Interface Builder Not Loading Storyboards

Posted by dev_dude_99 on October 26, 2023, 10:15 AM

Hey everyone,

I've been running into a frustrating issue with Xcode recently. Whenever I try to open a storyboard or XIB file, Interface Builder just doesn't load it. The canvas stays blank, or sometimes it shows a spinning icon indefinitely. This happens with both new projects and existing ones that used to work fine.

I've tried the following without success:

Restarting Xcode
Restarting my Mac
Cleaning the build folder (Cmd+Shift+K)
Deleting derived data
Deleting the .xcuserstate file

I'm currently using Xcode 15.0.1 on macOS Sonoma 14.1. Has anyone else encountered this, or does anyone have any ideas on what else I could try?

Here's a snippet of my project setup:

// Not directly relevant, but shows my environment
Swift Version: 5.9
Target OS: iOS 17.0
Xcode Version: 15.0.1
macOS Version: 14.1 (Sonoma)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Replies

Replied by swift_guru on October 26, 2023, 10:35 AM

Hi dev_dude_99,

That sounds like a common caching issue or a corrupted Xcode installation. Have you tried fully uninstalling and reinstalling Xcode? Sometimes the standard "delete derived data" isn't enough.

You can uninstall Xcode by dragging it from Applications to the Trash, and then make sure to remove these directories:

~/Library/Developer/Xcode/
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.dt.Xcode

After that, download a fresh copy from the App Store or Apple Developer website.

Replied by ios_wizard on October 26, 2023, 11:01 AM

I had a similar problem a while back. For me, it turned out to be a corrupt Simulator runtime. Try deleting all your installed simulators and downloading them again. Go to Xcode > Settings > Platforms and manage them there.

Also, ensure your project dependencies (like CocoaPods or Swift Package Manager) are up to date and haven't introduced any conflicts.

Replied by dev_dude_99 on October 26, 2023, 11:30 AM

Thanks for the suggestions, swift_guru and ios_wizard!

I'll try the full Xcode reinstall first, as that seems like the most thorough approach. I'll also check the simulator runtimes. I'm using Swift Package Manager, so I'll ensure those are updated as well. Will report back with the results!

Replied by xcode_fixer on October 27, 2023, 09:05 AM

One more thing to check, though less common: sometimes plugins or extensions can interfere with Interface Builder. If you've installed any third-party Xcode plugins, try disabling them temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.

Also, check the Xcode console output (Window > Organizer > Logs) for any specific errors when you try to open the storyboard. It might give you a clue.

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