Ojobo Jennifer
New member
Can you build iOS apps on Windows and deploy them?
Well, yes and no...
Let's talk about the Yes part.
Apple has their own tools and software for building apps that run on their devices. All of those tools are bundled into Xcode.
Side note: I know Elon Musk would pay billions of dollars just to collect that name and trademark from Apple for one of his ventures.
Anyway, Xcode doesn't run on anything else that isn't Apple. In fact, not just any Apple.
Xcode has versions and not all versions work on any Apple computer. Apple has a "versioning technique" that they deploy to force you to upgrade your computer to install and run the latest Xcode version successfully.
So it's like this:
To deploy an app successfully on the Appstore, you need a version of Xcode not earlier than a specified version.
Now that version of Xcode you need, will not run on older Apple OS earlier than version X .
Then if you want to upgrade the OS, you'll discover that the version of OS you need to install Xcode doesn't run on an Apple computer older than xxxx year.
Yes, you get it now. They want you to buy a new computer. You can't build out any app for Apple on anything that isn't a supported Apple device running a supported version of Xcode.
So you can't build on Windows or Linux. But... There are cloud-based SaaS platforms like Codemagic that allow you build apps for iOS online.
So they use their own Mac servers to build for you. Another one is Expo Servers . But this is if you're using React Native - a JavaScript dialect for building mobile apps.
They will allow you to build and sign your apps online, using your Windows computer.
I used code magic as far back as 2020/2021 maybe. Here's the problem with such solutions - they are slow.
That is where the No comes in.
Bloody slow. Especially if you're on the free plans. So imagine using 30 minutes to build out a test version and there is an error.
You'll have to go back, fix the error. Push it back to them to build again.
It might be okay, if your app is a very simple app that is a one-shot.
Meaning, you are 99.9% guaranteed that your code will run without errors the first time, otherwise, you will be exhausted.
If you're going to be making multiple updates to your app, and testing on a physical device, just get a MacBook.
Except you have no option. In that case, I sincerely hope you have the strength and fortitude to bear the suffering.
If you're a lady, and you have a boyfriend who uses Codemagic to build iOS apps with Windows without grumbling or cursing his fate, marry him.
His type is rare.
You might ask - why does Apple do this? Why all these bottlenecks.
Well, a few reasons off the top of my head -
Number one is the fact that Apple appstore is more valuable than Google Playstore. Due to the culture, people who use iOS and Mac are more likely to swipe their cards and pay for software.
That is why a lot of immediately successful apps launch on iOS and Mac first. Then sluggishly roll out an android and Windows version.
Android has a much lower value.
Building for windows has a much lower value than building for Mac.
Apple knows this, building that culture wasn't just by accident. It was intentional. So they want to make sure that their developers also have enough skin in the game.
That is why Android charges you $25 to push all your apps forever.
Apple charges you $99 per bloody year.
Well, yes and no...
Let's talk about the Yes part.
Apple has their own tools and software for building apps that run on their devices. All of those tools are bundled into Xcode.
Side note: I know Elon Musk would pay billions of dollars just to collect that name and trademark from Apple for one of his ventures.
Anyway, Xcode doesn't run on anything else that isn't Apple. In fact, not just any Apple.
Xcode has versions and not all versions work on any Apple computer. Apple has a "versioning technique" that they deploy to force you to upgrade your computer to install and run the latest Xcode version successfully.
So it's like this:
To deploy an app successfully on the Appstore, you need a version of Xcode not earlier than a specified version.
Now that version of Xcode you need, will not run on older Apple OS earlier than version X .
Then if you want to upgrade the OS, you'll discover that the version of OS you need to install Xcode doesn't run on an Apple computer older than xxxx year.
Yes, you get it now. They want you to buy a new computer. You can't build out any app for Apple on anything that isn't a supported Apple device running a supported version of Xcode.
So you can't build on Windows or Linux. But... There are cloud-based SaaS platforms like Codemagic that allow you build apps for iOS online.
So they use their own Mac servers to build for you. Another one is Expo Servers . But this is if you're using React Native - a JavaScript dialect for building mobile apps.
They will allow you to build and sign your apps online, using your Windows computer.
I used code magic as far back as 2020/2021 maybe. Here's the problem with such solutions - they are slow.
That is where the No comes in.
Bloody slow. Especially if you're on the free plans. So imagine using 30 minutes to build out a test version and there is an error.
You'll have to go back, fix the error. Push it back to them to build again.
It might be okay, if your app is a very simple app that is a one-shot.
Meaning, you are 99.9% guaranteed that your code will run without errors the first time, otherwise, you will be exhausted.
If you're going to be making multiple updates to your app, and testing on a physical device, just get a MacBook.
Except you have no option. In that case, I sincerely hope you have the strength and fortitude to bear the suffering.
If you're a lady, and you have a boyfriend who uses Codemagic to build iOS apps with Windows without grumbling or cursing his fate, marry him.
His type is rare.
You might ask - why does Apple do this? Why all these bottlenecks.
Well, a few reasons off the top of my head -
Number one is the fact that Apple appstore is more valuable than Google Playstore. Due to the culture, people who use iOS and Mac are more likely to swipe their cards and pay for software.
That is why a lot of immediately successful apps launch on iOS and Mac first. Then sluggishly roll out an android and Windows version.
Android has a much lower value.
Building for windows has a much lower value than building for Mac.
Apple knows this, building that culture wasn't just by accident. It was intentional. So they want to make sure that their developers also have enough skin in the game.
That is why Android charges you $25 to push all your apps forever.
Apple charges you $99 per bloody year.