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Version: v2 (current)

xcode-plugin

Install the Xcode plugin

The PanDev Metrics plugin for Xcode is a lightweight macOS app that tracks your activity in Xcode and reports it to PanDev Metrics. Unlike the marketplace-based plugins, it is distributed directly from the PanDev platform as a notarized .dmg, so you download and install it manually.

Requirements​

  • macOS 12 (Monterey) or newer
  • Xcode installed
  • Permission to grant Accessibility access to the app (see Configure)

What the plugin does​

  • Tracks file activity (open, edit, close), branch switches, and time spent in Xcode.
  • Records branch switches when your project is under Git source control.
  • Sends everything to PanDev Metrics over HTTPS.
  • Captures no source code and no screenshots.

See the overview for the full list of captured and non-captured signals.

Install​

  1. Download the installer from the PanDev platform:

    https://cdn.pandev.io/xcode/plugin.dmg

  2. Open the downloaded plugin.dmg. A window opens with the PanDev Metrics app and an Applications shortcut.

  3. Drag PanDev Metrics onto the Applications folder.

  4. Eject the disk image and open PanDev Metrics from Applications (or Launchpad).

First launch

The app is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so it opens normally. If macOS still shows a Gatekeeper prompt, right-click the app → Open → Open to confirm once.

Configure​

Grant Accessibility permission​

To read activity from Xcode, the app needs Accessibility access. On first launch it shows the Accessibility Access Needed dialog — click Open System Settings.

Then:

  1. In System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, enable PanDev Metrics in the list.
  2. If the app was already running, quit and reopen it.
note

Without Accessibility permission the app runs but records no activity. This permission is required only for tracking — no source code, screenshots, or keystrokes are captured.

Sign in​

When you open PanDev Metrics, a Login window appears. Sign-in is a single token per user — paste it, accept the License agreement and Privacy policy, and you are done. The token already carries your workspace and server, so there is nothing else to configure.

  1. Paste your token into the token field.
  2. Check I agree with License agreement and Privacy policy.
  3. Click Submit.
Where to get the token?

Open the PanDev Metrics web app, go to Settings → Plugins and click Xcode — the install instructions open. Copy the value from the Enter your token step; tokens start with pandev_.

The same step has Rotate token and Revoke token. The token is issued for the workspace you are currently signed into in the web app, and one token is active per workspace — the same one works for the IDE plugins, the browser extensions, and the CLI. On-prem is no different: take the token from your own instance.

You can also sign in from the terminal instead of the dialog:

pandev login -t <YOUR_TOKEN>

Verify​

  1. Open a project in Xcode and edit a file.
  2. Wait a couple of minutes.
  3. Open the PanDev Metrics web app → your profile → today.
  4. You should see activity on the timeline.

If nothing arrives within five minutes, see Troubleshooting below.

Update​

The Xcode app updates manually. When a new version is available, download the latest plugin.dmg from https://cdn.pandev.io/xcode/plugin.dmg and repeat the install steps — drag the new app over the old one in Applications and choose Replace.

Troubleshooting​

No data on the dashboard. First check that Accessibility permission is granted (System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility). Then confirm the Server URL has no trailing slash and matches your deployment (cloud vs. on-prem). Quit and reopen the app.

Authentication failed. If you signed in with a token, the most likely cause is that the token was rotated or revoked in the web app — copy the current one from Settings → Plugins and paste it again. Also check the token is complete, with no leading or trailing spaces.

"PanDev Metrics can't be opened." The app is notarized, so this is rare. If it appears, right-click the app in Applications → Open → Open. You only need to do this once.

Self-signed certificate on on-prem. On-prem servers may use a self-signed certificate. The app supports disabling SSL validation in its settings — your administrator will tell you whether to enable it.

I work offline a lot. Nothing extra to configure. The app queues events locally and flushes them when you reconnect.

FAQ​

Why is the Xcode plugin not in the App Store? Activity tracking relies on macOS APIs (global activity monitoring and Git integration) that are not available to sandboxed Mac App Store apps. That is why PanDev Metrics distributes it directly as a notarized download — the same approach used by other developer activity trackers. The app is still Apple-signed and notarized for security.

Will my source code be uploaded? No. The app records file names, activity events, and branches. Source code stays on your machine.

Does it run all the time? The app runs quietly in the background while you work. It uses negligible CPU and memory.

Can I use it together with other PanDev Metrics plugins? Yes. PanDev Metrics aggregates data from every plugin you have installed — JetBrains, VS Code, Visual Studio, Xcode — into one timeline per developer.