Provisioning Profiles in Mac VMs
There may be other outstanding issues, but you can now:
- On a macOS 15 or later host, install macOS 15 or later in a VM.
- On the guest, log in using an Apple Account in System Settings.
- And install Xcode.
- And add your Apple Account to Xcode.
- And then build and run a Mac app.
- Even if it uses a restricted entitlement.
Via Craig Hockenberry:
It’s a momentous day for Mac developers: you can now provision a device running in a VM. Whether you use VirtualBuddy, UTM, or another app, Xcode can now build, run, and debug apps on multiple versions of macOS without having to reboot.
This includes apps that have entitlements for iCloud and other Apple services.
[…]
Essentially, we now have a setup like the iOS simulator where you can work on two versions of the OS simultaneously. That’s a huge boost for developer productivity!
[…]
One thing you cannot do in a VM: use your Apple ID to login to the Mac App Store. So no testing your shipping app version.
This also means you can’t run TestFlight builds, because you can’t download the app from the store.
Previously:
- Xcode 26
- Unable to Update Virtualized macOS
- M4 Macs Can’t Virtualize Older macOS
- Securing Virtual Machines on Apple Silicon
- Sequoia Beta 3 VMs Don’t Support Mac App Store
- Using Apple Accounts With macOS Virtual Machines
- Limitations on macOS Virtual Machines
