Workaround for Xcode update failures via App Store

Question

Level 1

38 points

Workaround for Xcode update failures via App Store

I'm recently having troubles updating Xcode to the latest version via Mac App Store. And today, it happened again. Going from Xcode 26.1.1 to 26.2 failed repeatedly.

After a lot of trial and error, what ultimately worked for me seem to have been this:

Delete /Applications/Xcode.app
Delete all files within ~/Library/Developer
Clear Thrash
Restart Mac
Install Xcode via App Store again

From my memory I had to do something similar when going from the previous major Xcode version to Xcode 26.0, then 26.1 and so on.

But I think this is the first time that I also had to clear ~/Library/Developer.

Details:

macOS Sequoia 15.7.3

HD space: above 600 GB

Processor: 3.2 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i7 (yes it's an old Intel, and its days are numbered I fear)

Walking speed: Above average

In case this helps anyone.

Posted on Dec 15, 2025 5:24 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

MrHoffman

Community+ 2025

Level 10

145,055 points

Dec 15, 2025 5:37 PM in response to JonnyITokyo

Thanks for posting that.

I’d also log a bug report here: Bug Reporting - Apple Developer

Here is the Xcode forum: Xcode | Apple Developer Forums (you’re in the user community, and not the developer one.)

Registered developers can select and download Xcode directly: Download - Apple Developer

I had issues with the app store version installing on the local system — this was long ago — and switched to using the direct download.

Reply