Software factory: iOS Simulator
Build, run and tap a native iOS app in a real iOS Simulator, live in the Builder Preview and from tickets.
A native iOS project in the software factory runs in a real iOS Simulator on Chipp’s Mac. The Builder’s Preview tab shows it live, and your build agent can build, look and tap the way you would on your own Mac.
A project is native iOS when its repo root has an Xcode project, an
.xcworkspace, or an XcodeGen project.yml for iOS.
Use it in the Builder
- Open your iOS project in the Builder and choose the Preview tab.
- Choose Start simulator. A fresh Mac VM starts for your draft, builds the app from the draft’s files and launches it.
- Click to tap, drag to swipe, and type to enter text. Rebuild builds the draft’s latest files. Stop ends the simulator.
The Builder’s agent drives the same simulator. After it changes the app, it builds, checks the screen, and taps through what it changed, so you see each step in the Preview.
Use it in tickets
A ticket on a native iOS project gets the same simulator. The agent builds and runs its change before it lands it. The repo’s own CI still runs on every push.
Fast rebuilds
The simulator stays up for the whole draft or ticket. Only the files that changed go to the Mac, and the build cache stays with your project between sessions. After the first build, a one-line change rebuilds, reinstalls and relaunches in about 20 to 30 seconds.
Network access
The simulator’s VM reaches Apple, GitHub, the common package registries and
Chipp. If your app talks to its own backend, add the hosts to
.chipp/ios-sim.json at the repo root:
{ "egress": ["api.example.com", "*.livekit.cloud"] }When the simulator tries to reach a host that is not on the list, the build report names it.
Plans and pricing
| Plan | Included each month | Simulators at a time |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Pro | 10 hours | 1 |
| Do It With You | 50 hours | 3 |
After the included hours, simulator time costs $3.00 an hour, billed per minute from your credits. Time counts from start to stop, and a simulator nobody uses stops by itself after 15 minutes. If you start more simulators than your plan runs at once, the extra one waits until another stops. The project’s Usage page and the Preview show this month’s minutes and what is left.
If your organization runs out of credits, the simulator stops, and tickets pause until credits are added, then continue on their own.
Privacy and isolation
- Each simulator is its own macOS VM, made fresh for your project and deleted when it stops.
- Your build cache is encrypted and attached only to your project’s simulator.
- The VM cannot reach other VMs, Chipp’s internal network, or any host that is not on the list above.