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Xcode For Windows: Developing iOS Apps On Your PC

Jun 20, 2018 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) that lets developers create apps for all Apple platform. It was first released in 2003. The latest release is version 9.4 and it can be obtained from the Mac App Store for free for macOS High Sierra users. Xcode is a sole macOS app and so Xcode can’t be installed on a Windows system. Does it mean that Xcode for Windows doesn’t exist? Theoretically, you can install macOS on a non-Apple system, both virtually and natively. You can then install Xcode. However, it is recommended that you do not do it as it doesn’t really work well and it is also considered illegal by the licensing terms of Apple. However, this doesn’t mean that Xcode for Windows doesn’t exist. You can run Xcode on Windows and start building iPhone apps easily!

Xcode For Windows

  1. Rent A Mac For Xcode For Windowsxcode for windows

If you can’t buy a new Mac, you can rent one for Xcode for Windows. This way you will be able to access the Mac and Xcode remotely through your computer. It will be similar to having Mac desktop in a window on your Windows computer. The great thing about this option for Xcode for Windows is that the cost will be really low and it is a fast option. Here are some companies that provide this service:

MacInCloud

This is a really popular service and you will not have to install Xcode as it will come preinstalled. It is a low commitment option and you can select the option of pay-as-you-go. Some complaints regarding its slow speed have been received but since it is very affordable you can try it and find out if it is worth it.

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VirtualMacOSX

If you want Xcode for Windows, then this is another option. It lets you rent a Mac with Xcode for the purpose of development.

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Xcode Club

This service is fast and friendly. Unfortunately, the pricing isn’t as flexible as MacInCloud and you will have to signup for a month at least.

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2. Hackintoshdownload xcode for windows

Another option is to build a Hackintosh. A Hackintosh is a computer that is customized to run MacOS. This method requires a lot of effort but works for people who want a separate computer to run MacOS. Here are some options:

Tonymacx86

This website also has a number of amazing Hackintosh rules and guides.

Hackintosh.com

This website has a lot of useful information for people looking to build a Hackintosh. The How-To section has a lot of links to awesome tutorials that will help you build your Hackintosh and install the latest version of MacOS.

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Hackintosh Subreddit

This is great Reddit community that brings together other people interested in building a Hackintosh. You can get help from experienced users here and also provide them your two cents.

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3. Virtual MacOSxcode for windows 10

For tech-savvy folks, another option to get Xcode for Windows is to use a virtualization software. This will enable you to run a virtual Mac on your computer. This is basically what the services that provide Mac on rent do. They run a virtual machine on their servers and then grant you access in return for a payment. By running your own virtual machine, you will not have to rely on third-party services. However, some technical knowledge is required to set up a virtual machine and learn it. VMWare Workstation and VirtualBox are two popular software that does virtualization. They can be download either of these two and then install the latest MacOS with either VMWare Workstation or VirtualBox. After that, you can run the virtual Mac and download Xcode. This is one of the ways to get Xcode for Windows.

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Virtual Box

It is an open source software and it is free. That’s why it is a more widely used for Xcode for Windows than VMWare Workstation.

VMWare Workstation

VMWare Workstation isn’t free and the cost of its license is nearly half the cost of a new Mac Mini that can be used for iOS app development. It is recommended that you either use VirtualBox or buy a second hand Mac Mini.

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4. Third Party Solutionsxcode for windows 10

Another alternative for Xcode for Windows is using third party options. These solutions do not involve Xcode but they will let you make an iOS app. Here are the options:

React Native

You can use JavaScript to make native mobile apps.

Xamarin

It can be used to make a mobile app using  C# that can bed deployed natively to Windows, Android, and iOS.

Appcelerator

It lets you make native mobile applications using JavaScript.

PhoneGap

It lets you make hybrid cross-platform mobile apps using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.

Download Xcode For Windows

Now we are going to tell you how to download Xcode for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, and 7. Before starting the installation process, you need to know the system requirements. Firstly, you need a  Mac OS X virtual machine on VirtualBox or VMware. After that, you need to download the Xcode package from the official website of Apple. In order to be able to do this, you must have an Apple ID. You also need at least a dual-core Intel processor. You are also going to need at least 2GB of RAM. However, it is recommended that you have more than 4GB of RAM. You will also need hardware visualization. Professional app developers may have to buy Apple hardware with OS X as well as app developer ID. When testing the app on an Apple device, you will have to use Xcode on the Apple hardware. Since you will be using Virtual Box to download Xcode for Windows, you need to ensure that you have a Mac OS X virtual machine that works.

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Download Xcode For Windows 10

Here is how you can download Xcode for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, and 7:

  • Download and install VirtualBox or VMware on your computer.
  • Download and install OSX Mavericks ISO in the form of a virtual machine.
  • Create a virtual machine on the Oracle virtual box. For this, you would have to open Virtual Box and click New.
  • A new window will pop up and ask you for the name of the new operating system. Name it OSX, select the type of the operating system as Mac OS X, and for Version enter Mac OS X (32 bit). After that, click on Next.
  • You will then have to choose the size of RAM for the virtual machine. You will need 1024 MB (1 GB). Choose the memory size and click Next.
  • Choose and create the type of virtual hard drive file.
  • Keep the type of Hardware file as VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image). Click Next.
  • Choose Dynamically allocated for the physical hard drive as Dynamically allocated. After that, you will have to designate the file location and size from the physical hard drive on your computer. Click on Create after that.
  • At this stage, your virtual machine would be created on your virtual box. After that, mount the iso file which you downloaded before. For this, Go to Settings-Storage-Load iso File-Click Ok-Start.
  • After that, follow the steps given on the screen of OSX boot as first Wizard and then OSX will be installed in Oracle Virtual.
  • Launch the Safari browser in the Virtualbox and go to the official Apple App store. Use your Apple ID to sign into the App store. For this, you will have to enter the Apple ID and password.
  • After logging in, type Xcode in the search box so that you get the complete package. It will display different related apps. Find Xcode, click on Free and Download. Click OK after that to download the kit.
  • Once the installation process is complete, launch it from the applications. In order to obtain access privilege to install Xcode components, you will have to enter your root credential. You will then be able to modify your system settings. Provide your name and password and then click OK.
  • This is the last step of download Xcode for Windows. At this stage, you would have successfully installed the latest Xcode version on Windows 10 through the desktop virtualization software Virtual Box.

This is how you can install Xcode for Windows 10. It will let you create new and better apps using this interface. However, since you will be running the software on Windows, the speed and performance of Xcode will not be that high. This can be useful for educational purposes, but professional app developers do not have much to gain from this. However, this is how you can get Xcode for Windows and easily download and install it on your PC and make better apps.

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