Can I Develop Ios Apps Without Mac

Posted By admin On 05.08.20
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How to Install Xcode on Windows and build your own iOS or MacOS apps

Update from 09/2017. It is possible to develop iOS (and Android at the same time) application using React Native + Expo without owning a mac. You will also be able to run your iOS application within iOS Expo app while developing it. (You can even publish it for other people to. 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.

MacOS Catalina's iPad apps for the Mac are here, but the story is just getting started. Catalyst has been slow to take off on MacOS 10.15, but here's a look at the state of tablet apps migrating. Jan 10, 2019  Here’s how to develop an iOS app without a Mac. Then, click the settings (gear) icon next to your app. Scroll down and click on “Build”.Make sure Mode is set to Debug, and select iOS under. Sep 12, 2019  Disclaimer. This article is intended for educational purposes only, to demonstrate that it’s possible to test out iOS applications with Xcode without having to buy a Mac. However, you should consider testing on a real MacOS device before publishing your application on the App Store. Oct 14, 2011  You can develop and test apps on other platforms (Windows for instance) using tools that support cross platform development. You will however need Mac OS X and Xcode to create a signed application bundle that you can submit to the app store for distribution.

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.

Beat maker software mac free download. Bass synthesizer (beta version)This app has been succesfully tested on the following devices: Samsung Galaxy Plus, HTC One-X, HTC Desire-S, Google Nexus 7.

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.

Without

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.

One of the most common complaints you’ll hear from pretty much every single person that decides to try their hand at mobile app development for iOS has to do with Apple Developer accounts. Apple Developer account required? $99/year?! Outrageous!

But wait, it turns out this is no longer the whole story.

First off, yes, you do still need an Apple Developer account if you want to distribute your app in the App Store. Sorry to get your hopes up, but there’s no getting around it.

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.

For a full breakdown of the features included, take a look here.

Requirements

In order to take advantage of this, you’ll need three things:

  • Xcode 7 or higher
  • iOS 9
  • A free Apple ID

Sorry to break it to you PC users, but Xcode is still required, which means you still need a Mac.

Getting Set Up

To start, you’ll need to set up a provisioning profile to code sign your apps:

  1. Open Xode preferences (Xcode > Preferences…)
  2. Click the ‘Accounts’ tab
  3. Login with your Apple ID (+ > Add Apple ID…)

Once you’ve successfully logged in, a new ‘Personal Team’ with the role ‘Free’ will appear beneath your Apple ID.

Running Your App

Time to try it out. Let’s start by creating an Ionic 2 template app, and building it for iOS:

Once the build is complete, then open the .xcodeproj file in platforms/ios/ in Xcode, then click the play button to try to run your app on an iPhone connected to your Mac.

Oops, code signing error! No problem.

Code Signing in Xcode

What happens next will depend on if you are running Xcode 8 or an earlier version of Xcode. Let’s take a look.

XCode 7 and Earlier

If you are running Xcode 7 or earlier, you’ll get a code signing error that looks something like this when you try to run the app:

Click the ‘Fix Issue’ button, then select your ‘Personal Team’ profile.

XCode 8

If you are running Xcode 8, the code signing error will appear as a buildtime error, rather than as a pop-up:

To select the certificate to sign your app with, do the following:

  1. Go to the Project Editor by clicking the name or your project in the Project Navigator
  2. Select the ‘General’ section if it isn’t already
  3. Select the Personal Team you created earlier from the ‘Team’ dropdown in the ‘Signing’ section

Trusting the Certificate

Only one more step. Really, this is the last one. I know it’s been a long haul, but trust me on this.

Can I Develop Ios Apps Without Mac

Once you’ve code signed your app, you should get a launch error that looks like this:

To get past this, all we have to do now is tell our iOS device to trust the certificate we code signed our app with. To do this, in your iOS device open the ‘Settings’ app and go to ‘General > Device Management’. You’ll see the email address associated with the Apple ID you used to code sign your app. Tap it, then tap ‘Trust <your_email>’:

Now, go back to Xcode and hit that play button!

The template app should install and launch on your iPhone. Pretty sweet, and it didn’t cost you a dime.

Ionic View

Testing your Ionic app on an actual device brings a lot of advantages with respect to development, such as debugging in Xcode and testing Ionic Native plugins, but it still limits you to testing on your own device. Not ideal for sharing your work in progress with clients and co-workers, or for testing your changes across different devices and platforms.

These are just a couple of the reasons we built Ionic View, which lets you upload your app to Ionic, then view it from the Ionic View app, as though it were running as a standalone app installed on the device.

You can download Ionic View from the App Store or Google Play.

To upload your app, so that it’s usable in Ionic View, run:

ionic upload

Ios Apps On Mac Os

Then log into your Ionic account in Ionic View to preview your app.

For more details on how to use Ionic View, check out the Ionic View docs.

Download Ios Apps On Mac

Ionic Package

Hey PC users! All done with development and ready to roll your app out, but don’t have a Mac to package it into that precious, precious IPA file for submission to the Apple App Store? Not a problem. There are great services available that let you upload your Ionic project, then package your app for you. PhoneGap Build from Adobe is a long-standing favorite of the hybrid community.

Here at Ionic we offer Ionic Package, which makes the process as easy as creating a security profile in your Ionic account with the certificate and provisioning profile for your app, then running

Run Mac Apps On Ios

ionic package build ios --profile <security_profile_name>