Xcode 7: Test your app on a real device without spending $99

In Xcode 7, Apple changed its licensing policy. Previously, Xcode was only available for registered developers to download, but Xcode 7 changed this practice. You don’t need to register a developer account, you can download and try it out with just an Apple ID. Previously, developers had to pay $99 per year to become registered developers to run code on real iPhones and iPads. Apple’s new developer program relaxes the requirements. You don’t need to buy it. You can test apps on devices as long as you are interested. However, if you plan to submit an app to the App Store, you still need to pay.

However, this means that developers can publish applications outside the App Store as long as the program is open source. Interested users can open the application in Xcode, compile it and run it on the device - completely bypassing the App Store. This is a bit like Android allowing users to copy apps from unknown sources, but it is more complicated and requires a real machine connection and a Mac running Xcode. However, this is not the real purpose. The main purpose is to facilitate developers to test their software on real machines.

This isn’t a perfect solution for most developers, but it’s foreseeable that some apps will be distributed this way, such as GBA4iOS, an open source Game Boy Advance emulator for iPhone and iPad.

Given this change, users can theoretically download apps from the open-source tree and compile them locally, then run them on the device using Xcode. We know that Apple has not allowed simulators to be listed on the App Store, but they are usually open source and can be installed in this way. If you are interested in this, you can read an article on Bouke van der Bijl's blog: How to sideload apps on your iPhone using Xcode 7

In addition, Apple has launched a new developer program (Apple Developer Program). Apple said that the iOS Developer Program, Mac Developer Program and Safari Developer Program are unified into the Apple Developer Program. From June 8, individual developers only need a single Apple Developer Program membership to develop and distribute apps for iOS, OS X and watchOS platforms. For more information about the Apple Developer Program, please visit: https://developer.apple.com/support/transition/