Is it possible to create apps for iOS devices on a Windows PC? How to develop iOS apps on Windows is, probably, one of the most common questions asked by those who want to develop applications for Apple platforms but have no Mac at their disposal. In this article, we'll tell you about the simple solution that will help you with iOS development on Windows and write apps for iPhone /iPad without using a Mac.
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Dec 17, 2019 Install a virtualization app (e.g. VirtualBox) and create a virtual machine on your local computer. Install and set up a macOS in your VM. Install XCode on macOS. Once macOS and XCode are installed, you can start coding and using the iOS Simulator to test the apps as if you were using a real Mac. Apr 08, 2015 Again, you will need to create both Development and a Distribution (App Store) versions. Create the Provisioning Profile for the App using the new.cer file (iosdevelopment.cer) Download the.mobileprovision file; In Command Prompt: openssl x509 -in iosdistribution.cer -inform DER -out iosdistribution.pem -outform PEM.
Aug 31, 2017 The solution for working on Xamarin for iOS without having Mac. Tools Link: https://mega.nz/#F!hTBjSCDC!mwC0FNk2Ed5BUNu4RDQBg. Jan 18, 2019 It won't come as a surprise to any iOS developer out there that iOS apps need to be signed before they can be installed on physical devices and shipped to end users via App Store. All you need for that is an Apple developer account, a valid signing certificate, a matching provisioning profile… and a Mac to generate these files.
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Develop iOS apps on Windows
If you are going to build iOS apps on Windows, you should know that macOS is the only platform able to work with the iOS SDK. That means Xcode, the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that contains everything you need for building and publishing iOS applications, will run only on this platform.
As long as you don't have a Mac but still need to use macOS to write iOS apps, virtualization software is the simplest solution. Installed on your Windows PC, a virtual machine (VirtualBox, VMware, etc.) will provide you with the access to macOS, this way making it possible for you to develop iOS apps on Windows.
Here’s what you‘ll need to do to achieve this:
Never forget when configuring a macOS to enter a VALID Apple ID. A valid Apple Account is required for your future Xcode download.
Select the desired outcome and settings in your “System Preferences” toward the end of your macOS configuration.
After that, installing XCode is simple:
After macOS and Xcode installation is complete, coding and iOS Simulator capabilities are available. Allowing you to test apps with the same efficiency you would expect from a real Mac computer.
Lastly, remember using macOS on anything other than official Apple hardware is in violation of Apple’s EULA.
Once macOS and XCode are installed, you can start coding and using the iOS Simulator to test the apps as if you were using a real Mac machine.
Redirect iOS devices to VM and cloud platforms
Despite its multiple advantages, running a macOS as a guest operating system may have one major disadvantage. As is known, it's not an easy matter to access local peripherals from a virtual machine.
USB Network Gate is an advanced program designed to redirect USB peripherals over the internet. With this software, you'll be able to forward your iOS devices not only to a virtual environment but to any cloud infrastructure (which is especially convenient in case you decide to rent a Mac in the Cloud).
Software tool for remote debugging iPhone: 'How to' guide
USB Network Gate is an efficient solution for low-cost iPhone app development. You can just connect your iPhone via USB to your Windows/Mac workstation and the software will share this USB connection among multiple computers over any distance. That means you can upload your new apps to iPhone without having it physically attached to your Windows machine.
Here’s how to forward iPhone to a virtual machine with the software:
That’s it! Now, iPhone is available for access from the guest OS as though it were physically attached to the virtual machine.
USB Network Gate
Requirements for Windows (32-bit and 64-bit): XP/Vista/7/8/10, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019
Also available on macOS, Linux OS and Android , 5.4MB size Version 9.0.2236 (8 May, 2020) Release notes Category: Network Software
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This guide describes how to use Pair to Mac to connect Visual Studio 2019to a Mac build host. The same instructions apply to Visual Studio 2017.
Overview
Building native iOS applications requires access to Apple's build tools,which only run on a Mac. Because of this, Visual Studio 2019 must connect toa network-accessible Mac to build Xamarin.iOS applications.
