Can I Delete Xcode Simulator Runtimes?

Yes, old simulator runtimes can often be removed, but you should first check which iOS versions your active projects still need.

Usually Safe To Remove

• Simulator runtimes for iOS versions you no longer test.
• Unavailable simulator devices that Xcode can no longer boot.
• Old devices created for experiments or completed projects.

Review First

• Runtimes required by clients, QA, App Store review reproduction, or older supported iOS versions.
• Simulator devices that contain app state you still need for debugging.
• Archives and DeviceSupport folders, which are separate from simulator runtimes.

Read-Only Checks

du -sh ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator
xcrun simctl list devices
xcrun simctl list runtimes

Safer Cleanup Order

1. Close Xcode and Simulator.
2. Delete obviously unused simulator devices from Xcode settings.
3. Remove old runtimes only after confirming active project targets.
4. Keep a note of what changed so you can reinstall a runtime if needed.