Debugging iPad Pro using MacBook

Question

We would like to test and debug problems with our website when it is viewed using the latest iPad Pro. Our development environment is entirely Windows.

We've got very close to being able to debug the iPad using this webkit adapter on a Windows 10 machine but it is far from ideal. As a result we are considering investing in a Mac purely for debugging purposes.

Before we splash out on an expensive piece of kit please can I check that a MacBook is suitable for debugging an iPad Pro and if so would a MacBook Air do the job or would it need to be a MacBook Pro?

Answer 1

There's no requirement that you must use a "Pro" model in order to use the debugging tools in Safari. The MacBook Air has the exact same functionality. In fact there's no specific hardware requirement for this - it might as well be macOS running in a virtual machine on a computer running Windows.

Ofcourse there are other differences between the Pro and Air machines regarding performance, screen size, weight, etc.

Depending on your needs, you might be able to get by with renting a remote Mac online. Several services exists (Such as MacStadium) that allows you to rent Mac for a month or even by the hour. The Mac is accessed with remote desktop software. You could use remote USB software such as VirtualHere to access your iPad over USB from the remote Mac.

In order to do remote debugging of the web site on the iPad, you'll need to first enable it on the iPad:

• Open Settings => Safari => Advanced

• Toggle "Web Inspector" to on

Then plugin the iPad with a USB cable to the computer, and then do the following in Safari:

• Open the Safari menu => Preferences => Advanced

• Make sure "Show Develop menu in menu bar" is checked

Now you have the web inspector (what you call debugger) setup.

After opening your web site on the iPad, then open Safari on the computer and access the Develop menu. You'll find your iPad in the list, where you can choose your web site - the web inspector with debugger will be shown on the computer.