to achieve this:
- Install a virtualization app (e.g. VirtualBox) and create a virtual machine on your local computer.
- Install and set up a macOS in your VM.
- Install XCode on macOS.
Never forget when configuring a macOS to enter a VALID Apple ID. A valid Apple Account is required for your future Xcode download.
Select the desired outcome and settings in your “System Preferences” toward the end of your macOS configuration.
After that, installing XCode is simple:
- Find the Apple Store application icon in the “Dock” and click it.
- Once the app starts, type “Xcode” into the search field at the top-right corner
- Click the “Install” button below the “Xcode” icon
Note: users must provide valid Apple IDs if they didn’t during macOS configuration. Even if you did, re-enter the Apple ID anyway.
- After Xcode is downloaded and installed, it’ll run on a Guest OS as though it was Xcode for Windows.
Run Mac Apps On Ios
After macOS and Xcode installation is complete, coding and iOS Simulator capabilities are available. Allowing you to test apps with the same efficiency you would expect from a real Mac computer.
Lastly, remember using macOS on anything other than official Apple hardware is in violation of Apple’s EULA.
Once macOS and XCode are installed, you can start coding and using the iOS Simulator to test the apps as if you were using a real Mac machine.
Develop Ios App Without Macbook
Redirect iOS devices to VM and cloud platforms
Despite its multiple advantages, running a macOS as a guest operating system may have one major disadvantage. As is known, it's not an easy matter to access local peripherals from a virtual machine.
USB Network Gate is an advanced program designed to redirect USB peripherals over the internet. With this software, you'll be able to forward your iOS devices not only to a virtual environment but to any cloud infrastructure (which is especially convenient in case you decide to rent a Mac in the Cloud).
Software tool for remote debugging iPhone: 'How to' guide
USB Network Gate is an efficient solution for low-cost iPhone app development. You can just connect your iPhone via USB to your Windows/Mac workstation and the software will share this USB connection among multiple computers over any distance. That means you can upload your new apps to iPhone without having it physically attached to your Windows machine.
Here’s how to forward iPhone to a virtual machine with the software:
- First, connect your iOS device to your Windows host via USB.
- Next, install the app on both your host and guest operating systems.
- On the host computer, share iPhone in the software interface.
- Start the app on your virtual machine and connect to the shared device.
That’s it! Now, iPhone is available for access from the guest OS as though it were physically attached to the virtual machine.
USB Network Gate
Also available on macOS, Linux OS and Android , 5.4MB size
Version 9.0.2236 (8 May, 2020) Release notes
Category: Network Software