So,why would you need to debug iOS apps remotely? Well, if you have the target iOS device around and can connect it directly to your development machine, you have nothing to worry about. But what if you needed to test a program running on a remote device which couldn’t be physically attached to your development computer?
The native solution for remote iOS debugging
Probably the simplest way to debug iOS apps on a remote device is the new option presented in Xcode 9 awhile back. It relieves you of the need to plug the device into your Mac any time you want to debug your iOS application. As for the weaknesses of this option:
- To be able to debug your iOS app remotely, you’ll still need to physically connect the iOS device to your development machine at least once (to setup remote debugging).
- Mac with running Xcode and the device you want to access remotely must be located within the same local network. If not, remote iOS debugging simply won’t work.
As an alternative to the native method, you may also consider using a third-party solution like FlexiHub. This software tool is designed to redirect iOS devices across any network and any distance. [Read more…]