First things first – to develop for the iPhone, you’ll need a Mac. Pretty much any Mac will do, as long as it’s powerful enough to run the latest version of the Mac OS, Mavericks. But if you’re looking to go the cheap route, you can pick up a Mac Mini for relatively cheap, and it works just fine for a development machine. Even if you developed your app using something other than a Mac, you will need a Mac to compile the final product that is uploaded to the App Store. Xcode is the primary tool for macOS and iOS.
If you want to run your iOS apps on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll need a free Apple Developer Account. Since Xcode 7, you can use your Apple ID to run and install your own apps on iPhone and iPad. https://atomicclever720.weebly.com/how-to-uninstall-xfinity-wifi-app-on-mac.html. You’ll still need a paid Developer Program membership to publish apps in the App Store, and to use App Store Connect.
Gmail for mac desktop. In this article, we’ll discuss:
Let’s get to it!
Create an Apple Developer Account
Let’s get you set up with a free account, which will allow you to run your own iOS apps on iPhone and iPad – with zero costs.
First, go to developer.apple.com and click Account.
You’re now asked to log into the Member Center. You have two options:
If you’re already using Apple’s services, chances are you already have an Apple ID. It’s OK to use this Apple ID to sign up for a Developer Account. If you want to keep things separated, then opt to create a new Apple ID.
Once you’ve successfully logged in, you’re asked to accept the Apple Developer Agreement. Simply check the boxes and continue to the next page.
That’s it! Your Apple ID now gives you access to the free Apple Developer Account. With it, you can run your own iPhone and iPad apps on your devices. This is done in Xcode, which we’ll cover in the next step.
Keep in mind that, to publish apps in the App Store, you still need that $99/year paid Apple Developer account. You also can’t download iOS, macOS, etc. betas with the free account, which is a bummer.
Apple’s Developer portal, at developer.apple.com, is a pretty cool place to hang out! You’ve got access to WWDC videos, the Human Interface Guidelines, documentation, helpful tips for app promotion, and much more. I wrote an in-depth guide about making the most of Apple’s docs, here: How To Use Apple’s Developer Documentation For Fun And Profit
Sign into Xcode with Your Dev Account
Alright, the next step is enabling your developer account in Xcode. Here’s how:
You now have access to your Developer Account in Xcode! Easy, right? The developer account you added is called “Personal Team”, which should show up in the list on the right.
A few interesting notes:
Sideload/Run Apps on Your iPhone
The next step is running your own iOS app on your iPhone and iPad! First, make sure your iPhone (or iPad) is connected to your Mac via USB. When your iPhone prompts you to confirm connecting to your Mac, tap Trust.
Then, in Xcode, choose the Window → Devices and Simulators menu. Select your iPhone from the list, and then click the Enable Device for Development button. (Depending on the context, this may not be a necessary step.) It’s also smart to enable the Connect via network option, which lets you debug apps on your iPhone without connecting via USB.
The next step, which isn’t always required, is changing the Signing & Capabilities setting of the project you’re about to run. You can do this by navigating to the project settings, then select the project name below Targets, and go to the Signing & Capabilities tab. Click the checkbox for Automatically manage signing, and then select your Personal Team from the dropdown list.
What Mac Do I Need To Develop Iphone Apps Without
If everything went according to plan (does it ever!?), you should now be able to select your iPhone in the top-left corner of Xcode. This is the Build Target setting, and with it you can select the device (or simulator) your app needs to run on.
You can now click the Play button or hit Command + R to install and run the app on your iPhone!
Running your app on your iPhone is finicky at times. Did you get an error? Copy-and-paste it into Google, and check out some of the first StackOverflow questions and answers. Miraculously, restarting Xcode helps 8 out 10 times… Have you tried turning it off and on again!?
What Mac Do I Need To Develop Iphone Apps UsingEnroll in the Apple Developer Program
If you’re serious about publishing an app in the App Store, you’ll need to get a paid Apple Developer account. The standard Apple Developer Program license costs $99 a year, which renews annually. You’ll need the license to keep your app in the App Store, too.
With this account, you’re allowed to publish live apps in the App Store, access members-only resources, SDKs and betas, and beta test your app via TestFlight. It’ll also give you access to App Store Connect (formerly called iTunes Connect), with which you can manage your production apps.
You’ve got a few options to choose from:
If you want to register as a company, you’ll need a DUNS number. This is essentially an outside verification that you’ve registered as a company. Acquiring a DUNS number is often free and reasonably quick.
You can get started with enrolling in the Developer account here.
Further Reading
Awesome! You now have everything you need to build and run your own apps on your iPhone or iPad. And it’s (almost) all free! Here’s the gist of what we discussed:
Want to learn more? Check out these resources:
Photo by Rodrigo Galindez
Do I need a Mac to make iPhone apps? Apple Watch apps? Mac apps? The short answer is no. But there's a lot more to it than just that.
When making apps for an Apple device (phone, watch, computer) you need to use Xcode. A free piece of software created by Apple that allows you to design and code up apps. Xcode only works on Apple's operating system OS X. So if you have a Mac, then you can run Xcode no problem. If you don't have a Mac, there are two work arounds that I know of that you can use. So in total there are three ways you can run Xcode. Here's my thoughts on each of them.
1. Using a Mac
This is by far the best option. Using apple's hardware to run Xcode is going to be your best experience for making apps. You might not have a Mac though and buying one can be expensive. I remember when I wanted to first buy a Mac and couldn't get over the price tag. The MacBook I was looking to buy cost $1,200. A PC with similar parts (RAM, CPU, HardDrive, etc..) cost only $400. Three times the money for a stinking Apple logo! In retrospect, the money was well worth it.
If you are interested in going this route and buying a computer, check out my Mac Buying Guide for developers.
Also be on the lookout of place where you could use a Mac for free. Maybe your library has a machine you can use.
2. Using a Cloud ServiceWhat Mac Do I Need To Develop Iphone Apps Work
This is my second favorite option. It's a really creative solution for helping people make apps who don't have Macs. There are few companies that own a bunch of Mac computers and allow you to access them via the web and control them remotely. It's kind of like renting a Mac month to month. All you need is a web browser to access your machine. The downside to this is you have to pay a monthly fee and you must be connected to the internet to do your work. Here are links to two companies that do this: macincloud.com and xcodeclub.com
3. Virtual Machine
This option involves creating a virtual machine on your computer, installing Apple's OS X operating system, and then running Xcode on that virtual machine. I don't like this option for two reasons.
What Mac Do I Need To Develop Iphone Apps Free
If you got the budget for it, buy a Mac. I know it's crazy expensive but I believe you'll fall in love with your Mac. If you end up using a cloud service, let me know in the comments what your experience has been. I'd love to hear more.
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