How do I toggle between Debug and Release builds in Xcode 6 / 7 / 8?

xcode xcode8 xcode7 xcode9 xcode10

78,486

Solution 1

In Xcode 6 - 10:

Choose Product -> Scheme -> Edit Scheme. Change the Build Configuration under the Info tab.

Shortcut: hold Alt⌥ and click the run button ▶.

Solution 2

When you want to generate a release build, choose Product -> Archive. That is a Release build. Now you can export as a Mac OS X app.

Solution 3

The easiest way with a project that has the default set up for schemes is just to do Product -> Build For -> Profiling.

78,486

drewish

These days I'm paid to work on Ruby and JavaScript, I play around with C++, but in my past I've spent plenty of time doing PHP.

Updated on July 08, 2022

Comments

drewish almost 2 years

How do I get Xcode to build an OS X app in release mode? I can only seem to find instructions for earlier versions and none of the screenshots match. I didn't see anything when I put "release" into the help menu's search.
drewish over 9 years

Man, never would have discovered that.
ljk321 over 9 years

@drewish The product icon on the left top corner (on the right of "Run" and "Stop" button) also has a shortcut for "Edit Scheme".
drewish over 9 years

After looking at the scheme, the other short cut to get a release build is to profile the app.
mm2001 over 8 years

Nice. Then is there an easy way to run it, without the profiler also starting up?
chrisdembia over 8 years

I would like to know this too. I don't want the profiler to start up.
Emil Styrke about 8 years

This is exactly what I needed! If you want to run as well as build, use the other answer by skyline75489.
Eric Gopak over 7 years

Profiling should have nothing to do with preparing a release version of the app.
Wolfr over 7 years

I don't see where the actual .app files end up.
ljk321 over 7 years

You should use "archive" to get the actual .app.
Pierz over 6 years

It should be noted that 'Edit Scheme' allows one to edit the defaults for any of the predefined schemes (e.g. 'Run', 'Test', 'Profile', 'Archive', etc) so that they use the 'Release' or 'Debug' configurations.
Fattie over 5 years

This would have to be the most "hidden" thing in all of computing :O
Fattie over 5 years

bounty paid to spectacular answer, @skyline75489 :)