The screenshot above shows that the current macOS isCatalina, and the version is10.15.5. Keep in mind that macOS Catalina version 10.15.4 is the earliest version of macOS that supports Xcode 12.

If your Mac is running an older version of macOS,check if it is compatiblewith macOS Catalina. If it is, follow theseinstructionsto update the operating system. If you’d like to perform a full installation of macOS Catalina, followthese stepsfrom the Apple support page.

Check if Xcode is installed

To check if you already have Xcode installed on your Mac, you can do so either by searching through theApplicationsdirectory in the Finder window or by searching for it using Spotlight Search. UseCommand+Spacebarfor a shortcut on pulling up the Spotlight Search.

If you have Xcode installed, you should see the icon as shown above in the list of Applications. Notice its version, 12.1, listed on the right hand side.

If you don’t have Xcode installed or if your version of Xcode is older than 12, then follow each step closely in the next section.

Installing Xcode

When installing Xcode 12 or later, it’s important to keep in mind its installation size. Xcode 12.1, in particular, requires 11.3 GB of free space on your hard drive but this number can vary depending on its version.

Additionally, you may need a few gigabytes more than the prescribed amount of memory. Thus, it’s a good idea to make sure that you have enough available space for a successful installation. You can follow the steps shown at theApple support pageon how to free up memory on your hard drive.

The next step is to install Xcode from the App Store. You can find the App Store in theApplicationsdirectory in the same way you checked for the availability of Xcode earlier.

There are two ways to locate Xcode in the App Store. You can either visit theDevelopsection on the left-hand side or type “Xcode” in the search bar shown below:

Depending on whether you are installing, updating, or reinstalling Xcode on your local machine, you may see one of the following options next to or below its name:

• GET: If you’re installing Xcode for the first time.
• UPDATE: If you’re updating Xcode.
• A silhouette of a cloud with an arrow pointing down: If you’re reinstalling Xcode on your machine.

Click on the option presented to you to start downloading the latest version of Xcode.

You should see a progress circle (shown below) that conveys the status of the download:

You can pause the download by clicking on the blue square button in the center if you need to.

Once the download is complete, you will observe that the button has changed toOPEN. At this point, you’re ready to launch Xcode!

Launching Xcode

Click on theOPENbutton to launch Xcode. You can also locate and launch Xcode from theApplicationsdirectory or through the Spotlight search as we’ve seen previously.

You will get the following popup when launching Xcode for the first time:

Click on theInstallbutton to set up any additional components that Xcode requires to support running and debugging your apps.

Enter the password of your Mac to enable installation of the additional components, and then clickOK. Next, you’ll see the following window:

Note that installing the components may take a bit of time. You should see the following popup once the installation is complete. This startup dialog will appear every time you launch Xcode to create a new project.

Wrap up

Congratulations! You’ve just completed the first major step towards writing your first iOS app by installing Xcode on your machine.

'The Codecademy Team, composed of experienced educators and tech experts, is dedicated to making tech skills accessible to all. We empower learners worldwide with expert-reviewed content that develops and enhances the technical skills needed to advance and succeed in their careers.'