Skip to content

Requirements & Setup

This guide explains all the requirements and setup steps for running Kivy on iOS with PySwiftKit.


System Requirements

  • macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer (required)
  • Python 3.11.6 (do not use other versions unless stated)
  • Xcode (latest version recommended)
  • Homebrew package manager

Install Python 3.11.6

Download and install Python 3.11.6 for macOS 11+:

Link: Download Python 3.11.6 macOS installer

After installation, please run this file from the Python 3.11 folder:

Install Certificates.command
Install Certificates Command


Install Homebrew

What is Homebrew?

Homebrew is a free and open-source software package management system that simplifies the installation of software on Apple's operating system, macOS, as well as Linux.

from Wikipedia

How to check if you have Homebrew installed
  • Press ⌘ + Spacebar, type terminal and press enter
  • Type brew --version and press enter.
$ brew --version

Homebrew 3.6.20

Select the result that matches your case:

  • If you see "zsh: command not found: brew", click on the menu above.

  • If you see "Homebrew 3.6.20" (or something similar), you have Homebrew installed. You can skip this step.

If you see zsh: command not found: brew, the command brew was not found. There are two possible reasons:

  • You don't have Homebrew installed.

  • You have Homebrew installed, but you need to add it to your PATH.

Check if one of these folders exist: /opt/homebrew/ or /usr/local/homebrew/. If one of these folders exist, you need to add Homebrew to your PATH. Open the terminal and type:

export PATH=/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH

Close the terminal and open it again. Type brew --version and press enter. If you see Homebrew 3.6.20 (or something similar), you have Homebrew installed. You can skip this step.

If you are still seeing zsh: command not found: brew, you don't have Homebrew installed, you can install it by following the instructions on the Homebrew website.


Install Build Tools

Install essential build tools using Homebrew:

brew install autoconf automake libtool pkg-config
brew link libtool

Install PySwiftKit Tools

To work with Kivy and Swift on iOS, you need to install psproject and related tools using Homebrew.

Step 1: Add the PySwiftKit tap

Add the PySwiftKit tools repository to Homebrew to access additional packages.

brew tap Py-Swift/tools

Step 2: Install psproject

Install the psproject tool, which is required for creating and managing Kivy projects on iOS.

brew install psproject
Updating psproject and other tools

Keep your tools up to date with the following commands:

brew update
brew upgrade psproject

Install Xcode Command Line Tools

What are Xcode Command Line Tools?

"Xcode Command Line Tools are tools for software developers that run on the command line, in the Terminal application. Since before Apple's beginnings, this assortment of Unix-based tools have been the foundation of almost all software development.

Out of the box, a Mac doesn't contain all of the software and tools needed for programming. Instead, Apple provides a complete development environment for programmers named Xcode, which is available separately for download and installation"

from Mac Install Guide

How to check if you have Xcode Command Line Tools installed
  • Press ⌘ + Spacebar, type terminal and press enter
  • Type xcode-select --install and press enter.
$ xcode-select --install

---> 100%

If this message appears:

  • xcode-select: error: command line tools are already installed, use "Software Update" to install updates

You can skip this step. Otherwise, type git --version and press enter.

If your result is similar to the previous video, congratulations! You have successfully installed Xcode Command Line Tools.


Install Xcode

Enter https://www.xcodes.app then click on DOWNLOAD XCODES button. This will open a link from GitHub. Then, on Assets section, download the Xcodes.zip file.

Xcodes website

Xcodes releases

After downloading Xcodes, open it and install Xcode 16.4. On Platforms tab, select iOS platform to be installed. This will install the necessary iOS SDKs and tools required for Kivy development.

Xcodes installation

Afterward, open the Applications folder and rename the application Xcode-16.4.0.app to Xcode.app.


Setup is complete! You now have all the necessary tools to start developing Kivy applications for iOS.

Continue to Create a New Kivy iOS Project to learn how to create your first Kivy project for iOS.