Thursday 7 February 2013

Install app or ipa file on iPhone simulator

Hey guys,
Today we learn how to install the .app or .ipa file in your simulator.

Following are the steps : 
1) Finder -> Go ->Press alt option (key) -> Library -> Application Support -> iPhone Simulator -> Go to your simulator (It may be 4.0, 5.0, 6.0)

2) If you have folders inside  this path ( Finder -> Go ->Press alt option (key) -> Library -> Application Support -> iPhone Simulator ) then, delete all the folders. It  may clear you after your Xcode build.

3) Suppose you are having a Xcode project whose name is "Test" and you select your scheme as iPhone 5.0 Simulator, then Build + Run your project. 

4) After that you follow 1 & 2 steps ( Finder -> Go ->Press alt option (key) -> Library -> Application Support -> iPhone Simulator ->  5.0 -> Applications -> Randomly 32 digits folder (i.e E8CD6A90-008A-4744-96D1-A104BB44C136) -> Copy 4 items (i.e Documents, Library, tmp, Test file) )

Requirements : You need 4 files ( i.e  Documents, Library, tmp, your binary file (.app) )

Now, if you install this Test binary file onto another mac.

1) You just only need to replace these 4 files into your running Xcode Project.
2) Quit the simulator, if it is already open and then copy 4 files into  this path : Finder -> Go ->Press alt option (key) -> Library -> Application Support -> iPhone Simulator ->  Depends upon what scheme you are running (4.0/5.0/6.0) -> Applications -> Randomly 32 digits folder -> Replace with NEW 4 Files here
3) Open the simulator, No you see "Test" app in your simulator. 


**NOTE**
Above steps/approach works only before Xcode6.

 Updated steps:

 Actually, Above Xcode 6 simulator devices are located in "~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/"
Browsing directory to your app's Documents, tmp, library folders and binary file are a bit more arduous. Please follow below points to make it work

 1) You can find Documents, Library, tmp folders here :
~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/<SIMULATOR_DEVICE_ID>/data/Containers/Application/<SIMULATOR_DEVICE_ID>/

 2) Replace your Binary file here:

/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/<SIMULATOR_DEVICE_ID>/data/Containers/Bundle/Application/<SIMULATOR_DEVICE_ID>


Enjoy
Cheers :)

at
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17 comments:

  1. thomas14 May 2013 at 05:11

    can i use this method to install any ipa file? like facebook app or twitter app in the iOS simulator?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown20 May 2013 at 12:52

    actually i have "AdhocBuildFiles" this zip file unzipped this file i got 2 file 1 is "AdhocBuildFiles" another one is "__MACOSX"

    Q:Explain me now how to deploy in to simulator?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashish Jabble23 May 2013 at 11:02

      just copy and paste these folder files except MACOSX into the corresponding path, which you want to run.
      follow the above steps, hoping this works :)

      Delete
  3. henchr24 September 2013 at 09:22

    this doesn't work for ipa, it appear on simulator, but can't run, just exit after run.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashish Jabble24 September 2013 at 11:09

      Henchr,
      Please read blog post steps carefully, I think you missed one of points.
      First, delete the application from simulator on which you paste your .ipa file, and then clean all targets.
      Hope this works :)

      Delete
  4. Unknown24 October 2013 at 11:31

    I have build my .ipa file with device (not in simulator). Is it possible to install this ipa in iphone simulator? I tried but can't run, just exit after run.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashish Jabble25 October 2013 at 12:37

      not possible dude.
      You must need Documents,Library,tmp files for that, you have only .app right?
      That's why exit after run.

      Delete
  5. anand patel(andy)30 October 2013 at 11:13

    good work budy......thanks a lot ......

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oxy13 November 2013 at 08:44

    Hi there,
    is this still work in OSX 10.9 & XCode 5.01 with iPhone 7.03 simulator??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashish Jabble17 November 2016 at 19:05

      If you are still looking for answer, I have updated steps for above iPhone6 simulator under Note section

      Delete
  7. Unknown16 March 2016 at 12:34

    NO options available(Iphone simulator folder) in mac mini pro yosemite - help me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashish Jabble17 November 2016 at 18:59

      Actually, Above Xcode 6 simulator devices are located in:
      "~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/"
      Browsing directory to your app's Document, tmp, library and binary file is a bit more arduous. Please follow below points to make it work

      1) You can find Documents, Library, tmp folders here :
      ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices//data/Containers/Application//

      2) Replace your Binary file here:
      /Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices//data/Containers/Bundle/Application/

      Hope it works.


      Delete
  8. Philipp Zykov18 November 2016 at 20:16

    Hello!
    I have an ipa file from Appstore. Is it possible to launch it via simulator using your method?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashish Jabble18 November 2016 at 22:18

      It's called Decompiling an app. You won't get exact source code. iPhone apps or the ipa files are DRM protected by Apple. It's not easy to do that. You'll certainly need a jailbroken iPhone to extract DRM free ipa.

      Delete
  9. Philipp Zykov19 November 2016 at 00:01

    i have jailbroken iphone, but decompiling is not an option. I've never done any reverse engineering.
    As far as i understand ipa is an archive format for precompiled ARM binary code. So, there is no way to do this.
    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashish Jabble24 February 2017 at 19:02

      If it was downloaded from iTunes store, you can't run ipa on simulator because the ipa file is compiled for a phone's ARM architecture, not the simulator's x86 architecture.

      Delete

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