Locating the iPhone and iPad Simulators on Mac

By  on  
iPhone Simulator

I recently received a new MacBook Pro and started configuring debugging tools I had debugged ages ago on my personal machine.  In doing so, I completely forgot that the iOS Simulator provided by XCode isn't added directly to the Applications directory;  instead, you have to dig into the following directory to get to it:

/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/Developer/Applications/iPhone\ Simulator.app

Since I don't like hassles, and you probably don't either, I quickly created a symbolic link for the Applications directory to alleviate the pain:

ln -s /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/Developer/Applications/iPhone\ Simulator.app /Applications/iPhone\ Simulator.app

And with that bit of help, I can easily get to my iOS emulator, and then open iWebInspector and other mobile debugging tools.  Sweet!

Recent Features

  • By
    JavaScript Promise API

    While synchronous code is easier to follow and debug, async is generally better for performance and flexibility. Why "hold up the show" when you can trigger numerous requests at once and then handle them when each is ready?  Promises are becoming a big part of the JavaScript world...

  • By
    Vibration API

    Many of the new APIs provided to us by browser vendors are more targeted toward the mobile user than the desktop user.  One of those simple APIs the Vibration API.  The Vibration API allows developers to direct the device, using JavaScript, to vibrate in...

Incredible Demos

Discussion

  1. Alex

    Just letting you know I’m currently designing/coding a full Metro (Win8) interface using mootools.
    Win8 FTW!

  2. Thats really awesome, i have always wondered if there was a way to do that.
    The one thing I did was to open xcode, then launched the emulator then the emulator shows up on the dock so I right clicked on it and went to options/keep in the dock. That keeps the emulator on the dock so this way I can just click on it.

  3. Great help this, thanks!
    Only one question: In the title you say “…and iPad Simulators…”.
    I don’t seem to be able to find the iPad one.
    Any help would be appreciated.
    Cheers.

    • Sjenkinsdc

      I’m also looking for the iPad emulator and although it is in the title of this article, I only see instructions for iPhone emulator.

  4. Thorsten

    The iPhone Emulator contains the iPad Emulator. Just klick on “Hardware” within the Menubar of Mac OS X and chose your desired Device from the Menu Item “Device”.

  5. Eduard

    or you can grab the Simulator.app via Finder. Just go to Applications folder > Xcode.app > right click > Show Package Contents > Contents > Developer > Platforms > iPhoneSimulator.platform > Developer > Applications > iPhone > iOS Simulator.app (the path may different, I’m using Mountain Lion)

    To create a shortcut:
    Drag the iOS Simulator.app to sidebar where you already put your personal folder e.g. “Desktop” (wait until the arrow sign appears on it’s icon then drop)

    The simplest way:
    Drag the iOS Simulator.app to your Dock.

  6. Or – in XCode, open (in the Xcode application menu) Xcode/Open Develope Tool/IOS Simulator – then pin it to the dock.

  7. Binesh Dobhal

    hi can we find any simulator of iphone for the ipad
    i want to test my iphone applicatiion on the ipad because i don’t have iphone and mac pc

  8. Marcus

    how to install apps?

  9. I can’t find the application on my computer. I’m running 10.6.8. Help!

  10. went into applications folder – no xcode.app?
    Any help? I am running 10.7.5

  11. ah – you have to install xcode from the app store first.

Wrap your code in <pre class="{language}"></pre> tags, link to a GitHub gist, JSFiddle fiddle, or CodePen pen to embed!