Forum Discussion
Can I install Visual Studio Code on an iPad ?
HI, Nigel Price
There is currently no way of running Visual Studio Code directly on your iPad Pro.
The easiest way to enable coding and lots of other 'traditional computer stuff' on an iPad, is not running it directly, but installing a remote access app and connect to your Mac or PC at home through it, and get stuff done that way.
For Windows I would recommend Microsoft Remote Desktop, which is free and has awesome apps for Windows, macOS, iOS and iPadOS.
For Macintosh, the easiest way without fiddling with IP addresses and VNC clients, is to install TeamViewer on it as a server on your Mac or PC at home (use a decent password please), and connect to it with the TeamViewer app on your iPad.
I was looking into getting an iPad Pro myself, mainly for doing some code in the early hours, sitting in the couch with my dog. Currently I am doing this with my MacBook Pro i7, which is both super fast and noisy... and the noise drives me crazy so I need an alternative.
Because there's not much to see in the iPadOS App Store when you are looking for coding software, I decided to buy a used, fanless Surface Pro (5) from eBay and use that instead... (Sorry, Apple...) which is on it's way to me now.
TLDR: Coding on the iPad Pro is currently only possible by remote-accessing a real PC or MAC. The alternative is buying a Surface Pro or GO instead, if you prefer a tablet. Otherwise, get a laptop instead, its cheaper.
stormychelsaid:
TLDR: Coding on the iPad Pro is currently only possible by remote-accessing a real PC or MAC. The alternative is buying a Surface Pro or GO instead, if you prefer a tablet. Otherwise, get a laptop instead, its cheaper.
Not true. I love Visual Studio Code and use it on my Surface Pro 4 and my desktop computer, but when I want to work on my new iPad Pro, I use a tool called https://workingcopyapp.com/.
I happen to run my own self-hosted GitLab CE server, but Working Copy accesses Github, too. WC is a solid GUI for repository management and it supports in-app code editing (or editing in any other app on the iPad) and commits and syncs, too.
WC is obviously not VSC, but in a pinch -- like working on a plane or a train -- it's a competent Git client with a functional built-in text editor.
I'd much rather see a good iPadOS implementation of Visual Studio Code, but WC with my GitLab server are perfectly adequate for what I need.