# Xcode and Simulator window layout
Source: https://ribbonformac.com/xcode-simulator-window-layout-mac
Updated: 2026-10-29
iOS development wants three things on screen at once: Xcode's editor, the running Simulator, and something to read, whether docs, a design or a ticket. On a big monitor that's easy. On a MacBook, the trick is to hide Xcode's panels you aren't using, shrink the Simulator to a sensible size, and keep everything else from landing on top.
## Inside Xcode: panels first
Xcode's window has three collapsible areas around the editor. Hide them when you don't need them:
| Shortcut | Toggles |
| --- | --- |
| ⌘0 | Navigator (left) |
| ⌘⌥0 | Inspectors (right) |
| ⌘⇧Y | Debug area and console (bottom) |
| ⌘⌥↩ | Canvas for SwiftUI Previews |
With all three hidden, the editor takes the whole window. Show the console only while you're running.
Xcode also supports **tabs** (⌘T) and **split editors** (the add-editor button at the top right of the editor area), so a test file and its implementation can sit side by side in one window.
## Previews vs the Simulator
For SwiftUI, Previews in the canvas often replace the Simulator for layout work: no build-and-run cycle, and several device sizes at once. You still need the Simulator for navigation, networking, permissions and anything that needs the app actually running.
## Sizing the Simulator
The Simulator opens at a size that takes a lot of a laptop screen. In the Simulator's **Window** menu you can pick **Physical Size**, **Point Accurate** or **Pixel Accurate**, or drag a corner to resize it. On a laptop, a smaller window next to the editor is usually more useful than an accurate one. Turning off device bezels in the Window menu saves more space.
## Layouts that work
**On an external monitor:** Xcode full height on the big screen with the canvas open; Simulator on the laptop screen; docs in a browser behind it. See [MacBook with an external monitor](https://ribbonformac.com/macbook-external-monitor-setup).
**On a MacBook alone:** this is where it gets cramped. macOS 15's tiling (Fn⌃← / →) gives Xcode and the Simulator half each, which is too narrow for Xcode and too wide for a phone simulator.
A scrolling window manager handles uneven widths better. In [Ribbon](https://ribbonformac.com/), every window is a column on a horizontal strip:
1. Give Xcode about two thirds of the screen (⌃⌥R cycles the presets).
2. The Simulator sits in a narrow column beside it, at whatever width suits a phone.
3. Docs, Figma, the browser and chat go further along the strip, one swipe or ⌃⌥→ away, without covering Xcode.
If you'd rather the Simulator float freely instead of taking a column, add it to the always-float list in Ribbon's settings. Each display gets its own strip, so this carries over when you plug in a monitor. [Try the strip in the live demo](https://ribbonformac.com/#demo); Ribbon is [$9.99 once](https://ribbonformac.com/#pricing).
## FAQ
### How do I make the iOS Simulator smaller?
Drag a corner of its window, or choose a size from the Simulator's Window menu. Hiding the device bezel saves more room.
### How do I hide Xcode's sidebars?
⌘0 hides the navigator, ⌘⌥0 the inspectors, and ⌘⇧Y the debug area.
### Can I develop iOS apps on a MacBook Air?
Yes. Xcode runs well on Apple silicon MacBook Airs. Screen space is the main constraint, so keep Xcode's panels collapsed and the Simulator small.
## Keep reading
- [Mac setup for developers](https://ribbonformac.com/mac-setup-for-developers) — Homebrew, terminal, editor, launcher, windows and the settings to change on day one.
- [Web development window layout](https://ribbonformac.com/web-development-window-layout-mac) — Editor, preview, DevTools and terminal: where each goes on a laptop and on a monitor.
- [MacBook + external monitor](https://ribbonformac.com/macbook-external-monitor-setup) — Arrangement, Spaces, moving windows between screens, clamshell mode and tiling.
- [More screen space on a MacBook](https://ribbonformac.com/more-screen-space-macbook) — Display scaling, hiding the Dock and menu bar, margins, and using the width you have.
- [VS Code multiple windows](https://ribbonformac.com/vs-code-multiple-windows-mac) — New windows, editors in their own window, switching, native tabs and arranging.