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Step 27 of 30 · about 30 minutesMac only

Keep your Mac updated and with free space

By the endYour Mac and phone run the newest software they can, and the Mac has enough free space for building.

Your app is for:
Your computer:

Apple's building tool, Xcode, is large and picky. The newest version needs macOS 26.6 (Tahoe) or newer, on a Mac with an Apple chip (M1 or newer). So your Mac must be up to date, and it must have room. Do both now, before the Claude steps, because updates take a while.

Update the Mac

  1. Plug a laptop into power.
  2. Click the Apple menu, then System Settings (on older Macs, System Preferences).
  3. Click General in the list on the left, then Software Update on the right. (Older Macs: Software Update directly inside System Preferences.)
  4. Wait while it checks. It shows the version you have now, and an Update Now or Upgrade Now button if something newer exists.
  5. Click the button, type your Mac password when asked, and let it run. The Mac restarts by itself. Allow 30 to 60 minutes and do not turn it off.

Repeat until it says your Mac is up to date. An "upgrade" is the big yearly version with a name. An "update" is a smaller fix. Take both. The newest version when this guide was last checked was macOS 27 (Golden Gate).

Check free space

  1. In System Settings, click General, then Storage. (Older Macs: Apple menu, About This Mac, then the Storage tab.)
  2. Wait for the bar to fill in. The light gray part at the right end is free space. The number is in GB, gigabytes.

For building you want at least 50 GB free. Xcode is about 3 GB to download, but it takes roughly 30 to 40 GB once installed together with its pretend iPhone for testing. Your project, backups and future updates need room too.

Free up space

If you are short, the Storage screen shows Recommendations and a list of categories, each with a small i button. Open Applications or Documents to find the largest items and delete what you no longer need. Then:

  1. Control-click the Trash in the Dock and click Empty Trash. Space only comes back when the Trash is emptied.
  2. Open Finder, click Downloads, and delete old installers and large files you no longer need.
  3. Look at the free number again.

Do not delete anything you do not recognize inside the System or macOS categories. Those belong to the Mac.

Update the phone too

On iPhone

On the iPhone, open Settings, tap General, then Software Update. Install what is offered. Plug the phone in and allow 20 to 40 minutes.

On Android

On most Android phones, open Settings, tap System (on Samsung phones: Software update), then System update or Software update, and install what is offered. Plug the phone in and allow 20 to 40 minutes. The names differ a little between phone makers; the search box at the top of Settings finds it if you type update.

Last checked October 27, 2026