'Start Simulator' does nothing - Mac OS X 10.15.6

This isn't the solution, but it may lead to finding the cause of the problem.. try launching the simulator via the command line. If you're using the SDK manager, it downloads the SDK to ~/Library/Application\ Support/Garmin/ConnectIQ/Sdks. To launch the simulator from the command line, open Terminal and execute the simulator command from the SDK bin folder.

vitek$ ~/Library/Application\ Support/Garmin/ConnectIQ/Sdks/connectiq-sdk-mac-3.2.1-2020-08-20-56ff593b7/bin/ConnectIQ.app/Contents/MacOS/simulator 
08:36:18 AM: Debug: Adding duplicate image handler for 'JPEG file'

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

Unable to connect to an ANT device; no devices available
08:36:19 AM: Debug: SetLayout

Sometimes when the simulator fails to start, you can see why here.

I know I've personally seen cases where the simulator cannot be run because it hasn't been allowed, but I'm pretty sure this only comes up if the app hasn't been signed (internal builds are not signed), so this *shouldn't* affect you. I've been able to get past this by locating the ConnectIQ.app folder in Finder and then right-clicking and selecting Open. If you are prompted to run it then click the option to allow it. Additionally, you can have problems if the shell application can't be run for some reason.

Hi Travis, I tried using the command line and right clicking to open the ConnectIQ.app in Finder, but neither of those did anything. Below is what I did in the Terminal (upon opening, it said it uses a different shell now, fyi). First I tried the command you provided and then I used the command from the developer site. After I typed the 'connect iq' command, the screen flashed a little but nothing opened or happened otherwise. Did I type it in correctly?

Last login: Fri Aug 28 23:03:26 on ttys000

The default interactive shell is now zsh.
To update your account to use zsh, please run `chsh -s /bin/zsh`.
For more details, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208050.
Lisas-Mac-mini:~ lisabrown$ chsh -s /bin/zsh
Changing shell for lisabrown.
Password for lisabrown: 
Lisas-Mac-mini:~ lisabrown$ /Users/lisabrown/Library/Application\ Support/Garmin/ConnectIQ/Sdks/connectiq-sdk-mac-3.2.1-2020-08-20-56ff593b7/bin/ConnectIQ.app/Contents/MacOS/simulator
Lisas-Mac-mini:~ lisabrown$ export PATH=$PATH:`cat $HOME/Library/Application\ Support/Garmin/ConnectIQ/current-sdk.cfg`/bin
Lisas-Mac-mini:~ lisabrown$ connectiq
Lisas-Mac-mini:~ lisabrown$ 

Right after I posted the last comment, I ran the "Supplementary Update" to Mac OS 10.15.6, as prompted by System Preferences. It took several minutes with the screen going blank a couple of times etc. After running the update, the simulator works fine now. There must have been something weird going on with the OS that Apple discovered after launching the previous update. 

Per the System Information pane, the OS version is now "macOS 10.15.6 (19G2021)". I don't know the precise version prior to running the supplementary update, but it was still 10.15.6, kind of confusing in my opinion.

Thanks for your time. Hopefully this post is helpful to others who run into a similar issue.

Hi, I am now getting a similar failure of the simulator to start on MacOS Big Sur version 11.3.1.  This has started sometime in the last few weeks.  Following the advice below I have this response:

~/Library/Application\ Support/Garmin/ConnectIQ/Sdks/connectiq-sdk-mac-4.0.1-2021-04-21-1bb58d97e/bin/ConnectIQ.app/Contents/MacOS/simulator ; exit;
17:06:32: Debug: Adding duplicate image handler for 'JPEG file'

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

Unable to connect to an ANT device; no devices available

The simulator just hangs at this point and a couple of minutes later I get this pop-up

Any ideas??

First thing is update to the 4.0.2 SDK as something may have changed/been fixed.

Are you using Visual Studio Code? If so, I've had nothing but hair-pulling-out troubles of late launching and/or connecting to the simulator with MacOS 11.3.1. I am now basically editing with VS Code and then switching screens and running the app/simulator with Eclipse. It's the worst. It makes me wonder if anyone at Garmin actually uses MacOS because the frustration level is high. Travis.ConnectIQ might be enlightened enough to use MacOS for development? ;)

Yes, a few of us use MacOS. Unfortunately, we have not been able to update to Big Sur yet. If the problem is related to the OS version, there isn't much I can do until we are able to update our machines.

If you're having issues with VSCode, what version are you using?  I had issues with 1.55.x and have eventually settled back on 1.54.3 which seems to be working well, for me.  Macos 11.4

OK, progress made under MacOS 11.4 with SDK 4.0.2

I get the following when running 'open simulator' from a terminal as shown below:

~/Library/Application\ Support/Garmin/ConnectIQ/Sdks/connectiq-sdk-mac-4.0.2-2021-05-13-9b3b7f19f/bin/ConnectIQ.app/Contents/MacOS/simulator ; exit;
08:47:59: Debug: Adding duplicate image handler for 'JPEG file'

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

->message processor init on channel 0

Unable to connect to an ANT device; no devices available
08:47:59: Debug: SetLayout

I also get a simulator window :-).

It also runs directly from Eclipse so everything is looking great.