/iblai-ios

Build and run your ibl.ai app on iOS using Tauri v2. Covers project initialization, Simulator development, real device testing, and production .ipa builds.

Prerequisites

macOS (iOS builds require Xcode)
Xcode installed from the Mac App Store (includes iOS SDK + Simulator)
Xcode Command Line Tools: xcode-select --install

Rust toolchain with iOS targets:

rustup target add aarch64-apple-ios aarch64-apple-ios-sim

Tauri support already added to your project:
```
iblai add builds
pnpm install
```

Step 1: Initialize the iOS Project

Run this once after adding Tauri support:

iblai builds ios init

This generates src-tauri/gen/apple/ with the Xcode project, Swift bridge code, and iOS configuration. You only need to run this once.

If you get a Rust target error, make sure both targets are installed: rustup target add aarch64-apple-ios aarch64-apple-ios-sim

Step 2: Run on iOS Simulator

iblai builds ios dev

Or use the pnpm script:

pnpm tauri:dev:ios

This:

Starts the Next.js dev server
Compiles the Rust backend for the iOS Simulator target (aarch64-apple-ios-sim)
Launches the app in the default iOS Simulator

The first build takes several minutes (Rust compilation). Subsequent builds are fast thanks to incremental compilation.

Choosing a Specific Simulator

List available simulators:

iblai builds device

Then specify one:

iblai builds ios dev --device "iPhone 16 Pro"

Troubleshooting Simulator

"No available iOS simulators": Open Xcode > Settings > Platforms > download an iOS runtime
Build fails with "linking" errors: Run sudo xcode-select -s /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer
Simulator won't launch: Try xcrun simctl shutdown all then retry

Step 3: Run on a Physical Device

Connect your iPhone via USB, then:

iblai builds ios dev --device

This deploys to the connected device instead of the Simulator.

Requirements for Physical Devices

Apple Developer account (free or paid)
Device registered in your Apple Developer portal
Development provisioning profile configured in Xcode

To set up signing:

Open src-tauri/gen/apple/<app>.xcodeproj in Xcode
Select the target > Signing & Capabilities
Set your Team and Bundle Identifier
Xcode auto-manages provisioning profiles

Free developer accounts can run on up to 3 devices for 7 days. A paid Apple Developer Program ($99/year) removes this restriction.

Step 4: Build a Release .ipa

Local Build (Ad Hoc / Development)

iblai builds ios build

Or:

pnpm tauri:build:ios

The .ipa file is generated at src-tauri/gen/apple/build/ (or use find src-tauri/gen/apple -name "*.ipa" to locate it).

App Store Build (CI)

Generate the GitHub Actions workflow:

iblai builds ci-workflow --ios

This creates .github/workflows/tauri-build-ios.yml which:

Sets up Node.js, pnpm, and Rust with iOS targets
Installs the Tauri CLI
Runs cargo tauri ios init and cargo tauri ios build --export-method app-store-connect
Uploads the .ipa as a build artifact

Required GitHub Secrets for CI

Secret	Description
`APPLE_API_KEY_BASE64`	Base64-encoded App Store Connect API key (.p8 file)
`APPLE_API_KEY_ID`	Key ID from App Store Connect > Users and Access > Keys
`APPLE_API_ISSUER`	Issuer ID from App Store Connect > Users and Access > Keys

To encode your .p8 key:

base64 -i AuthKey_XXXXXXXXXX.p8 | pbcopy

App Icons

Generate iOS-ready icons from your logo:

iblai builds iconography path/to/logo.png

This creates all required sizes in src-tauri/icons/. Tauri maps them to the iOS asset catalog during ios init.

Summary of Commands

Task	Command
Add Tauri support	`iblai add builds`
Initialize iOS project	`iblai builds ios init`
Run on Simulator	`iblai builds ios dev`
Run on physical device	`iblai builds ios dev --device`
List available devices	`iblai builds device`
Build release .ipa	`iblai builds ios build`
Generate CI workflow	`iblai builds ci-workflow --ios`
Generate app icons	`iblai builds iconography logo.png`

Reference

iblai-app-cli -- CLI source and templates
iblai builds --help -- full list of build commands