KXBuild IDE
KXBuild IDE is a VS Code extension for building iOS apps in VS Code on any platform, with your AI assistants at hand. Projects, devices, editors and code completion all live in one window, the same on Windows, Linux and macOS. Here's what it can do.
From project to iPhone
Create a project
A four-step wizard: pick a template, enter the name and bundle ID, choose a folder. 11 templates cover SwiftUI, UIKit, Objective-C, mixed Swift and Objective-C, CocoaPods, Flutter, React Native, Expo, frameworks and static libraries.
Open any iOS project
Xcode projects and workspaces, Swift packages, CocoaPods, Flutter, React Native, Expo and Kotlin Multiplatform. Open the folder and every project and target shows up, fully compatible with Xcode and with no changes needed.
.xcodeproj.xcworkspacePackage.swift
Run on your iPhone in one step
Press F5 to build, install, launch and debug, with nothing to configure. Switch to Release and you get an .ipa.
F5orKXBuild view → Build & Run
Breakpoint debugging
Debug the app on your iPhone from VS Code, with breakpoints, variables, call stacks and assembly view for Swift, Objective-C, C/C++ and Kotlin. React Native and Expo support live reload, and Flutter gets Dart debugging and hot reload.
On-device breakpointsHot reloadFlutter / Dart debugging
Devices and logs
Connected iPhones appear in the sidebar, and one click selects one. Switch devices from the Status Bar at any time, and Debug / Release from the Build configuration node. App output goes to KXBuild Console and build errors go to the Problems panel.
KXBuild viewStatus Bar
Visual editors for project files
Property List Editor
Info.plist, .entitlements and .xcprivacy files open in an Xcode-style key, type and value table. Reads and writes both XML and binary, and you choose the save format.
.plist.entitlements.xcprivacy
Strings table
Edit .strings files as a table of keys, values and comments. Only the rows you change are touched, and comments and formatting are kept, so diffs stay clean.
.strings
App icons and Asset Catalog Editor
Image sets, color sets, symbol sets and app icons. Generate every icon size from one 1024 image. Missing images, wrong sizes and icons with an alpha channel are flagged before you save.
.xcassets
Project Settings Editor
No need to open project.pbxproj. Change the bundle ID, version and deployment target on the General page, and view and edit Build Settings level by level like in Xcode, seeing the resolved value right away.
project.pbxproj
Icon Document Editor
Edit Xcode 26 .icon documents. Work with layers and groups, import SVG and PNG, preview by platform and appearance, and adjust fill and effect properties.
.icon
Provisioning Profile Viewer
Open a .mobileprovision to see its team, bundle ID, devices, entitlements and expiration date. No more guessing whether a profile includes your iPhone.
.mobileprovision
Code and environment
Swift and Objective-C code completion
Autocomplete, go to definition, hover for declarations and errors as you type, for Swift, Objective-C and C/C++, including system framework APIs. Completion keeps up when you add files, change settings or switch configurations.
SwiftObjective-CC / C++
Managed toolchain
No toolchain yet? The extension installs it for you in one step and keeps it up to date. Doctor finds and fixes environment and project problems.
Develop with WSL
A WSL install works just as smoothly as a native Windows install. With the WSL extension installed, developing, debugging, building and releasing feel the same.
WSL extension for VS Code
All commands and settings
Type KXBuild in the Command Palette to see every command. Settings come in six groups, each with its default value and description.
Every Command Palette commandEvery settings.json setting
The same command line powers the extension
Everything the extension does, kxbuild and kxdevice can do in a terminal, with the same options and the same output. Build in scripts and CI exactly the way you build locally.