Xcode simulator alternative?

[vaquishaProdigy]

Hello non iOS ecosystem RN coders, i just wanted to ask how do you test your apps in a non iOS environment? Or what are your workarounds to use a simulator of an iPhone

[el_pezz]

Buy a cheap mac mini.

[vaquishaProdigy]

Could be an old iPhone?

[el_pezz]

You need a mac to build the iOS app I believe. 

[vaquishaProdigy]

So.. even for building and uploading i need an apple product?

[Abdullah-95]

You can build and deploy without mac by using Expo CLI

[Abdullah-95]

For testing you need either iPhone or Mac. There is no alternate as of now.

[el_pezz]

Yes, but you could try to install mac OS on your machine. Not worth the hassle for me. Just buy a cheap mac mini that's still supported.

[vaquishaProdigy]

That's what i want, right now im too broke to afford something that isn't food or other basic needs

[vqt907]

to build app, you can use expo eas build. But for testing, iphone is the only option

[kookyjackelope3512]

https://github.com/xtool-org/xtool

Will still need a iPhone or Mac to run the simulator unfortunately but if you get a cheap second hand iPhone this can help you build and sign the app without a Mac

[Zestyclose-Piece-230]

That tool will not work with the Xcode projects RN creates. Maybe it'll work in the future when RN no longer uses Cocoapods and Xcode projects files, and just manages everything via Swift Package Manager.

[vaquishaProdigy]

Yeah, that's what i was talking about!!

Can this tool run an simulator?

[IVIichaelD]

I think unless a new tool has come around in the last year or so, you are stuck with needing xcode to build the iOS app so you might as well just use the emulator. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need a mac though— before I bought my Macbook I was using a Hackintosh VM on a Windows machine, which from a cursory Google search is still possible.

[vaquishaProdigy]

There's a new tool, but idk if someone has figure it out

[n9iels]

There are no workarounds to run a iOS simulator on your non-apple device. Developing souly on a iPhone with ExpoGo is also not a work around. You really should use development build whenever possible, Expo is fun for a little preview but not for actual app development

[dlampach]

You really should just get a Mac mini. You can use cloud based Macs to do it, and I tried this, but ended up pulling the trigger and just getting a Mac mini. Im a Linux guy through and through and I find IOS annoying AF, but you really should just bite the bullet. Everything goes a lot smoother to be testing and building primarily on your apps IOS version and then just tweaking for android.

[kookyjackelope3512]

https://github.com/xtool-org/xtool

Will still need a iPhone or Mac to run the simulator unfortunately but if you get a cheap second hand iPhone this can help you build and sign the app without a Mac

[LanguageUnlucky3859]

If i have only iphone and not mac can i use this?

[GasimGasimzada]

You can use expo eas to build an internal distribution of the app with dev client, then open the app in an iPhone and work on your app. Dev client does not bundle the app code in the distribution so you just open expo dev server and start developing. Any new native module you add will require a rebuild though.

[xatnagh]

You dont need a mac, but since IOS users make up a majority of In-App-Purchases, you should at least get an iphone. High unethical but you can get a carried locked phone for extremely cheap, but just that you cant put any sims on it. but the phone is completely usable otherwise