Emulators make it easy to run and test iOS apps on Windows PC or Mac. These are especially useful for developers who want to know how a specific app will appear and function on the iPhone and iPad. Emulator software works by replicating Apple’s design, interface, and some limited functionality. If that sounds interesting, try these best iOS emulators for PC.
- Global Nav Open Menu Global Nav Close Menu; Apple; Shopping Bag +.
- AIRiPad is an iPad simulator for the Mac made in Adobe AIR. The app is an early version of an on-going project that sets out to simulate the iPad on your Mac. As the developer clearly states, this early version can't do much, and it is buggy as hell. When you launch the application, an image of the iPad will appear with its screen locked.
- Read the updated Human Interface Guidelines, download the latest version of Xcode, and test your app in Simulator. Enable full screen native resolution. Your app will run in Full Screen Display Mode on iPad Pro if your project’s base SDK is set to iOS 12.1 or later and you have a Launch Storyboard.
1. iPadian
iPadian is more of a simulator than an emulator. That is, it does not create a local version of iOS on your device but gives you a taste of using it. You cannot access the iOS app store, but you can use the apps that have been specially designed for iPadian. These include the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Tiktok, Whatsapp, Crossy road, and more.
Ipad emulator free download - Marvel Comics, SecureCRT for iPad - Secure Terminal Emulator, Emulator Enhancer, and many more programs.
This software imitates the design and appearance of iOS but not the features and system actions. The interface is clean and clutter-free while also not consuming a large amount of power. So it’s perfect and the most popular option for all those who simply want to get a feel of iOS on their Windows or Mac computers.
Platform: Windows and Mac
Pricing: $25.00
2. Smartface
This is one of the best iOS emulators for PC because it provides an incredibly user-friendly experience. It is widely utilized by developers to test the iOS apps that they are creating. This requires an Apple device with the Smartface app to be connected to a Windows system that has iTunes installed.
Once that setup is in place, you can initiate emulation with a couple of clicks and experience a cross-platform programming experience. Further, it is frequently updated to keep up with changes in operating systems. In case you don’t have an Apple device and just want to run some iOS apps, Smartface lets you do so in a browser.
Platform: Windows, Mac, and Linux
Pricing: Free
3. Appetize
Although one can only use this for 100 minutes a month for free, it is an emulator that very closely resembles what an actual iPhone would run like. This is due to features that help users easily develop, test, and update iOS and Android apps. Moreover, it also offers iCloud access, which is an additional benefit.
You can upload your app to its website or through an API. And within mere seconds, your app runs within any major web browser on your PC. The interface is easy to use, and there is a demo available on the website. This is best suited for both independent developers as well as large scale enterprises. There is flexible pricing according to your needs.
Platform: Windows (works in any browser)
Pricing: $40 per month for the basic plan
4. Xamarin
This is a plugin that you can use in Microsoft Visual Studio to develop iOS apps. It’s quite an advanced iOS emulator that is pretty complicated to configure on PC. But once you do the hard work, you have a powerful tool to code iOS apps from Visual Studio IDE on your Windows computer.
The minimum requirements include a PC with the latest version of Visual Studio and a network-connected Mac that has Xamarin.iOS and the Apple build tools installed. It is powerful enough to support enterprise applications.
Platform: Windows
Pricing: $99/Month
5. Xcode
Xcode is Apple’s own Integrated Development Environment (IDE), which helps developers create and review the performance of apps. Moreover, they can check the compatibility of their apps on several different iPhone models.
Unlike other emulators, Xcode is made for macOS only; hence, you cannot use it on Windows systems. For iOS developers, they can take full advantage of SwiftUI, which has a declarative Swift syntax.
In a single click, you can bring your iPad app to Mac. Xcode 11 has support for Swift packages; therefore, you can share code among all of your apps or use packages created by the community.
Platform: Mac
Pricing: Free
6. Adobe Air
This iPhone emulator can replicate the graphical user interface of iOS. Before any developer goes for the final release of their apps, they can use AIR to upload the app. Here, they can check how the app will look like.
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However, it should be noted that hardware replication limits do not give an entirely accurate comparison of an app’s behavior. What you see within this emulator may not be precisely what renders or occurs on an actual iOS device. Nonetheless, it’s suitable to get a feel of what your iOS app will look like.
Platform: Windows and Mac
Pricing: Free
7. Electric Mobile Studio
Electric Mobile Studio allows full-fledged emulation of iPhone and iPad apps. You can test out responsive apps, and Windows users can integrate this tool with Visual Studio for convenience.
