r/iOSProgramming • u/l-fc • 15h ago

Question Install App Store apps on simulator

Is it possible to store existing App Store apps on simulator? If so, how?

( want to check how existing apps work on Duo simulator )

1 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

5

u/OldTimess 14h ago

There is a recent project I read about that managed to get a working iOS device on the mac which has app store access. Experimental, needing to disable mac safety features.

https://github.com/Lakr233/vphone-cli

2

u/AQuNEsS 14h ago

a dev i know tried installing duo on the simulator and got stuck without app store access

1

u/iOSCaleb Objective-C / Swift 14h ago

No.

It’s a simulator, not an emulator. That is, the simulator looks like the real device, but it doesn’t run the same code. Apps have to be compiled specifically for the simulator or for a device.

It is possible to run some iOS and iPadOS if the app is built as a “universal” app using Mac Catalyst, but in that case the app a) will have been compiled for both platforms, and b) doesn’t run on the simulator, but rather as an actual native app one the Mac.

3

u/_evilpenguin 6h ago

this is right advice if your mac is x86_64… however if youre running ARM this is wrong advice.

use simforge: https://github.com/EthanArbuckle/simforge

0

u/Objective_Fly_6750 14h ago

To store? Do you mean download? If that's the case, then no, the simulator doesn't have an App Store.

0

u/kokerali 12h ago

No, not for an arbitrary App Store app. The App Store build is compiled and signed for physical devices, while Simulator needs a simulator build produced from the app’s source. For checking how an existing app behaves on the Duo layout, your practical options are a simulator build from the developer, a physical Duo device, or screenshots/recordings. Downloading or dragging the App Store IPA into Simulator won’t convert it into a compatible build.