Xamarin iOS debugging takes forever, doesn't load the simulator

Question

I started some tests using Visual Studio 2015 and Xamarin for iOS. The latest version of Xamarin build server is set up and running on my new Mac Mini, Visual Studio 2015 is updated and running the latest version of Xamarin.

Now, when I compile a standard Universal app, it is done within 3 seconds or so. But when I hit Debug, the server log says it is handling requests, but the simulator doesn't show up, nor any message on the Mac.

After an endless list of:

Request handled in X.XXXms

(usually in steps of approximately 2 seconds)

it stops debugging after a few minutes without any message on the Mac or in Visual Studio.

What is wrong with my debugging? Is it a problem with Visual Studio, the Mac, Xamarin?

Answer 1

The problem was that Visual Studio was set to debug a Device, not the Simulator.

Somewhere in the build log it says:

Waiting for device 'Device' to connect.

This is an stupid mistake obviously, but the fact that there isn't any message, nor a pointer to connect the device correctly or what is actually wrong, makes it very hard to find the problem.

So, instead of Device, set the debug target to the Simulator: