How-To

How to Install Xcode on Mac

By Adam Davidson

Published June 11, 2023

If you’re looking to develop apps for your iPhone or Mac, you’re going to want to install Xcode. Learn how to install Xcode on Mac using this guide.

Are you thinking about developing an app for an Apple device, such as an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch? If so, Xcode can help. This official Apple IDE gives you everything you need to create a test your own apps.

Xcode is designed to be run on a Mac, but you’ll need to install it first, which isn’t always a simple as you might expect. Here’s how to install Xcode on Mac.

What is Xcode?

Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) created by Apple that allows you to design, develop, test, and distribute apps for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. If you want to create your own app for any Apple device, then Xcode gives you the tools you’ll need to do so.

Xcode is designed to run on macOS and doesn’t support other operating systems such as Windows. Xcode is the only officially supported way to develop apps for Apple devices.

How to Install Xcode Through the App Store

There are a number of ways that you can install Xcode, each with its pros and cons. One of the simplest ways to do so is through the Apple App Store on your Mac. This is a simple method to follow, but downloading through the App Store comes with some issues.

You’ll need a significant amount of free disk space for both the files themselves, and the installation processes and if you don’t have enough, you won’t be able to install Xcode through the App Store. In addition, downloading through the App Store can be really slow.

If time and space aren’t an issue, however, then it’s a very simple process to install Xcode on your Mac.

To install Xcode through the App Store:

1. Open the App Store app and select the search field.
   
2. Type Xcode and press Enter.
   
3. Locate the Xcode app in the results and click Get.
   
4. Click Install.
   
5. Authenticate your account.
6. Xcode will start downloading, providing that you have enough hard drive space.
7. Once the process is complete, click Open to start using Xcode or double-click the Xcode icon in your Applications folder.
   

How to Manually Install Xcode

If you’re having trouble installing Xcode through the App Store, you can opt to install it manually instead. This involves downloading and extracting the application, and then adding it to your Applications folder.

This method also allows you to select which version of Xcode you want to install, including the latest beta version.

To manually install Xcode:

1. Navigate to Xcode download page in a web browser.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID (or create one if you don’t have one already).
3. Find the version of Xcode you want to install.
4. Click View Details.
   
5. Click the download link to start the download.
   
6. You may need to allow downloads from this website.
7. The download will begin. Once the download is complete, locate the Xcode .xip file. It should be in your Downloads folder.
   
8. Double-click the downloaded file to extract it. This may take a while.
9. Once the application is extracted, drag it into your Applications folder.
   
10. Open your Applications folder and double-click the Xcode icon.
    
11. Xcode will now launch.
    

How to Install Xcode Command Line Tools

Xcode also includes command line tools. Developers can use the Terminal application to use these tools and utilities when developing apps. Xcode command line tools are installed when you install the full IDE using the methods shown above, but it’s also possible to install just the command line tools without having to install the entire Xcode IDE.

If you’re short on space, or prefer using command lines tools, then installing the Xcode command lines tools is simple to do.

To install the Xcode command line tools:

1. Open Terminal—a quick way is to open Spotlight by pressing Cmd+Space.
2. Type Terminal into the Spotlight search field and select the Terminal app from the results.
   
3. In the Terminal window, enter the following command:

   xcode-select --install

4. Press Enter.
5. You’ll see a pop-up window asking you if you want to install the command line tools—click Install.
   
6. Agree to the license agreement by clicking Agree.
7. The download will start. This can take a fair amount of time—you should see an estimate of how long remains throughout the process. You’ll see a notification when the software is installed.
   
8. To double-check that it’s worked, enter the following in the Terminal window:

   xcode-select -p

9. You should now see the location of the command line tools, confirming that they have been installed.
   

How to Install Xcode Using the Xcodes App

If all of the methods about sound too complicated or frustrating, there is a third-party app that you can use to download and install Xcode. The Xcodes app also has other useful features, including resuming installs if there are network errors and an easy way to uninstall Xcode if you need to free up disk space.

As always, you should use third-party apps with caution. Xcodes requires your Apple ID login details to work, which could put your entire Apple account at risk, so think carefully before you proceed.

To install Xcode using the Xcodes app:

1. Download the latest release of the Xcodes app.
2. Drag the Xcodes.app file from your Downloads folder into your Applications folder.
   
3. Open your Applications folder, locate the Xcodes app and double-click it to open it.
4. Click the Settings icon.
   
5. Click Sign In and sign in with your Apple ID.
   
6. Select one of the listed versions of Xcode. The most up-to-date versions are listed at the top.
7. Click the Install button.
   
8. The installation process will begin. The first step is downloading the selected version of Xcode, which can take some time.
9. Once the process is completed, you can open Xcode directly from within the Xcodes app by clicking Open or by double-clicking the icon in your Applications folder.
   
10. If you want to uninstall Xcode, right-click on the installed version and select Uninstall.
    
11. Xcode will be uninstalled, and the files placed in your Trash. You’ll need to manually empty it.

Developing Apps on Your Mac

Learning how to install Xcode on Mac allows you to use your Mac to develop apps for any type of Apple device, from iPhones and iPads to Apple Watches and even Apple TVs. It turns your Mac into a powerful app development tool. There are plenty of other ways that you get can more out of your Mac, too.

If you’re coding on your Mac, you’ll want to ensure you have a great text editor to work in. You can create a bootable Linux USB drive if you want to use your Mac to run Linux without having to install it directly on your machine. And if you want to work smarter, not harder, there are some great Mac productivity apps that can help you to achieve your goal.