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Run Your Apache Cordova App on iOS

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In Visual Studio 2013, the Cordova tools are released as a preview (CTP) version. Cordova tools will be released as part of Visual Studio 2015 and we recommend that you now use Visual Studio 2015 RC to develop apps using Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova. You can download Visual Studio from the Microsoft Download Center.

When you create app using Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova, you have several options for emulating and deploying your app on iOS:

  • Apache Ripple emulator, which provides basic validation of layout and CSS. (This does not require installation of the remote agent for iOS.)

  • iOS Simulator, which requires installation and configuration of the vs-mda-remote agent when running from Visual Studio.

  • iOS device, which also requires installation and configuration of the vs-mda-remote agent when running from Visual Studio.

iOS Simulator

If you have configured your Mac as described in the article Install tools for iOS, you can build and run your app on the iOS Simulator. The iOS Simulator runs on your Mac.

Note

We recommend that you use the iOS Simulator if you have a personal Mac or if you’re running Windows from a Mac using virtualization technology such as Parallels .

To run your app on the iOS Simulator

  1. Make sure that you have installed the remote agent on a Mac that meets all system requirements, and that you have started the remote agent.

  2. Make sure that you have specified iOS processing, the host name or IP address, port, and security PIN in Visual Studio.

  3. With your app open in Visual Studio, choose iOS from the Solution Platforms list. If you don’t see this list, choose Solution Platforms from the Add/Remove Buttons list to display it.

  4. In the simulator list, choose Simulator – iPhone or another iOS simulator.

    Selecting the iOS Simulator

  5. Press F5 to start the app.

    If the remote agent is set up correctly, Visual Studio deploys the app to the iOS Simulator on your Mac.

    iOS Simulator running on a Mac

    Tip

    If you are running a version of the iOS Simulator with a Retina display on a lower-resolution Mac with a non-Retina display, you may need to scale the emulator to 50% so the app will fit on the screen (chose Window, Scale > 50%).

iOS device

If you have configured the vs-mda-remote agent on your Mac as described in the article Install tools for iOS, you can build and run your app on an iOS device that is connected to your Mac or PC.

To run your app on an iOS device

  1. If you are running your app on a device that is connected to your Windows PC, make sure that you have installed iTunes on the PC. (You may have installed iTunes when you installed the Install Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova.)

    Note

    iTunes is not required if you are running your app on a device that is connected to your Mac.

  2. Make sure that you have installed the remote agent on a Mac that meets all system requirements, and that you have started the remote agent.

  3. Make sure that the iOS device has been provisioned with the same provisioning profile as the remote build server that you have configured. For more information about provisioning, see Package Your App Built with Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova.

  4. Make sure that you have specified iOS processing, the host name or IP address, port, and security PIN in Visual Studio.

  5. With your app open in Visual Studio, choose iOS from the Solution Platforms list. If you don’t see this list, choose Solution Platforms from the Add/Remove Buttons list to display it.

  6. In the device list, choose Local Device to run your app on a device connected to your PC, or choose Remote Device to run your app on a device connected to your Mac.

    Selecting an iOS device

  7. Press F5 to start the app.

    If the remote agent and is set up correctly and your iOS device is connected, the app will run on your device.

    If you are running the app on your PC (Local Device), iTunes will start and the iOS app will automatically be added to (or replaced in) your library. You can install or update the app on a connected device as you would any other iOS app.

Download the toolsGet the Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova or learn more

See Also

Other Resources

Install tools for iOS