Visual Studio 2019's Pair to Mac feature discovers, connects to,authenticates with, and remembers Mac build hosts so that Windows-basediOS developers can work productively.
Pair to Mac enables the following development workflow:
Note
Before following the instructions in this guide, complete the following steps:
If you would prefer not to install Visual Studio for Mac, Visual Studio 2019can automatically configure the Mac build host with Xamarin.iOS and Mono.You must still install and run Xcode.For more information, see Automatic Mac provisioning.
Enable remote login on the Mac
To set up the Mac build host, first enable remote login:
Connect to the Mac from Visual Studio 2019
Now that remote login is enabled, connect Visual Studio 2019 to the Mac.
If you have successfully paired to a Mac build host, you are ready to buildXamarin.iOS apps in Visual Studio 2019. Take a look at theIntroduction to Xamarin.iOS for Visual Studioguide.
If you have not been able to pair a Mac, try manually adding aMac or take a look at the troubleshootingguide.
Manually add a Mac
If you do not see a particular Mac listed in the Pair to Mac dialog,add it manually:
Automatic Mac provisioning
Starting with Visual Studio 2019 version 15.6,Pair to Mac automatically provisions a Mac with software necessary forbuilding Xamarin.iOS applications: Mono, Xamarin.iOS (the softwareframework, not the Visual Studio for Mac IDE), and various Xcode-relatedtools (but not Xcode itself).
Important
Pair to Mac performs necessary software installations/updates when VisualStudio 2019 is connecting to theMac.
Mono
Pair to Mac will check to make sure that Mono is installed. If it is notinstalled, Pair to Mac will download and install the latest stable versionof Mono on the Mac.
Progress is indicated by various prompts, as shown by the followingscreenshots (click to zoom):
Xamarin.iOS
Pair to Mac upgrades Xamarin.iOS on the Mac to match the versioninstalled on the Windows machine.
Important
Pair to Mac will not downgrade Xamarin.iOS on the Mac from alpha/betato stable. If you have Visual Studio for Mac installed, set yourrelease channel asfollows:
Progress is indicated by various prompts, as shown by the followingscreenshots (click to zoom):
Xcode tools and license
Pair to Mac will also check to determine whether Xcode has been installedand its license accepted. While Pair to Mac does not install Xcode, itdoes prompt for license acceptance, as shown in the following screenshots(click to zoom):
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Additionally, Pair to Mac will install or update various packagesdistributed with Xcode. For example:
The installation of these packages happens quickly and without a prompt.
Note
These tools are distinct from the Xcode Command Line Tools, whichas of macOS 10.9 areinstalled with Xcode.
Troubleshooting automatic Mac provisioning
If you encounter any trouble using automatic Mac provisioning, take a lookat the Visual Studio 2019 IDE logs, stored in%LOCALAPPDATA%XamarinLogs16.0. These logs may contain error messagesto help you better diagnose the failure or get support.
Build iOS apps from the Windows command-line
Pair to Mac supports building Xamarin.iOS applications from the commandline. For example:
The parameters passed to
msbuild in the above example are:
Note
Compile Ios App Without Macbook
Visual Studio 2019 stores
msbuild in the following directory:C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft Visual Studio2019<Version>MSBuildCurrentBin
The first time Pair to Mac logs in to a particular Mac build host fromeither Visual Studio 2019 or the command-line, it sets up SSH keys. With thesekeys, future logins will not require a username or password. Newlycreated keys are stored in %LOCALAPPDATA%XamarinMonoTouch.
If the
ServerPassword parameter is omitted from a command-line buildinvocation, Pair to Mac attempts to log in to the Mac build hostusing the saved SSH keys.
Summary
This article described how to use Pair to Mac to connect Visual Studio 2019 to aMac build host, enabling Visual Studio 2019 developers to build native iOSapplications with Xamarin.iOS.
Building Ios App Without MacNext stepsComments are closed.
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