Top 5 iOS emulators, working in the MacOS, the Windows and browser

What you need to know about iOS emulators

Is there running iOS emulator

On the Internet you can find a lot of tools that promise almost iOS install on Android and Windows, but it is just useless and infected with viruses pacifiers.

As Apple's mobile operating system has a closed source code, it does not exist full emulators. Attempts to create such software to an end litigation with the company and inevitably failed. In fact all of the programs that give for emulators are actually simulators.

The simulator is different from the emulator

Both terms in tune and many consider them synonymsBut it is not so.

Emulation involves recreating an identical copy of the equipment and all of its properties. In this case, the program code is executed in the "native" environment, which is based on the same components as the original.

Simulation - this is just an imitation of the original software interface and behavior. The simulator implements the application function is not completely different way. Outwardly they may look like a complete copy, but the implementation of the original program code are not talking.

Can I play on a simulator

Open a game or any other application from the App Store on your computer will not work. Even in the official Apple simulator can be run only by the program's own - someone else's project, for which there is no source, will not open.

So do not expect to play any loud exclusive to iOS, which is not available on Android.

Why then do we need simulators

Indeed extract some benefit only the developers for iOS apps are of such software. Simulations enable you to test your program, even if the hand is not the real iPhone and other Apple gadgets.

Ordinary users using iOS simulator can except to satisfy the curiosity and take a closer look at the interface of the Apple operating system.

1. xcode Simulator

• Platform: MacOS.
• Price: is free.

The best solution for testing iOS-appWhich is second only to the launch of the software on actual devices. Simulator is part of the Xcode - proprietary development environment for the Apple platform - iOS and simulates the operation, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS as accurately as possible.

The simulator is run directly from the Xcode project. This creates a specially compiled even here the architecture of x86 version works on Mac. Test can be as projects in Objective-C, or Swift, and web-based applications - Simulator reproduces the appearance and behavior of iOS on the selected device.

2. Xamarin iOS Simulator

• Platform: Windows.
• Price: is free.

A set of tools for cross-platform development Xamarin included in the Microsoft Visual Studio environment, and this is the only way to get full-fledged iOS simulator in Windows. However, to use it you need to connect the Mac to a remote, which is actually still up and running. But the possibility of the simulation are the same as in Xcode.

Built-in iOS-Xamarin simulator allows you to test the application without using the iPhone. In it there is support for touch screen, screenshots and lots of other useful options. The main advantage of Xamarin - the opportunity to develop in a universal format, followed by deployment of both iOS, as well as on Android without having to rewrite everything from scratch.

Go to the official website →

3. Appetize

• Platform: Web.
• Price: 100 free minutes per month, or a premium of $ 40 per month.

Unlike the previous two simulators Appetize is an online solution and functions in any browser, including mobile. The service provides access to iOS desktop and allows you to run your own applications after downloading the source.

In Appetize implemented simulation of iOS-devices ranging from iPhone 4S and finishing iPhone 11 Pro Max. In addition there is a choice between the different versions of the operating system, as well as log and debug logging network.

Go to the official website →

4. Electric Mobile Studio

• Platform: Windows.
• Price: $ 40, free trial for 7 days.

A useful utility for testing iOS-applications in a Windows environment. Electric Mobile Studio supports integration with Microsoft Visual Studio, so in the process of writing code, you can immediately debug it, test interface display and other components.

The simulator has a built engine WebKit and Google Chrome debugging tools that simplify development and testing. It is possible to switch between profiles of different devices, change the resolution, orientation, and many other parameters.

Go to the official website →

5. Ripple

• Platform: Chrome.
• Price: is free.

Another online simulator that unlike Appetize not available as a service, as well as the extension for Google Chrome. Ripple is designed to facilitate the development of web applications in HTML5 and allows you to test them directly in the browser.

When activated, the current page reloads the simulator and displays it according to the selected settings. Among the options available screen resolution, the platform, as well as data geolocation, accelerometer, and a few extra options.