However, as an iOS developer with an app on the App Store, I’ve found a way to view my app’s contents using the Xcode application.
In Xcode, go to Window → Devices and Simulators to open the relevant window. You should see your connected iPhone there. In the Installed APPS panel, click the + button to add your app if it isn’t already listed. Once added, your app will appear in the list.
To view the contents of the app, you need to download it first. Click the ... button next to the app name and select Download from the options.
Once downloaded, you can view the package contents from Finder. The file I’m most interested in is the core database of my app. From here, I can easily examine all supporting files, including the database itself. Finder allows me to open the files I need and verify their contents.
This is an extremely valuable and convenient tool for iOS developers. It allows me to verify, back up, and review the app’s contents on my iPhone before making further changes. I can also modify and replace content for testing purposes, and then incorporate those changes into my Xcode project after thorough testing.
For example, I’ve recently been working on an update to migrate from a single database store to multiple database stores. This change lays the foundation for future features and improvements in data access efficiency. However, it involves a major overhaul of the project, affecting many parts of the codebase. I was concerned about testing these changes on my iPhone, especially because I didn’t want to risk losing 18 years of valuable collected data. With this tool, I can now safely back up my app by selecting Download container... before running any tests. If anything goes wrong, I can easily restore the app using the Replace container... option.
References
- Try searching for "access iPhone app files on Mac from Xcode". As of May 25, 2025, the top results (possibly generated by AI) provided exactly the guidance I needed to begin my research.
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