How to Delete iOS Simulator Runtimes & Orphaned Devices
Reclaim 15GB–40GB of dead simulator runtimes and unused mock devices on macOS using simctl and XrayMac.
The Hidden Cost of iOS Simulator Runtimes
Each iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, or visionOS simulator runtime downloaded in Xcode takes between 5 GB and 12 GB of storage. Over time, as Apple releases iOS 16, 17, 18, and minor dot releases, your Mac retains older, unused runtime bundles in:
~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices
Step-by-Step Terminal Cleanup with xcrun simctl
Apple provides a native CLI tool to manage and delete broken simulator devices:
xcrun simctl delete unavailable
# Erase all content and settings across existing simulators
xcrun simctl erase all
# List installed runtime packages
xcrun simctl runtime list
To remove monolithic runtime images, open Xcode > Settings > Platforms, select older iOS runtimes you no longer support, and click the minus (-) button.
Reclaim Simulator GBs Safely with XrayMac
XrayMac scans CoreSimulator caches and provides a safe breakdown of obsolete simulator sandboxes and abandoned test data without needing to remember complex simctl CLI arguments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting unavailable simulators break my current app?
No. Unavailable devices belong to older, deleted SDK versions that current Xcode builds cannot run anyway.
Can I re-download simulator runtimes if I need them later?
Yes, easily from Xcode Settings > Platforms anytime.
XrayMac Engineering Team
Pure Swift 6 & APFS storage diagnostics for macOS Sonoma & Sequoia.