How to make an iPhone app on a Chromebook: 5 steps (2026)
Xcode doesn't run on ChromeOS, but you can still build a native iPhone app on a Chromebook: write it with AI, test it in the browser and ship it.
By Sigsten Gustavii· · Updated · 8 min read
Chromebooks are everywhere: in schools, on kitchen tables, as the cheap second laptop. And a lot of the people who own one have an idea for an iPhone app. The usual answer they find online is discouraging: Apple's tools only run on a Mac, so buy a Mac.
That answer is out of date. You cannot install Xcode on ChromeOS, and nothing changes that. But you no longer need Xcode on your own machine to make a real, native iPhone app. This guide shows the five steps, what each one needs, and the honest limits of doing it from a Chromebook.
Why Chromebooks and iPhone apps don't usually mix
An iPhone app is compiled and signed with Xcode, Apple's developer tool, and Xcode runs only on macOS. Apple's iOS Simulator, which lets you try an app without an iPhone, is part of Xcode, so it is Mac-only too. ChromeOS can run web apps, Android apps and on many models a Linux environment, but none of those can run Xcode.
So on a Chromebook, the Mac has to be somewhere else. That is exactly how cloud builders work: the Mac is in a data centre, and you reach it through the browser.
| Route | Works on a Chromebook? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Xcode on the Chromebook | No | Xcode runs only on macOS |
| A rented cloud Mac over remote desktop | Yes, if the remote desktop works in Chrome | A monthly rental and knowing Xcode |
| A React Native or Flutter project | Partly | A cloud build service and code you write yourself |
| An AI builder that builds on its own Mac (Borel) | Yes, in Chrome | Nothing to start: 5 free credits a day, up to 30 a month |
How to make an iPhone app on a Chromebook, step by step
Step 1: Open Borel in Chrome
Go to borel.one in Chrome and sign up. There is nothing to install: the editor, the chat and the iPhone simulator all run in the browser tab. Every account starts with free daily credits, so you can build before you pay anything.
Step 2: Describe your app
Write what the app does in plain words: who it is for, what is on each screen, what happens when you tap. You do not need to know Swift. Borel may ask a question or two when an answer would change the result, then plans the screens with you.
Make an iPhone app called [name] for [who].
It helps me [the one job it does].
Screens:
1. [Main screen]: [what you see and tap]
2. [Second screen]: [what you see and tap]
3. Settings: [what can be changed]
It keeps: [the data, e.g. tasks with a title, a due date and a done tick]
Look and feel: [calm / bold / playful], in [colours]Step 3: Watch it build and try it in the simulator
Borel writes the app in Swift and SwiftUI, Xcode compiles it on Borel's Mac, and the app opens in Apple's iOS Simulator, streamed into your Chrome tab. You click to tap, scroll and type on the real app. The simulator is free for everyone. More on the iPhone simulator in your browser.
For a sense of time: four apps Borel built on 17 October 2026 from one-sentence prompts went from prompt to running app in three to five and a half minutes each. You can see them on the real builds page.
Step 4: Change it until it is right
Ask for changes in the same chat, one or two at a time: a different colour, a new screen, a fix for a button that does nothing. Each change rebuilds and the simulator shows the new version. Test the boring paths too: empty lists, long names, closing and reopening the app. Our guide to testing an iPhone app without an iPhone has a checklist.
Step 5: Get it onto an iPhone
This is the one step where a Chromebook works a little differently from a Windows PC or a Mac. There are three ways, and two of them work entirely from the Chromebook:
| Route | From the Chromebook alone? | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| TestFlight | Yes | Borel Pro, from $20 a month, and Apple's Developer Program, $99 a year |
| The App Store | Yes | Borel Pro and Apple's Developer Program, $99 a year |
| Borel Companion | No: Companion runs on Windows or a Mac | Borel Pro and a free Apple ID, on another computer |
TestFlight and the App Store. On Pro, Publish builds, signs and uploads the app from Borel's Mac to App Store Connect, all from your browser. Once Apple has processed the build, it shows up in TestFlight, Apple's beta app, and you can install it on your iPhone or invite friends to try it. When it is ready, submit it for App Review. The details are in how to publish an app to the App Store without a Mac.
