XCode may be coming to the iPhone and iPad very soon

Apple could be in the process of developing a version of XCode to run on iPhones and iPads in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, a leaker claims, a rumor that could lead to mobile apps being developed on the devices they will be ultimately used on in the future.

The iPhone and iPad are capable of a considerable number of tasks, with some people using the mobile devices as fully-fledged replacements for traditional computers and notebooks, like the MacBook Pro. One area that Apple hasn't covered so far is on-device development, which may change with the introduction of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

According to leaker Jon Prosser in a tweet posted on Monday, XCode is "present on iOS/iPad OS 14." Claiming he mentioned its existence during a live stream the week before, Prosser goes on to suggest the implications are "huge," as its inclusion "opens the door for 'Pro' applications to come to iPad."

I'm not gonna say that Final Cut is coming to iPad...

But XCode is present on iOS / iPad OS 14.

The implications there are HUGE.

Opens the door for "Pro" applications to come to iPad.

I mentioned this last week on a live stream, but figured it was worth the tweet
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 20, 2020

As an example of what he alludes to, Prosser comments "I'm not gonna say that Final Cut is coming to iPad," referring to Final Cut Pro X.

Prosser's comment was elaborated upon by a reply from iOS developer Steve Moser, who points out "the hidden Xcode Preview app is present in iOS 13," though it is used as a companion app for the Mac-based version to show layout previews on a device's screen. However, in response to another message suggesting it could be the Preview app, Prosser hints it's not that by suggesting "I know more than I've shown."

So far, Apple has not allowed iPhone and iPad users to develop apps directly on the devices in an official capacity. The nearest it has allowed is Swift Playgrounds, an iPad app that teaches Swift development and experimentation, but stops short of app development itself.

It's not clear how a full version of XCode for iOS and iPadOS leads to "Pro" applications on iPad. Given development for the platforms via a Mac already exists, it would be more prudent to consider the addition as making it easier for people to produce apps in the first place.

Currently a Mac or MacBook is required to develop an iOS or iPadOS app, though it is possible to test apps and visualize app layouts during development. By making it possible to develop on an iPhone or iPad, this can enable more people to get started creating apps as they don't need to acquire a Mac beforehand, reducing the barrier to entry for development.

Apple's plans for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 won't be fully known until WWDC 2020, with Apple typically using the developer conference to unveil changes in its major operating systems.

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31 Comments

smaffei 237 comments · 11 Years

About 4 years ago

Well, this would fall into line with Apple wanting to move their Macs to custom ARM processors. They would need an Xcode that runs on ARM. So, if Xcode runs on ARM, why not iPad?

I think it's a great idea, but today's Xcode is quite resource intensive. So, either they are going to revamp a lot of the code / build / debug cycle to be more resource efficient or it's only going to run on very beefed up iPads (a lot internal RAM and fast internal storage).

randominternetperson 3096 comments · 8 Years

There is no way XCode is coming to the iPhone. Or, if it did, who would use it? The UX isn’t great on a 13” laptop, so studding that into a tiny screen would be crazy. The iPad option is cool though.

Xed 2886 comments · 4 Years

randominternetperson said:

There is no way XCode is coming to the iPhone. Or, if it did, who would use it? The UX isn’t great on a 13” laptop, so studding that into a tiny screen would be crazy. The iPad option is cool though.

It's an odd choice, unless it's meant to work like SideCar does for the iPad as an extension of the Mac, but being able to quickly push an app update you've made in Xcode for iPadOS or macOS on your iPhone wouldn't be how I'd define Xcode on iOS, either, even if it required a developer to first add an app that had Xocde in its name so it could connect.

iPadOS makes some sense now that it's a operate OS that includes increasingly improves mouse/trackpad and keyboard support, but as you note, it's not a great experience on a small display and I don't see how it would get a lot of use on the iPad without some major revisions since you still need to design everything with a finger as the primary input choice.

[Deleted User] 0 comments · 9 Years

randominternetperson said:

There is no way XCode is coming to the iPhone. Or, if it did, who would use it? The UX isn’t great on a 13” laptop, so studding that into a tiny screen would be crazy. The iPad option is cool though.

Yeah, iPhone seems less than optimal based on screen size. Apple doesn’t even offer Swift Playgrounds on the iPhone. Xcode on iPad makes a lot of sense.

tht 5619 comments · 23 Years

I can see an Xcode implementation for iPhones. It's not going to be a multi-pane application, but it will be a one-pane at a time app, functional enough to do checks and small mods. For iPad, well, it's taking Apple a very long time to do something they should have done like 5 years ago.

There are still things to do on the hardware front, such as 8, 16, and 32 GB RAM options, and external display support.