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How to change Display Zoom feature in iPhone 6 and 6 Plus simulators? Original iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have this feature in Settings -> Display & Brightness -> Display Zoom (View) with values Standard and Zoomed.

rmaddy
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Valerii Pavlov
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  • What does this feature do? I don't have an iPhone 6, and the simulator doesn't have it, so I'm curious. Thanks. – matt Sep 22 '14 at 15:25
  • @matt It changes how the icons look on the home screen. "Zoomed" the icons and the labels under them are a bit bigger than "Standard". – rmaddy Sep 22 '14 at 15:33
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    Just 2 links to understand what it all about: http://www.iphonehacks.com/2014/09/use-display-zoom-iphone-6-plus.html http://www.paintcodeapp.com/news/ultimate-guide-to-iphone-resolutions – Valerii Pavlov Sep 22 '14 at 15:37
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    Okay, so this is about much more than the icons on the home screen. It changes the aspect ratio _of my app_. Basically the iPhone 6 turns into an iPhone 5s in real time. – matt Sep 24 '14 at 02:17
  • @matt Display Zoom is not available as an option in the current Xcode 7 iOS simulator settings. However, it is actually possible to 'simulate' Display Zoom when running your app in the simulator. See below. – user4806509 Mar 05 '16 at 18:43

3 Answers3

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As of Xcode 12 (and perhaps earlier) Settings -> Developer -> View -> Zoomed (tap Set) will adjust the simulator to show with Display Zoom. This is helpful as the iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 Pro all run at a previously unused resolution of 320 x 693. For more information check out this excellent article by Geoff Hackworth.

enter image description here

Norman
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  • There is no such option in the iPhone 6 Plus simulator – Pedro Paulo Amorim Nov 18 '20 at 11:37
  • This option does exist within the simulated phone for iPhone 12 Mini etc. – David Nov 25 '20 at 01:02
  • @David Try one more time. I am seeing the setting for the iPhone 12 Mini (Xcode 12.2). `Settings` is the Settings app **running in the Simulator instance**. – Dave Nov 30 '20 at 21:08
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    @David I added an image to ensure the steps are clear - hope it helps. – Norman Nov 30 '20 at 23:26
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    Should be the accepted answer. If you run into trouble, make sure you notice his last instruction to tap the "Set" button after selecting the display mode. – Bill Jan 05 '21 at 11:41
  • With Xcode 12.4, there is no such option on iPhone 8 and 8plus simulators for iOS 13. I haven't tried other combinations. – Avi Feb 03 '21 at 06:41
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Display Zoom is not available in the simulator (as of Xcode 6.0).

Jeremy
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    Velery Pavlov's link in comments of question shows that zoomed iphone 6 = iphone 5s and zoomed iphone 6plus = standard iphone 6 – fellowworldcitizen Jan 16 '15 at 04:32
  • @i40west Display Zoom is not available as an option in the current Xcode 7 iOS simulator settings. However, it is actually possible to 'simulate' Display Zoom when running an app in the simulator. See below. – user4806509 Mar 05 '16 at 18:57
  • Looks like Display Zoom was added recently in the Settings app in the Simulator: https://stackoverflow.com/a/64758930 – Dave Nov 30 '20 at 21:33
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The answer is correct, Display Zoom is not available as an option in the current Xcode 7 iOS simulator settings. However, it is actually possible to 'simulate' Display Zoom when running your app in the simulator.

Background

When building a typical project for iPhone, you generally specify a LaunchScreen.storyboard file and/or launch images in Images.xcassets for the iPhone 4/4s (2x), iPhone 5/5s (Retina 4), iPhone 6/6s (Retina HD 4.7) and iPhone 6+/6s+ (Retina HD 5.5) and set those details in the project's settings. (See image below.)

When Display Zoom is turned ‘on’ for a iPhone 6/6s device, the device runs the app as if it was running on an iPhone 5/5s sized screen, upscaling the app x1.172 to fit the iPhone 6/6s display. (Similarly, when Display Zoom is turned ‘on’ for a iPhone 6+/6+s device, the device runs the app as if it was running on an iPhone 6/6s sized screen, upscaling the app to fit the iPhone 6+/6+s display.)

Note - The following instructions require the removal of some launch screen image files. You might wish to attempt these changes on a duplicate of your Xcode project.

Simulating Display Zoom on the iOS Simulator

To simulate Display Zoom for example using the iPhone 6 simulator in Xcode:

1 - Remove the LaunchScreen.storyboard file.

2 - Remove both the Retina HD 4.7 and Retina HD 5.5 launch images in Images.xcassets. (Make sure to keep the Retina 4 launch image.)

3 - Remove the reference to the ‘Launch Screen File’ in your Xcode project’s settings, under ‘General’, under ‘App Icons and Launch Images’.

4 - Select the iPhone 6/6s simulator, and then 'Run' your app.

Running your app

When the simulator runs your app, it will detect that no launch images are present for iPhone 6/6s, so it will presume it must be an iPhone 5/5s app and launch it into the simulator upsampling a iPhone 5/5s sized screen to fit the iPhone 6/6s screen, just as the Display Zoom setting would display it!

enter image description here

enter image description here

user4806509
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  • This isn't necessary anymore - follow the steps in https://stackoverflow.com/a/64758930/126855 – Bill Jan 05 '21 at 11:42