Discover dev tools for Chrome on iOS

Introduction

This article explores the top developer tools available for the Chrome browser when used on iOS devices. We'll be covering the most useful Chrome extensions, debugging capabilities, and performance monitoring features to help iOS developers improve their workflows.

The goal is to identify the most essential dev tools for Chrome on iOS. Whether you're debugging React Native apps, optimizing web performance, or collaborating with team members, the right Chrome dev tools can boost your productivity.

We'll start with an overview of Chrome for iOS and how it compares to Safari. Then we'll highlight must-have extensions for tasks like debugging React apps and Redux state. Later sections will cover advanced workflows like network throttling and automated testing. We'll also share tips to optimize your Chrome DevTools setup.

By the end, you'll have a guide to the most valuable Chrome developer tools for iOS. Let's explore how Chrome can enhance debugging and streamline development on iPhone and iPad devices.

Overview of Chrome for iOS

Chrome first became available on iOS in 2012, bringing Google's popular desktop browser to iPhone and iPad. While Safari remained the default option, Chrome offered iOS developers useful benefits like extension support and access to Chrome DevTools.

Here's an overview of Chrome versus Safari on iOS:

Chrome Versus Safari on iOS

Safari has deep integration as the default iOS browser, while Chrome is an alternative option.
Both support typical features like bookmarks, history, tabbed browsing.
Safari tends to be faster and have better battery life due to tight integration and optimization for iOS.
Chrome allows support for many extensions and syncs browsing data with the desktop version.

For developers, Chrome's extension ecosystem and DevTools often make it preferable over Safari for web projects. However, Safari is still the default browser and offers the fastest performance for most iOS users.

Debugging Capabilities in Chrome for iOS

Chrome on iOS supports remote debugging over a USB connection like Safari does.
You can inspect iOS webviews and debug WebKit issues via Safari's Develop menu.
Chrome provides access to all the standard Chrome DevTools for profiling web apps on iOS.
The lack of root access limits some low-level debugging, but there are still many web inspection capabilities.
You get all the usual tools like visual UI debugging, network request inspection, audits for PWAs, and more.

The Chrome Web Store provides the main access point for extensions and tools for Chrome on iOS. Next, let's look at some must-have options.

Must-Have Chrome Dev Tools Extensions

Chrome extensions unlock powerful extra functionality for developers on iOS. Here are some of the most popular and useful options:

React Developer Tools

Allow inspection of the React component hierarchy and state.
Enable debugging for React props, state, hooks, and errors.
Provide profiling information to optimize React performance.
Integrate React debugging seamlessly into the Chrome DevTools.
Also support debugging React Native apps running on iOS devices.

Redux DevTools

Let you inspect Redux store state, diffs, actions, and dispatches.
Enable time-travel debugging by importing your logged actions.
Provide ability to persist debug sessions across page reloads.
Integrate with Chrome DevTools for complete Redux debugging.
Also work for debugging React Native + Redux apps on iOS.

Lighthouse

Automate auditing for performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices.
Provide detailed reports on opportunities for improvement.
Integrate into Chrome DevTools for one-click audits.
Custom audits available for PWA criteria like offline support and manifests.
Tailor the audits to focus on mobile or desktop experiences.

Chrome Logger

Log debug statements directly from the Chrome DevTools console.
Sync logged statements between multiple devices.
Share logs via URLs for easy debugging collaboration.
Customize logging with colors, log levels, and filtering.
Simplify debugging complex issues across an entire web app.

WhatFont

Instantly identify web fonts for design debugging.
View font family, weight, size, line-height.
Inject CSS for any font with one click.
Integrate font inspection into Developer Tools.
Essential for debugging tricky cross-browser CSS issues.

MobX Developer Tools

Debug MobX state management in React and React Native apps
Inspect reactions, computed values, and component rendering
Visualize dependency trees and detect unused data stores

Angular Augury

Debug Angular apps directly in the Chrome DevTools
Visualize component hierarchies, dependency injection, and change detection
Profile Angular performance to detect bottlenecks

These are just a few of the many helpful extensions available. Choosing the right ones can boost efficiency for all kinds of iOS web development and debugging tasks.

