Clearing Old Simulator Files in Xcode

Over time, Xcode simulators can accumulate unused or outdated files, taking up valuable disk space on your machine. One effective way to free up space is by removing unavailable simulators using the xcrun simctl command-line tool.

Using xcrun simctl to Delete Unavailable Simulators

To remove unavailable simulators and their associated files, follow these steps:

1. Open Terminal: Launch the Terminal app on your Mac. You can find it in the Applications > Utilities folder or by searching for “Terminal” using Spotlight.

2. Access xcrun simctl: xcrun simctl is a command-line tool that lets you interact with iOS, watchOS, and tvOS simulators. Use it to manage simulators and their content.

3. List Unavailable Simulators: Before deleting anything, it’s a good idea to list the unavailable simulators to confirm what will be removed. Enter the following command:

   xcrun simctl list devices | grep unavailable

   This command will display a list of unavailable simulators along with their UDIDs.

4. Delete Unavailable Simulators: To delete these unavailable simulators, you will need to use their UDIDs. Use the following command to delete each unavailable simulator:

   xcrun simctl delete <UDID>

   Replace <UDID> with the UDID of the simulator you want to delete. Repeat this command for each simulator you wish to remove.

5. Confirm Deletion: Once you execute the delete command, Terminal will not provide a confirmation message. The simulator will be removed immediately.

6. Verify Space Freed: After deleting the unavailable simulators, you can check your disk space to verify that the old simulator files have been successfully cleared.

Conclusion

Regularly cleaning up your Xcode simulators can help keep your development environment efficient and organized. By using the xcrun simctl command-line tool, you can easily identify and remove unavailable simulators, freeing up space on your machine. This can lead to improved performance and a smoother development experience.