Borel Companion. Companion is a small app for Windows and Mac that installs your app straight on your iPhone with a free Apple ID, no developer membership. It does not run on ChromeOS. If there is a Windows PC or a Mac in your home or school you can use, install Companion there; the download is free, and installing with it comes with Borel Pro.
What you can build this way
The app you make on a Chromebook is the same native app you would make on a Mac: Swift and SwiftUI, compiled with Xcode. That means it can use the iPhone's own features and look like an Apple app:
- AI inside the app, through Borel AI with no API key. See built-in AI.
- Accounts and shared data, with a cloud database and file storage Borel runs for the app.
- iPhone features like the camera and scanning, Face ID, Apple Maps and reminders the phone schedules.
- Selling things through Apple's in-app purchases.
You can also download the SwiftUI project at any time. You cannot open it in Xcode on the Chromebook, but it is yours to keep and take to a Mac later.
What it costs from a Chromebook
| Goal | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Build and try it in the simulator | $0, with 5 free credits a day, up to 30 a month |
| Put it on your iPhone with TestFlight | Borel Pro, from $20 a month, plus $99 a year to Apple |
| Publish it on the App Store | Borel Pro, from $20 a month, plus $99 a year to Apple |
| Install with Companion on another computer | Borel Pro, from $20 a month; no Apple fee |
No Mac to buy, and no Chromebook upgrade. For the full picture, read how much it costs to make an iPhone app in 2026.
Tips for building on a Chromebook
- Use Chrome, kept up to date. The editor and the simulator stream are made for a current browser.
- Give the tab some room. A larger window shows the chat and the simulator side by side; on a small screen, switch between them.
- A mouse helps. Scrolling and tapping in the simulator is easier with a mouse or a good trackpad.
- Keep your prompts in a note. If you work across sessions, a running list of the changes you want keeps each message short.
Common mistakes
- Installing Linux to run Xcode. Xcode is macOS only; the Linux environment on a Chromebook cannot run it.
- Trusting "iOS emulators" from the web. Most show a web page dressed up as an iPhone, not iOS. Apple's real simulator only runs on a Mac, local or in the cloud.
- Waiting to buy a Mac before starting. Build and test now; the code downloads as a normal Xcode project if you ever want one.
- Forgetting the developer enrolment. If TestFlight is your route to the phone, enrol in Apple's Developer Program while you build, since it can take time.
- Building on a managed school device without checking. Blocked sites or downloads can stop you halfway.
When a Chromebook is not enough
For almost everything, the browser is all you need. The exceptions are small: installing directly to an iPhone without TestFlight needs Companion on a Windows PC or a Mac, and opening the downloaded project in Xcode needs a Mac. If neither matters to you, the Chromebook covers the whole route from idea to App Store.
The bottom line
You can make a real, native iPhone app on a Chromebook today. The Mac does not disappear; it just moves to the cloud. With Borel you build and test in Chrome for free, then reach your iPhone through TestFlight or the App Store on Pro, or through Companion on a Windows PC or Mac.
Start with an idea and a sentence on Borel. If you want the longer walkthrough, read how to make an iPhone app with AI.
Questions people ask
Can you make iPhone apps on a Chromebook?
Yes, with a builder that runs in the browser and compiles on a Mac in the cloud. Borel writes the app in Swift, builds it on its own Mac and shows it in an iPhone simulator in Chrome.
Can I run Xcode on a Chromebook?
No. Xcode runs only on macOS, and ChromeOS's Linux environment cannot run it. A cloud builder or a rented Mac does that part for you.
How do I test an iPhone app on a Chromebook?
In Borel, every build opens in Apple's iOS Simulator streamed to your browser, where you tap and type on the real app. It is free for everyone.
How do I get my app on my iPhone from a Chromebook?
Publish it to TestFlight with Borel Pro and Apple's $99 a year Developer Program, then install it from the TestFlight app. Borel Companion also installs it directly, but it runs on Windows or a Mac, not ChromeOS.
Do I need to know Swift?
No. You describe the app in plain words and Borel writes the Swift. You can download the code later if you want to learn from it.
I think a school Chromebook should never be the reason an app idea stays an idea. If you build one this way, I would love to see it.
– Sigsten
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