I’m trying to run iPhone-only apps on my M2 MacBook Pro. I installed Xcode to use the iOS simulator, but quickly realized it doesn’t support downloading apps from the App Store.
I’m mainly looking for ways to test or use iPhone apps directly on macOS without a physical device. Are there any practical solutions or workarounds?
Alright, let’s kick this off—if you’re looking to run iPhone apps on your MacBook and Xcode’s simulator isn’t an option due to its lack of App Store support, you’ve still got a few ways around this. One thing you can try is using the Xcode Simulator with custom builds or side-loaded apps.
While the simulator doesn’t have direct access to the App Store, it’s perfect if you have the app’s source code or an .ipa file. You can drag and drop that .ipa into the simulator or run it directly through Xcode. This method is particularly useful for developers testing specific app behavior or UI performance.
Experience Insight: From my experience, I’ve used this method to test internal apps before submitting them to the App Store. It integrates well with other development workflows and offers a clean environment for testing.
Plus, if you’re looking to test how your app behaves in real-device environments, pairing it with a platform like LambdaTest works wonders. You can test across different devices virtually, which is a huge plus.
Building on what @babitakumari mentioned, if you’re using a MacBook with an M1 or M2 chip, there’s a really easy way to run many iOS apps natively on macOS, as long as the app developer has allowed it. Just head over to the Mac App Store, go to the ‘iPhone & iPad Apps’ tab during your search, and you should be able to download and run supported apps directly on your Mac. This option won’t work for every app, but it’s super convenient when it does.
Experience Insight: I’ve used this method to run a few productivity apps that didn’t have a macOS version, and it worked flawlessly. The UI might not always be perfect—sometimes it can feel a bit off—but it’s more than functional for everyday use or testing. It’s pretty much the easiest way to get iPhone apps running on your Mac when available.
Now, if you’re looking for something a bit more robust, another option to consider is using a real-device cloud platform for app testing. If you’re not keen on buying a physical iPhone or iPad, cloud-based device farms are a great solution.
Services like LambdaTest allow you to upload your .ipa files and run them on actual iOS devices remotely. The advantage here is that you get access to a wide range of real devices, OS versions, and even detailed logs and debugging tools, making it a fantastic option for thorough testing.
Experience Insight: I’ve leveraged LambdaTest’s real device testing for several client projects where acquiring physical devices just wasn’t an option. It’s been especially useful when I needed to debug behavior across different iOS versions or screen sizes. And the fact that it’s all accessible directly from your browser makes it so much easier to handle.