Advanced Debugging Workflows

The Chrome DevTools unlock powerful workflows for debugging complex issues on iOS:

Network Issue Debugging

Throttle networks to 2G/3G speeds to test optimization.
Inspect loading assets and diagnose bottlenecks.
Replay requests under different network conditions.
Emulate offline connectivity for troubleshooting PWAs.
Filter network requests, analyze headers, inspect payload data.

Automated Testing

Write UI test scripts with Puppeteer to run on real iOS devices.
Enable headless test execution and screenshot comparisons.
Mock networks for consistent API responses.
Get detailed breakdowns of test run timing.
Connect automated tests into CI/CD pipelines.

Collaborative Debugging

Share live debugging session links for real-time collaboration.
Live edit code and assets across multiple devices.
Integrated chat between team members.
Cross-device log syncing and network inspection.
Debug frontend, backend, APIs simultaneously as a team.

Safari has some similar capabilities, but Chrome DevTools on iOS unlocks next-level workflows.

Comparing Chrome and Safari iOS Dev Tools

While both Chrome and Safari offer developer tools for iOS, there are some key differences:

Chrome has a more robust extension ecosystem, like React and Redux debugging tools.
Safari tends to have better integration and performance, but more limited tools.
Chrome DevTools provides more customization and supports Chrome-specific features.
Safari Development Tools are simpler but may be easier for beginners.
Chrome tools sync across desktop devices, while Safari is more siloed.
Safari has direct access to the iOS simulator and native app debugging.
Chrome enables more advanced workflows like network throttling and automated testing.

So Chrome DevTools provide more powerful options for experienced devs, while Safari tools integrate better for basic iOS debugging. Evaluate both to choose the best fit.

Step-by-Step Debugging Workflow for a React Native iOS App

Here is a sample debugging workflow for a React Native app on iOS using Chrome Developer Tools:

Enable USB debugging in Xcode and connect your iPhone device.
Open the React Native project in your IDE and start the Metro bundler.
Run the app directly on your connected iOS device via Xcode.
Open Chrome and click the hamburger menu > More Tools > Remote devices.
Select your connected iPhone device. This will open a new Chrome DevTools instance.
Enable the React Developer Tools Chrome extension.
Reload the React Native app and you can now debug UI, components, state, and logs in the DevTools.
Inspect network requests to diagnose API issues.
Throttle the network connection to test different speeds.
Use the Console tab to log diagnostic statements and debug JavaScript issues.
Screencast device display to replicate UI bugs and test fixes live.
Leverage DevTools capabilities like audits, element inspection, and profiling to optimize performance.

This example workflow demonstrates the power of Chrome DevTools for streamlined React Native debugging on iOS devices.

Tips for Optimizing Chrome DevTools Workflow on iOS

Here are some tips for improving debugging efficiency:

Take advantage of remote USB debugging features.
Configure port forwarding to access device webviews.
Learn keyboard shortcuts to speed up workflows.
Sync DevTools settings across devices via your Chrome account.
Use extensions like React Native Debugger tailored for iOS.
Profile expensive React render cycles and JavaScript with the Performance tab.
Screencast device display directly within Chrome for responsive UI debugging.
Create presets to enable useful settings like throttling quickly.
Open tab in Device Mode to simulate mobile sizes and touch events.

Complementary Chrome Extensions and Tools

In addition to the dev tools covered in this guide, here are some other helpful resources for iOS developers:

React Native Debugger - Custom RN debugging with React inspectors
Expo DevTools - Debug Expo projects and view logs
BrowserStack - Test on real iOS devices in the cloud
Appium - Automated testing framework for native iOS apps
Google Lighthouse CI - Automate Lighthouse audits in CI/CD pipelines
Stryker Mutator - Test React Native iOS code coverage
Sentry - Monitor iOS app crashes and performance

These complementary tools expand your Chrome-based debugging capabilities for iOS.

Conclusion

Chrome unlocks a robust set of dev tools for streamlined iOS development. With powerful extensions, advanced workflows, and customizable debugging, Chrome DevTools can optimize your iPhone or iPad workflow.

We covered top extensions like React Developer Tools and Redux DevTools for debugging iOS apps. Advanced workflows enable network throttling, automated testing, and collaborative debugging. With these Chrome capabilities, you can boost debugging productivity on iOS.

Consider giving Chrome a try to enhance your iOS development experience! The expansive dev tools ecosystem makes it easy to customize your ideal debugging environment.

To explore more iOS dev tools, check out DevHunt - a launchpad for discovering and promoting developer tools.

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