Help with Testing .app/.ipa on XCode Simulator Without Full XCode Project

Hey fellow automation testers!

I’m currently working on testing a multi-platform application within the Apple ecosystem that spans across all their devices (iPhone, iPad, macOS, etc.). The challenge I’m facing is that I don’t own all the necessary devices for testing, so I’m relying on the XCode Simulator.

I’ve installed XCode, launched the simulator, and attempted to drag and drop the .app and .ipa files into it, but unfortunately, they won’t open. I don’t have access to the XCode project itself, just the compiled app files that you would typically find in the App Store.

I’m not even looking to automate it – I just want to do some exploratory testing on each platform.

Does anyone have any tips or advice for loading these files onto the simulator without the full XCode project? Any help is greatly appreciated!

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I’ve not used XCode before, but I did a bit of reading, this info might help… :man_shrugging:

Summary:
The Xcode Simulator only supports apps compiled for the x86_64 architecture, which is used by macOS and Intel-based hardware. However, .ipa files (iOS App Store packages) are typically compiled for ARM architecture, which is not supported by the simulator directly.

You should be able to drag and drop a compiled .app file onto the Xcode simulator if it’s a macOS app and compiled for the correct architecture (x86_64 or Universal).

Hi James,

Thank you for the info. That’s very odd it wouldn’t support their latest device architecture. I will install Xcode on my Intel based Mac and try. Could you point me to where you found this info? Also, would love to hear additional experiences with this from anyone that has experience with Xcode. Than you.

I can’t remember the exact sites I read but here is some info:

At the moment Sauce Labs Simulators only support apps that have been built with the x86_64 -architecture for Intel-based Macs. arm64 -based applications, built for Apple Silicon Macs, are not yet supported and will result in the following error:


Simulators before iOS 14 were limited to x86 and ran on M series Macs using Rosetta. Starting with iOS 14, simulators were updated to support both ARM and x86. This means that while simulators can run natively on M series Macs, applications not yet optimized for ARM would still run through Rosetta. This dual architecture support ensures compatibility and performance during the transition.

The Architecture Mismatch Dilemma in iOS: Solving the ‘Could Not Find Module *** for Target x86_64-apple-ios-simulator’ Issue on Apple Silicon | by Magdy Zamel | Medium.


Other links:

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Thank you very much for that!

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