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KXApp - A lightweight, fast iOS development tool. Build iOS apps end to end in VS Code and Cursor

With KXApp, you don't need to open Xcode. Swift code completion just works, and Cmd+R builds and runs on an iPhone or the simulator with breakpoint debugging. Info.plist, signing and build settings, app icons, image assets and localization all have visual editors too. Pair it with AI assistants like Copilot or Claude Code and check every change with one key.

Install for free Get started →

Free · No sign-up · Your code stays on your Mac

Debugging an iOS app in VS Code: stopped at a breakpoint in Swift code, with variables, call stack and threads on the left

Press Cmd+R to build and run. When a breakpoint hits, variables, call stack and threads are right there in VS Code.

Features

What can you do with iOS in VS Code?

Open the folder of your iOS project in VS Code and you're ready to go. Click a card for details.

Build and run iOS apps

Switch scheme, configuration and run device from the status bar. Cmd+B builds, and a click on an error takes you to the line.

iPhone and simulators

Connected iPhones and iPads and all your simulators are listed in the side bar. Pick one with a click, and boot or shut down simulators right there.

iPhone breakpoint debugging

Cmd+R builds, installs and launches your app with the debugger attached: breakpoints, variables, call stack and console, all in VS Code. You can also attach to a running app.

Swift code completion

Completion, go to definition, hover docs and live errors for Swift, SwiftUI, Objective-C and C++, including third-party libraries and Swift packages.

iOS unit tests

XCTest and Swift Testing cases appear in the Test Explorer. Run one test, a class or everything with a click; failures are marked on the line.

Edit Info.plist

Edit Info.plist, entitlements and privacy manifests as a table, and look inside provisioning profiles for certificates and devices.

Generate every app icon size

Manage images, colors and app icons. Generate every icon size from one 1024×1024 image, and preview and edit the new icon documents.

iOS localization

Translate string catalogs and .strings files in one table, add a language with a click, and collect new strings from your code.

Xcode build settings

Signing, version numbers and build settings get a visual editor that shows where every value comes from.

AI coding

Can you build iOS apps in Cursor?

Yes. With KXApp in Cursor or VS Code, you don't switch to Xcode after the AI edits your code. Press Cmd+R to run on iPhone or the simulator, with build errors and logs in the same window.

Run and debug in Cursor

Install KXApp from Open VSX and Cursor gets iOS builds, breakpoint debugging and Swift code completion.

AI edits, one key to check

After Claude Code or Copilot changes your code, press Cmd+R and see it running without switching editors.

Hand errors back to AI

Build errors and run logs are in the VS Code panels, ready to copy back to the AI.

iOS development in Cursor → Check AI-written iOS code →

Visual editors

How do you edit Info.plist, icons and localization?

Project settings, Info.plist, assets and app icons all have a visual editor. Save, open the project in Xcode, and everything looks the same.

See all editors →

Project settings editor
Project settings editor →
Info.plist editor
Info.plist editor →
Asset catalog editor
Asset catalog editor →
App icon editor
App icon editor →

Works with Xcode

Can you use VS Code and Xcode together?

Yes. KXApp builds and debugs with the Xcode on your Mac, so your app runs exactly as it does when you press Run in Xcode. The same project opens in both.

  • Same results as Xcode

    Building, signing and installing are done by Xcode, so if your project runs in Xcode, it runs in VS Code.

  • Switch back and forth

    What you built in VS Code doesn't need rebuilding when you open Xcode, and the other way round.

  • No migration

    Open your existing Xcode project and start. Nothing is converted or generated, and teammates on Xcode aren't affected.

  • Familiar shortcuts

    Cmd+R to run, Cmd+B to build, Cmd+. to stop, just like Xcode.

The shortcuts you know from Xcode 
⌘R   Build and run
⌘B   Build
⌘.   Stop
⇧⌘P  Search kxapp in the Command Palette for every command

FAQ

KXApp FAQ

What is KXApp?
KXApp is a free iOS development tool that ships as a VS Code extension and also works in Cursor. On your Mac it builds and debugs Xcode projects with the Xcode you have installed, and adds visual editors for Info.plist, app icons, localization and build settings.
Is KXApp free?
Yes. Every feature is free to use. There is no trial and no paid edition.
Do I still need Xcode to develop iOS apps in VS Code?
Yes. On your Mac the extension uses the installed Xcode to build, sign and debug, which is why the results match Xcode. Once it's installed, you can do your day-to-day work in VS Code alone.
Which iOS projects are supported?
Any project Xcode opens: .xcodeproj and .xcworkspace, including projects that use CocoaPods or Swift Package Manager. Just open the folder that contains it.
How is code signing handled on iPhone?
With the signing settings in your project. Once you're signed in with your Apple ID in Xcode › Settings › Accounts, provisioning profiles are created and updated automatically, just like running on a device from Xcode.
Can I build iOS apps in Cursor with KXApp?
Yes. Install KXApp in Cursor from Open VSX and it works just like in VS Code: Cmd+R runs on iPhone or the simulator, with breakpoint debugging, code completion and the visual editors.
Do I need an account?
No. Install it from the extension marketplace and start using it. There's no sign-in, and your code is never uploaded.
Will it change my project?
Only when you change a setting in one of the editors, and then only that file. For code completion it adds a buildServer.json to the project root, which you can add to .gitignore.
Can I use it alongside Xcode?
Yes. Both share build results, so what you built in VS Code doesn't need rebuilding when you switch to Xcode, and the other way round.
Where do I report a problem?
Open an issue on GitHub and attach the kxapp log from the Output panel so we can track it down faster. You can also email us.

Start building your iOS app in VS Code

Install it from the extension marketplace, or download the VSIX and install it by hand.

VS Code Marketplace Open VSX Download VSIX
$ code --install-extension kxapp.kxapp