Setting up your iOS device with Unity AR

Unity's AR capabilities allow you to create engaging and captivating experiences by seamlessly blending virtual objects into the physical world. By leveraging computer vision and specialized AR libraries and plugins, Unity AR enables the creation of interactive augmented reality (AR) projects.

Connect iOS device with Unity

When developing AR applications for iOS, it becomes crucial to establish a proper connection between your device and Unity. This connection facilitates the testing and deployment of AR experiences on iOS devices. Detailed instructions on how to establish this connection are explained below.

Downloading Xcode

Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) created by Apple for developing applications for its various platforms, including iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It provides a set of tools and resources to help you create, test, debug, and deploy applications for Apple devices.

To download Xcode, search for Xcode on your browser. Select the version according to your iOS device. Download Xcode. Once the file is downloaded, click on it and select "Install."

iOS build support

When creating your project on Unity, ensure that the Unity version that you are using has the iOS build support installed.

You can install it by clicking on Settings > Add modules > iOS build support > Install.

Build settings

After you've created your project, open the build settings.

• Select iOS and switch platforms. Check the development build box.

• Go to player settings, and ensure the minimum OS version is 12.0.

• Go to XR plug-in Management, and under iOS, check the box for ARKit.

When you build and run your application, Xcode should open.

Xcode not opening

Xcode might have trouble opening up sometimes. In that case, select Xcode > Settings in the top panel. Go to locations and select a command line tool if not selected and restart your system.

Now the Xcode should open when you build and run your application again.

Running the project on Xcode

To test your project on iOS, Unity will always open Xcode after the build and run. Xcode is part of this process because Xcode is the primary IDE used for iOS app development, and it's responsible for managing the final steps of building and deploying the iOS application.

When Xcode opens, give access to Unity Hub. Go to signing and capabilities, and check "Automatically manage signing." Sign in to your Apple ID.

You'll also need to change the settings on your iOS device and turn on the developer mode. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Developer mode.

Connect your iOS device through a cable to your system. In Xcode, navigate to general settings. On the top, next to Unity-iPhone, click to choose your device and click on the play button.

Your AR application will now run on your iOS device, provided that there are no build failures. If any errors occur, you can view them in Xcode.