If you chose to skip step 7, there’s no instant gratification you’ll need to be patient as the new Xcode version starts (slowly). Once you decide on an option, double tap on “/Applications/Xcode.app”.

You don’t have to put it there, but I like to keep things organized and consistent.Ħ) This is the moment of truth: starting Xcode 8.2.1 for the first time, but read the rest of the text in this step before proceeding. Double-tap on the xip to start the installation process.ĥ) The newly installed Xcode 8.2.1 bundle “Xcode.app” will appear on your desktop. Do not use the App Store app to install (“Update”) Xcode 8.2.1.Ĥ) To be safe, put the “Xcode 8.2.1.xip” installer on your desktop (i.e., somewhere other than your “/Applications” folder). Note that you’ll have to login with your Apple Developer credentials to reach this site. If the old “Xcode.app” is not renamed, I’ve found that the installer for the new version of Xcode will step on the old version.ģ) Download the installer for Xcode 8.2.1 from the Apple Developer site ( “Downloads for Apple Developers” ).

Let’s get started…Ģ) Go to your “/Applications” folder, create a new directory for your current Xcode installation, name it something like “Xcode73”, move “Xcode.app” into the new directory, and (temporarily) rename “Xcode.app” to “Xcode7.3.app”. (I’ll also show you that I still have Xcode 6.4 installed on the same Mac.) We’ll be taking advantage of the fact that MacOS apps are single self-contained bundles, and while Xcode does use some common files stored on your system, applications don’t have the kind of overly complicated structures as found in OS’s like Windows (ah, like the registry). Assume you’ve got Xcode 7.3 already installed, that this version is your current go-to development platform, but you want to also install Xcode 8.2.1 on the same Mac. This article contains the steps I’ve used for successful side-by-side Xcode installations. If you update Xcode through the App Store app, you often run into problems, and the default installation process will trash your older Xcode versions.

Download older version of xcode for mac