# Is iOS simulator setup possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Robot Framework\ **Created:** [10 September 2021 09:57 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399 "2021-09-10T09:57:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Inky80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@Inky80](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/Inky80)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 09:57 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/1 "2021-09-10T09:57:57Z")
Hi all, We currently have Android automation set up to run with an emulator but we have to run iOS automation via a Mac Mini and a physical device. Is it at all possible to run iOS on a simulator on the same box we use to run Android? Thank you in advance. ---
**Author:** ![zastress](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/zastress/32/1259_2.png) [@zastress](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/zastress)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 10:00 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/2 "2021-09-10T10:00:24Z")
Yes, that is possible and the setup for the simulator is the same as for the real device. However, you won’t have Apple Store on simulator so you need to install the app using a ipa file. One other thing to consider is that ipa for real device differs from the one for the simulator because of the processor architecture. The iOS dev team should know how to build for both ---
**Author:** ![Inky80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@Inky80](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/Inky80)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 10:08 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/3 "2021-09-10T10:08:13Z")
Oh wow that is great news. The ipa files we already place in a location for RIDE to pick up and install, so all good there. Currently Android is running on a windows box and has and emulator, but for iOS which simulator software should we use? As far as I know there are no iOS devices on the emulator we use for Android ---
**Author:** ![zastress](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/zastress/32/1259_2.png) [@zastress](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/zastress)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 10:12 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/4 "2021-09-10T10:12:45Z")
You can create and start your iOS simulator on the mac-mini directly using xCode by going to Windows-\>Devices and Simulators. You will find there a list of simulators with different ID and OS. Using the id, you can start the simulator using this command in the terminal: `open /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Applications/Simulator.app --args -CurrentDeviceUDID ` ---
**Author:** ![Inky80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@Inky80](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/Inky80)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 10:19 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/5 "2021-09-10T10:19:25Z")
Oh yes I started looking at that but then stopped because the I wasn’t sure how to make RIDE see the emulator instead of the actual device. But it sounds like I need to look a bit deeper at the configuration before it will work so I’ll give that a go again. Thank you so much for the answers, I wasn’t expecting it to be possible so happy now. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![zastress](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/zastress/32/1259_2.png) [@zastress](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/zastress)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 10:20 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/6 "2021-09-10T10:20:46Z")
From a robot test point of view it is just a matter of telling it on which device id to launch the application so that’s how you get from real device to simulator. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Inky80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@Inky80](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/Inky80)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 10:22 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/7 "2021-09-10T10:22:25Z")
I see and that would be somewhere under test settings or one of those after I launch RIDE.py? Please excuse my ignorance, I’m picking up where it was left and learning as I go. ---
**Author:** ![zastress](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/zastress/32/1259_2.png) [@zastress](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/zastress)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 10:27 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/8 "2021-09-10T10:27:40Z")
If you use AppiumLibrary you probably use the Open Application keyword to run the app. That requires arguments like device id, application package and so on. I don’t know your infrastructure but there should be something like this. So, in order to start the app on the simulator instead of real device you just modifu the udid parameter in the Open Application command or in the start of the Appium Server itself. Ride is just an editor, you can use many more which are more friendly: Pycharm, VS Vistual Studio Code ---
**Author:** ![Inky80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@Inky80](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/Inky80)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 10:29 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/9 "2021-09-10T10:29:19Z")
Ok gotcha thank you. I’ll give it a bash, much appreciated! 😀 ---
**Author:** ![HelioGuilherme66](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/helioguilherme66/32/34_2.png) [@HelioGuilherme66](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/HelioGuilherme66)\ **Post date:** [10 September 2021 11:03 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/10 "2021-09-10T11:03:41Z")
I disagree on the non friendiness of RIDE ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Inky80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@Inky80](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/Inky80)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2021 09:20 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/11 "2021-09-13T09:20:48Z")
I’m getting an error stating that it can’t find the device, but I suspect I have some more config to do somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Inky80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@Inky80](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/Inky80)\ **Post date:** [13 September 2021 11:10 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/12 "2021-09-13T11:10:58Z")
We use “Install And Start Application | ${APP}” and specify the install location somewhere for the .ipa file which works with a physical device. But I’m having another issue now, and our Dev says the automation builds does have the architecture to run on simulators but I still get this error: WebDriverException: Message: An unknown server-side error occurred while processing the command. Original error: Simulator architecture is unsupported by the ‘/var/folders/hp/\_hj1t\_d172xbdzt0012b9j2r0000gp/T/2021813-4971-ehadc5.lmct/TestAppName.app’ application. Make sure the correct deployment target has been selected for its compilation in Xcode. I’ll have to dig some more ---
**Author:** ![Wilson78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ccd318/32.png) [@Wilson78](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/Wilson78)\ **Post date:** [16 November 2021 06:01 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/13 "2021-11-16T06:01:17Z")
Thanks for sharing, Very helpful for me, Really appreciate. ---
**Author:** ![zastress](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/zastress/32/1259_2.png) [@zastress](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/zastress)\ **Post date:** [1 February 2022 11:44 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/15 "2022-02-01T11:44:23Z")
😂 😂 😂 😂 I think you are the only one 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![evan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@evan](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/evan)\ **Post date:** [1 June 2023 12:15 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/16 "2023-06-01T12:15:58Z")
Hi @Inky80 did you ever get a fix for this ? or @zastress do you know of something ? as im getting the same on our ipa build. Im trying to install and run it on simulator but i realise that it has to do with the type of build im getting through the iOS dev’s pipelines. Should they be signing it with a certain Cert to run on the Simulator in xcode ? ---
**Author:** ![Inky80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@Inky80](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/Inky80)\ **Post date:** [21 February 2024 07:56 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/is-ios-simulator-setup-possible/2399/17 "2024-02-21T07:56:46Z")
No not yet. Will need to get back to solving this soon again.