How to Fix “Can’t Find Xcode” When Installing Unreal Engine

December 14, 2021 / By

This short guide explains how to resolve the error “Can’t find Xcode install for Metal compiler. Please install Xcode and run Xcode.app to accept license or ensure active developer directory is set to current Xcode installation using xcode-select” when trying to install Unreal Engine on your Mac.

Can't Find Xcode error message in macOS for Unreal Engine

Fortunately the fix is very easy, although it does involve a fairly large download (12+GB). Just follow these few steps –

  1. Open the macOS App Store and search for Xcode. Once you find it, click the Get button to start the installation process.

    2. Xcode in the Mac App Store

  2. Once the installation has completed, launch Xcode and accept the terms of the License Agreement. Then quit Xcode.
  3. Now open a Terminal from your Applications -> Utilities folder and issue the command:

    4. sudo xcode-select -s /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer

    a macOS Terminal with an xcode-select command

  4. You’ll be prompted to enter your password before the command will execute. Once it has, exit out of the Terminal.
  5. Now open UE again.

    6. an arrow pointing to the launch UE button

  6. This time it will launch without the “Can’t find Xcode” error and start to compile various parts of the app, which will take a moment or two. Otherwise, you’re done!

    7. UE opening without the Can't Find Xcode error

While you’re here (or waiting for Xcode to finish downloading!) why not check out some of our other Mac tutorials, tips and tricks? :)

If this article helped you, I'd be grateful if you could share it on your preferred social network - it helps me a lot. If you're feeling particularly generous, you could buy me a coffee and I'd be super grateful :)

buy a coffee for simplehelp.net

Home » Mac » How to Fix “Can’t Find Xcode” When Installing Unreal Engine

9 thoughts on “How to Fix “Can’t Find Xcode” When Installing Unreal Engine”

  2. Brian Fileman

    Might have solved the Xcode issue myself. Found the xcodereleases.com page (after a lot of fruitless web searches) and a download of Xcode 14.0.1 (suitable for Monterey 12.5+) is due to finish soon. Might have to go to bed before I try to install it, as it’s 1am here!

  3. Brian Fileman

    All was going well until I tried to instal Xcode from the App Store.
    Can’t be installed because “macOS 13 or later required”. Which means, in effect, that Unreal Engine 5.2 cannot run on Monterey, only Ventura. Unless anyone knows an another workaround.

  5. David Goldfoot

    After your step 3 I get the following error:
    xcode-select: error: invalid developer directory ‘/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer’
    How do I solve this? Thanks.

  7. Dave

    Hey Thx for the info! Can i uninstall xcode after editing the code? Or will the change be lost?

  9. PETE BURGER

    Can you install a smaller version of XCODE? I read you can install one which is 10% of the original size. Do you know how to do that?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.