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Testing web pages with Xcode's iOS Simulator

Finding the Simulator

You can test with the iOS Simulator that comes with Xcode. Navigate to the Xcode app in the Finder, right click and select "Show Package Contents":

screen shot 2013-05-06 at 12 04 27 pm

Then navigate to Contents > Applications, and open the shortcut to "iPhone Simulator" (it may be called "iOS Simulator" depending on which version of Xcode you're running):

screen shot 2013-05-06 at 12 05 45 pm

Viewing & Testing

When you're in the simulator, click open Safari, click on the URL bar, and you can paste the testing URL using ^⌘V (Edit > Paste Text), then hit enter.

You can test different devices and orientations using the Hardware menu:

screen shot 2013-05-06 at 12 10 44 pm

Debugging

You can use Safari's inspector to debug web pages running in the simulator. Just open Safari (in OS X) alongside the simulator running Safari in iOS, and go to Develop > iPhone Simulator > [your device/tab]:

screen shot 2013-05-06 at 12 18 48 pm

@brandondrew
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The latest version of Xcode does not have the simulator there:
image

@tomByrer
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tomByrer commented Mar 3, 2016

@brandondrew:

  1. Open Xcode
  2. in appbar, right-click over Xcode
  3. Open Dev Tool, Simulator
  4. Change device in Menu:Hardware/Device/iOS ./etc

@stretchkennedy
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You can open the simulator from the normal cmd-e search dialogue now.

@SaraChicaD
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This was very helpful, thank you!

@martingebhardt
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martingebhardt commented Jun 2, 2017

@tomByrer Thank you!

@saiqulhaq
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The simulator app location has changed to /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Applications/Simulator.app

@eso32
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eso32 commented Dec 1, 2018

@tomByrer thanks!

@wortwart
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Copying the simulator app to the apps folder did not work but you can create an alias and move it there.

@nnimis
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nnimis commented Jul 13, 2020

In XCode 11.5 the simulator is on /Contents/Developer/Applications/Simulator.app

@contis2908
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On macOs Big Sur I cant find the option Safari>Develop>Iphone Simulator
Is there another way to debug a website on an simulated xcode device

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