Xcode on Windows, the straightforward way

Xcode is a macOS app, built around Apple’s SDKs, signing tools and the iOS Simulator. The most direct way to use it from a Windows PC is to work on a real Mac over remote desktop. You keep your PC, your keyboard and your favourite editor, and Xcode runs on the hardware Apple designed it for.

With SoloRack, that Mac is a dedicated Mac mini M6 in an EU datacenter. You see its desktop in a window on Windows, click through Xcode exactly as a Mac owner would, and disconnect when you are done. Builds keep running while you are away, and your project is still there the next time you connect.

My account gives you the remote-desktop details for Windows and your macOS password, plus SSH once you add your key. Connect, then open the App Store, sign in with your Apple Account and install Xcode. The first session takes about as long as the Xcode download.

A few Mac shortcuts cover most of the work: Command+B builds, Command+R runs in the Simulator, Command+U runs the tests and Command+Shift+K cleans the build folder. For the terminal side, Windows already includes an SSH client, so ssh from PowerShell or Windows Terminal gives you a shell on the Mac with nothing extra to install.

Most people keep writing code on their PC and use the Mac for the Apple-specific steps. Git is the simplest bridge: commit and push from Windows, then pull on the Mac and build. For a tighter loop, VS Code’s Remote - SSH extension opens folders on the Mac straight from your Windows editor, with the terminal, search and extensions working on the remote side.

Xcode handles the parts that belong to it: storyboards and asset catalogs, signing settings, capabilities such as push notifications or Sign in with Apple, and the archive for the App Store. Everything else can stay in the tools you already like.

To publish, you need a membership in the Apple Developer Program. In Xcode’s settings, add your Apple Account, select your team in the project’s Signing & Capabilities tab and leave automatic signing on: Xcode creates the certificates and provisioning profiles it needs.

Then choose Product > Archive, validate the archive in the Organizer and upload it to App Store Connect. After processing, the build appears in TestFlight. All of this happens on the Mac while you watch and click from Windows, and the 24-hour pass comes with a step-by-step guide that walks through each screen.

The iOS Simulator runs on the Mac and shows up in your remote-desktop window, so you can tap through your app with the mouse, rotate the device, switch to dark mode or try a larger text size. Xcode offers simulators for current iPhone and iPad models, plus extra iOS versions you can add in its settings.

For a real device, install the TestFlight app on your iPhone. Each build you upload to App Store Connect becomes available there, for you and for any testers you invite by email or with a public link. Together, the Simulator and TestFlight cover quick checks during development and real-world testing before release.

If you need Xcode for one release, the 24-hour pass at $19 is designed for it, guide included. For a week of development or a round of beta testing, the 7-day pass costs $49. If you build for iOS every week, the monthly plan at $112 keeps one Mac ready with your tools installed.

All plans include remote desktop, SSH, full admin rights and support by email from people on the team. Prices are VAT included where it applies, and passes can be extended on the same Mac before they end.

• iOS Simulator for Windows
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• 24-hour pass