How to Download Xcode on PC or Mac

This wikiHow teaches you how to install Xcode on a Mac or a Windows PC running VirtualBox.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Windows 11, 10, 8.1, and 7

Since Xcode is only available for macOS, you need to download a virtual machine to emulate a Mac.

  1. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 1
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    Download and install VirtualBox for Windows. This is a free, open-source hypervisor that enables you to run multiple virtual machines, including Xcode for macOS.[1]
    • Go to https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads and click Windows hosts. This starts the download (though you may have to click Save or Download to continue).
      • You must be using a 64-bit version of Windows with at least 4 GB of RAM.
    • Run the installer, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
  2. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 2
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    Download macOS High Sierra Final. You can get the RAR version for free here.
    • If you can’t download it because the file is too large (it’s 6 GB), you can get the fix.
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  3. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 3
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    Extract the RAR file. You can use any extraction app that supports RAR files, such as WinRAR or WinZip. Once the file is extracted, you’ll have a folder containing a High Sierra .vmdk file and a .txt file.
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    Open VirtualBox. You’ll find it in the All Apps area of the Start menu.
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    Click New. It’s at the top-left corner of the app. The “Create Virtual Machine” dialog will appear.
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    Type OSX into the “Name” field.
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    Select Mac OS X from the “Type” drop-down menu.
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    Select macOS 10.13 High Sierra (64-bit) or MacOS 64-Bit from the “Version” drop-down.
    • If you don’t see any 64-bit options, you must enable VT-x or “virtualization” in your BIOS settings. See Change Computer BIOS Settings to learn how to access the BIOS.
  9. 9
    Click Next. It’s at the bottom of the window.
  10. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 10
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    Drag the slider to the desired memory size. This is how much hard drive space you’ll allocate to High Sierra. It’s best to use between 3 GB and 6 GB.
  11. 11
    Click Next.
  12. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 12
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    Create a hard disk. Here’s how:
    • Click the button next to “Use an existing virtual hard disk drive.”
    • Click the browse icon.
    • Navigate to the High Sierra .vmdk file you extracted earlier.
    • Select the file and click Create.
  13. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 13
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    Click Settings. It’s at the top-left corner of the window.
  14. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 14
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    Edit your virtual machine. Make the following updates to your settings:
    • Click System in the left column.
      • On the motherboard tab, select ICH9 from the “Chipset” menu, then check the box next to Enable EFI.
      • On the Processor tab, select 2 as the number of processors, then move the “Execution cap” slider to the 70% mark.
    • Click Display in the left column.
      • On the Screen tab, select 128 MB as the “Video Memory” value.
    • Click OK to save your changes.
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    Close VirtualBox. You can do this by clicking the X at the top-right corner of the app.
  16. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 16
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    Open an elevated command prompt on your PC. Here’s how:
    • Type cmd into the search box in the task bar.
    • Right-click Command Prompt in the search results.
    • Click Run as administrator. A black window with the command prompt will appear.
  17. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 17
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    Run these commands at the prompt. Run these in order, but replace the paths to the location of your VirtualBox, and “Your VM Name” with its name:
    • Type cd "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\" and press ↵ Enter.
    • Type VBoxManage.exe modifyvm "Your VM Name" --cpuidset 00000001 000306a9 04100800 7fbae3ff bfebfbff and press ↵ Enter.
    • Type VBoxManage setextradata "Your VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemProduct" "MacBookPro11,3" and press ↵ Enter.
    • Type VBoxManage setextradata "Your VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiSystemVersion" "1.0" and press ↵ Enter.
    • Type VBoxManage setextradata "Your VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/efi/0/Config/DmiBoardProduct" "Iloveapple" and press ↵ Enter.
    • Type VBoxManage setextradata "Your VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/DeviceKey" "ourhardworkbythesewordsguardedpleasedontsteal(c)AppleComputerInc" and press ↵ Enter.
    • Type VBoxManage setextradata "Your VM Name" "VBoxInternal/Devices/smc/0/Config/GetKeyFromRealSMC" 1 and press ↵ Enter.
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    Open VirtualBox again. You can also close the CMD window if you wish.
  19. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 19
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    Click Start. It’s the green arrow icon at the top-left corner of the app.
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    Set up your virtual Mac. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up High Sierra like you’re setting up a new computer, and log in with your Apple ID as prompted. When you’re finished, your virtual Mac will display its home screen.
  21. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 21
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    Open the App Store
    iPhone App Store Icon
    .     It’s in the Dock at the bottom of the screen.
  22. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 22
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    Search for Xcode. Type xcode into the search bar at the top-right corner of the App Store and press ↵ Enter.
  23. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 23
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    Click Xcode. It should be the first result. Look for the blue app store icon with a hammer.
  24. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 24
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    Click Get. If you didn’t sign in with your Apple ID during setup, you’ll have to do so now.
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    Click Install. Xcode will install on your virtual Mac. When it’s finished, an “Open” button will appear.
  26. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 26
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    Click Open to launch Xcode.
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    Click Agree. It’s at the bottom-right corner of the license agreement pop-up.
  28. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 28
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    Enter your Mac administrator password to continue. Xcode will now install some additional features.
  29. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 29
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    Start a new project.
    • If you’re new to Xcode, select Get started with a playground to code in a preset environment.
    • To start a project from scratch, click Create a new Xcode project.
    • If asked to enable developer mode on your Mac, click OK.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

macOS

  1. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 30
    1
    Open the App Store
    iPhone App Store Icon
    .     You’ll find its icon on the Dock, which is usually at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 31
    2
    Type xcode into the search bar and press ⏎ Return. A list of matching results will appear.
  3. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 32
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    Click Xcode. It should be the first result. Look for the blue app store icon with a hammer.
  4. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 33
    4
    Click Get.
  5. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 34
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    Click Install. Xcode will now download and install on your Mac. When the app is finished installing, the “Install” button will change to “Open.”
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    Click Open. Xcode will launch.
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    Click Agree. It’s at the bottom-right corner of the license agreement pop-up.
  8. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 37
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    Enter your administrator password. Xcode will now install additional components on your Mac.
  9. Image titled Download Xcode on PC or Mac Step 38
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    Start a new project.
    • If you’re new to Xcode, select Get started with a playground to code in a preset environment.
    • To start a project from scratch, click Create a new Xcode project.
    • If asked to enable developer mode on your Mac, click OK.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Why can't I download Xcode in Appstore or VirtualBox?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    First, make sure OS is up to date to be able to install Xcode successfully. You can update Mac OS updates from the App Store before trying to install Xcode. Then, you should be able to download it. It is not VirtualBox's Appstore, it is in the appstore of MacOS/Apple. Virtualbox just runs the macOS. Try signing in to the App store, or in settings (System Preferences). Make sure your macOS version is High Sierra or higher.
  • Question
    What do I do if the App Store gives me the following error: "Xcode can't be installed on High Sierra Final by Techsviewer"?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It will need to download a compressed packaged installer, then uncompress that package, then install Xcode. You need room for the package, the uncompressed bits, and any installed Xcode. Then the installer will clean up after itself. You need more than 5GB of free space. You should have a lot more than 5GB on a normal basis anyway.
  • Question
    Can I download Xcode with High Sierra 10.13.6?
    TayoDadaYT
    TayoDadaYT
    Community Answer
    Yes, although you might want to update to a newer version for optimal performance.
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 66,516 times.
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Co-authors: 10
Updated: August 10, 2022
Views: 66,516
Categories: Windows | Mac
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