Download Xcode simulator directly

Follow these steps to add a (new) simulator (Xcode 9 onwards)

  1. Click on Simulator icon and open simulator list.
  2. At the end of list, there is an option to add new simulator "Add Additional Simulator". That will open 'Device & Simulator' window.
  3. Switch to 'Simulator' tab.
  4. There are three field in simulator tab.
  5. Click on '+' icon, on left bottom corner of window.
  6. Simulator Name: Enter simulator name here
  7. Device Type: Select iPad from this dropdown list
  8. OS Version: Select OS version from this dropdown list
  9. Click on 'Create'

A new simulator will be added in your Simulator option list.

Look at this snapshot to understand flow of above steps: enter image description here

And if there is no simulator/OS version in simulator list, you're looking for,

  1. Click on Simulator icon and open simulator list.
  2. At the end of list, there is an option to add new simulator "Download Simulator". That will open 'Component' window (from Xcode >> Preferences).
  3. Select/click simulator from list, which you need to download.

Look at this snapshot: enter image description here


If someone is searching in 2019, I have a better solution than looking at messy Console app.

1/ Open Terminal and run sudo /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/MacOS/Xcode to open Xcode in sudo mode.

2/ Xcode > Preferences > Components > Download then cancel the simulator you want to download.

3/ Go back to Terminal, it will log the Downloadable with the Simulator link, copy that to Safari to download it.


To add iOS Simulator in XCode perform below steps:

  • Download iOS Simulator from Below Link:

  • After download completes, copy this file to ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode/Downloads In some cases, we have to remove all *.dvtdownloadableindex files (maybe it doesn't matter, I didn't remove them).

  • In case directory ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode don't have download folder then, just click Show package content create Downloads folder, before moving the dmg file.

  • In Xcode, in the Downloads section, start the Simulator download again, it should find the file you downloaded and install it.

(Newest on top. only the latest revision is kept in the list.)

  • Simulator Link:

iOS 15.4 https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK15_4-15.4.1.1650505652.dmg

iOS 15.2

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK15_2-15.2.1.1643410298.dmg

iOS 14.5

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK14_5-14.5.1.1621461325.dmg

iOS 14.4

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK14_4-14.4.1.1611903691.dmg

iOS 14.3

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK14_3-14.3.1.1611873653.dmg

iOS 14.2

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK14_2-14.2.1.1605311653.dmg

iOS 14.1

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK14_1-14.1.1.1604100028.dmg

iOS 14.0

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK14_0-14.0.1.1604100028.dmg

iOS 13.7

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK13_7-13.7.1.1599165590.dmg

iOS 13.6

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK13_6-13.6.1.1597276955.dmg

iOS 13.5

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK13_5-13.5.1.1591226335.dmg

iOS 13.4

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK13_4-13.4.1.1586370836.dmg

iOS 13.3

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK13_3-13.3.1.1580170331.dmg

iOS 13.2

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK13_2-13.2.1.1575590084.dmg

iOS 13.1

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK13_1-13.1.1.1571440502.dmg

iOS 13.0

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK13_0-13.0.1.1571440502.dmg

iOS 12.4

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK12_4-12.4.1.1568665771.dmg

iOS 12.2

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK12_2-12.2.1.1557987768.dmg

iOS 12.1

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK12_1-12.1.1.1543439531.dmg

iOS 12.0

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK12_0-12.0.1.1537588161.dmg

iOS 11.4

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK11_4-11.4.1.1527703358.dmg

iOS 11.3

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK11_3-11.3.1.1524350608.dmg

iOS 11.2

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK11_2-11.2.1.1516308624.dmg

iOS 11.1

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK11_1-11.1.1.1510784422.dmg

iOS 11.0

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK11_0-11.0.1.1508875951.dmg

iOS 10.3.1

https://devimages-cdn.apple.com/downloads/xcode/simulators/com.apple.pkg.iPhoneSimulatorSDK10_3-10.3.1.1495751597.dmg


Clicking on Download in Xcode didn't do anything - the progress bar did not progress (does that make it a regress bar?).

This is what worked for me:

  1. Open Xcode, open preferences, go to the Components section.

  2. Open the Console App, clear the console.

  3. Go back to the Xcode preferences. Start the simulator download, then cancel it.

  4. Now in the Console, you will see something about the cancellation with the download URL.

  5. Copy the URL from the Console. Then in Terminal in some suitable scratch folder, download it:

    curl [the url you copied] -O (the letter O, not a zero)

  6. Finally, copy this file to ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode/Downloads
    Remove all *.dvtdownloadableindex files (maybe it doesn't matter, but I removed them).

  7. In Xcode, in the Downloads section, start the Simulator download again, it should find the file you downloaded and install it.

How easy was that! Only 7 steps, hah!