Further, you can add hot-key navigation for your favorite shortcuts. There are also integrated WebKit and Chrome debugging tools to take advantage of. Once you buy this product, you can use it on two machines to work seamlessly between them.
Platform: Windows
Pricing plans: $39.99 (Free 7-Day Trial)
8. TestFlight
This iPhone emulator is Apple’s officially recommended method for testing iOS apps. It comes with extensive documentation that makes it easier to use. It supports apps for iOS, iMessage, watchOS, and tvOS.
Further, there is an option for external beta testing of your app before a final review that helps get a better picture of any issues faced by users. However, the setup is quite technical, and you will need to have an Apple Developer account to use it.
Platform: Mac
Pricing: Free
Summing Up
So, which of these iPhone emulators have you tried out on your Windows or Mac computer? Share your experience with us in the comments below. You can also check out our guide to run Android apps on your Mac.
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I have been writing about tech for over 10 years now. I am passionate about helping people solve their tech problems with easy and practical solutions. At iGeeksBlog, I write and edit how-to guides and accessory reviews for all things Apple. My work has previously appeared in Live IT and Woman’s Era magazines. When not working, I love reading and traveling.
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Here’s how to run the Garmin 430/530 (400 and 500 series simulators) on a Mac / Apple computer, a newer version of Windows or even Linux.
The free trainers offered on Garmin’s website are great tools to anyone who might use a 400 or 500 series unit. Whether you are new to these systems and want an introduction, or maybe a flight instructor wanting to show students, the Garmin simulators are fantastic!
These simulators (for Windows) are available for free and can be found on Garmins website here.
Unfortunately, these programs are not compatible with all types of computers and operating systems. So, the following is how to best install them on a Mac, Linux, or newer Windows computer.
The normal 430 or 530 simulators will not run on a Windows Vista computer or newer (Windows 7, 8, 10, etc.). As noted by Garmin: “Windows XP Operating System required” and they are “not compatible with Windows Vista or Windows 7 Operating Systems”.
The easiest solution is to download the WAAS 400W/500W simulator which is compatible with “Windows XP or later operating system”. (Download Here)
After downloading and installing, select from the options menu the type of unit you need to simulate.
The functionality on the WASS units (430W, 530W) are similar enough to to the non-WAAS 430 and 530 units that they should fit your needs just fine.
Here is the easiest way to run the Garmin sim on your Apple or linux computer. With this method I was able to get the Garmin 430 trainer up and running on my Macbook Pro within within about 30 minutes! The only time consuming part is downloading ~4.1GB of files.
It just takes 3 quick steps:
- Download and install VirtualBox
- Download and install a free Windows Virtual Machine
- Within the virtual machine, download and install the Garmin Sim
1. Download and install VirtualBox
You need a free program called VirtualBox to create a “virtual” Windows computer on your Mac. Here are the steps:
Visit the VirtualBox website.
Download “VirtualBox platform packages” for “OS X Host”.
Install VirtualBox just like any other program – Double click on the VirtualBox.pkg icon and follow the on screen installation prompts
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2. Download and run a free Windows Virtual Machine from Microsoft
Microsoft gives out free versions of windows for web developers and programmers to download and test their software on. The only catch is that they have a 90 day trial limit. However even Microsoft themselves suggest that you create a “SnapShot” in VirtualBox in order to simply keep resetting this 90 day trial when the time comes.
Visit Microsoft’s website and download a free virtual machine
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Chose “IE8 on Win7” or whichever version you prefer, select “VirtualBox” for the platform, and download it.
When the download completes, double click on the the file “IE8 – Win7.ova” and it will automatically bring up VirtualBox and begin loading the virtual Windows machine.
The standard “Appliance settings” should be just fine (depending on your computer) and you can just select “Import”.
When VirtualBox finishes loading the Windows machine, Start the machine, and boot into Windows.
Within windows you should now be able to access Wifi and download and install the Garmin Sim from their website within the host Windows machine. That’s It! You’re up and running!
Also, don’t forget to create a “Snapshot” of your virtual machine to easily reset the windows trial period. Microsoft even recommends doing this.
Ios Simulator For Mac
Go to the upper right-hand corner that says “Snapshot”
Then click the little blue camera to create a new snapshot. It will ask you to name it, I named mine “New Install with Garmin”. Click “OK” and the snapshot will be created.
When the time comes to reset windows just come back, right-click, and “Restore Snapshot”.