If you have a MacBook with 128 gigabytes of hard disk, I would strongly suggest you do not update or download Xcode via the App Store. It has been my experience for the last three or so years I’ve been using Xcode that it takes most of the day to update or install it. Like it literally took me the whole of yesterday to update to Xcode 13.
After downloading over 20 gigabytes (for a download that should be just above 12 gigs), the update failed. Which means I didn’t code as much as I usually do yesterday. I then decided to download the .xip file from the link at xcodereleases.com. Had I known, that is what I would have done from the beginning.
If you decide to download the .xip file, you’ll need to uninstall Xcode from your computer before installing the download, or you will have 2 versions of Xcode on your computer and that would take up a lot of precious hard disk space.
After downloading the .xip file from xcodereleases.com, you will need to drag the file into the Applications folder on your Mac. Double click on the file to install it. It would first verify the .xip file and then begin expanding the file, then it would install Xcode.
You can then delete the .xip file or move it someplace else if you would need it in the future. (Leaving it in the applications folder will only take up more precious hard disk space).
So there you have it. This is how I will be updating or installing Xcode going forward.
Happy coding!
PS: even if you have a Mac with 256 gb or more of storage I think this is how you should install or update Xcode.
Top comments (1)
"even if you have a Mac with 256 gb or more of storage I think this is how you should install or update Xcode."
It is. I had 40GB+ empty space after downloading the update but still it asked for more disk space somehow. So, I had to walk the same path as yours.