dpearson2699/debugging-instruments

Debugging and Instruments

Diagnose crashes, memory leaks, retain cycles, main thread hangs, and performance bottlenecks in iOS apps using LLDB, Memory Graph Debugger, and Instruments. Covers breakpoint workflows, memory graph analysis, hang detection, build failure triage, and Instruments profiling for CPU, memory, energy, and network.

Contents

• LLDB Debugging
• Memory Debugging
• Hang Diagnostics
• Build Failure Triage
• Instruments Overview
• Common Mistakes
• Review Checklist
• References

LLDB Debugging

Essential Commands

(lldb) po myObject              # Print object description (calls debugDescription)
(lldb) p myInt                  # Print with type info (uses LLDB formatter)
(lldb) v myLocal                # Frame variable — fast, no code execution
(lldb) bt                       # Backtrace current thread
(lldb) bt all                   # Backtrace all threads
(lldb) frame select 3           # Jump to frame #3 in the backtrace
(lldb) thread list              # List all threads and their states
(lldb) thread select 4          # Switch to thread #4

Use v over po when you only need a local variable value — it does not execute code and cannot trigger side effects.

Breakpoint Management

(lldb) br set -f ViewModel.swift -l 42          # Break at file:line
(lldb) br set -n viewDidLoad                     # Break on function name
(lldb) br set -S setValue:forKey:                 # Break on ObjC selector
(lldb) br modify 1 -c "count > 10"              # Add condition to breakpoint 1
(lldb) br modify 1 --auto-continue true          # Log and continue (logpoint)
(lldb) br command add 1                          # Attach commands to breakpoint
> po self.title
> continue
> DONE
(lldb) br disable 1                              # Disable without deleting
(lldb) br delete 1                               # Remove breakpoint

Expression Evaluation

(lldb) expr myArray.count                        # Evaluate Swift expression
(lldb) e -l swift -- import UIKit                # Import framework in LLDB
(lldb) e -l swift -- self.view.backgroundColor = .red  # Modify state at runtime
(lldb) e -l objc -- (void)[CATransaction flush]  # Force UI update after changes

After modifying a view property in the debugger, call CATransaction.flush() to see the change immediately without resuming execution.

Watchpoints

(lldb) w set v self.score                        # Break when score changes
(lldb) w set v self.score -w read               # Break when score is read
(lldb) w modify 1 -c "self.score > 100"         # Conditional watchpoint
(lldb) w list                                    # Show active watchpoints
(lldb) w delete 1                                # Remove watchpoint

Watchpoints are hardware-backed (limited to ~4 on ARM). Use them to find unexpected mutations — the debugger stops at the exact line that changes the value.

Symbolic Breakpoints

Set breakpoints on methods without knowing the file. Useful for framework or system code:

(lldb) br set -n "UIViewController.viewDidLoad"
(lldb) br set -r ".*networkError.*"              # Regex on symbol name
(lldb) br set -n malloc_error_break              # Catch malloc corruption
(lldb) br set -n UIViewAlertForUnsatisfiableConstraints  # Auto Layout issues

In Xcode, use the Breakpoint Navigator (+) to add symbolic breakpoints for common diagnostics like -[UIApplication main] or swift_willThrow.

Memory Debugging

Memory Graph Debugger Workflow

1. Run the app in Debug configuration.
2. Reproduce the suspected leak (navigate to a screen, then back).
3. Tap the Memory Graph button in Xcode's debug bar.
4. Look for purple warning icons — these indicate leaked objects.
5. Select a leaked object to see its reference graph and backtrace.

Enable Malloc Stack Logging (Scheme > Diagnostics) before running so the Memory Graph shows allocation backtraces.

Common Retain Cycle Patterns

Closure capturing self strongly:

// LEAK — closure holds strong reference to self
class ProfileViewModel {
    var onUpdate: (() -> Void)?

    func startObserving() {
        onUpdate = {
            self.refresh()  // strong capture of self
        }
    }
}

// FIXED — use [weak self]
func startObserving() {
    onUpdate = { [weak self] in
        self?.refresh()
    }
}

Strong delegate reference:

// LEAK — strong delegate creates a cycle
protocol DataDelegate: AnyObject {
    func didUpdate()
}

class DataManager {
    var delegate: DataDelegate?  // should be weak
}

// FIXED — weak delegate
class DataManager {
    weak var delegate: DataDelegate?
}

Timer retaining target:

// LEAK — Timer.scheduledTimer retains its target
timer = Timer.scheduledTimer(
    timeInterval: 1.0, target: self,
    selector: #selector(tick), userInfo: nil, repeats: true
)

// FIXED — use closure-based API with [weak self]
timer = Timer.scheduledTimer(withTimeInterval: 1.0, repeats: true) { [weak self] _ in
    self?.tick()
}

Instruments: Allocations and Leaks

• Allocations template: Track memory growth over time. Use the "Mark Generation" feature to isolate allocations created between user actions (e.g., open/close a screen).
• Leaks template: Detects leaked allocations, including isolated retain cycles the process can no longer reach. Run alongside Allocations for a complete picture.
• Filter by your app's module name to exclude system allocations.

For leak or memory-growth triage, pair the tools: use Allocations Mark Generation before and after the reproduction step to prove retained growth, then use Memory Graph Debugger to inspect object ownership and Malloc Stack Logging to recover allocation call stacks.

Malloc Stack Logging

Enable in Scheme > Run > Diagnostics > Malloc Stack Logging. This records allocation backtraces so the Memory Graph Debugger, Allocations instrument, and exported .memgraph files can show where objects were created.

# Inspect an exported memory graph from Xcode or Instruments
leaks MyApp.memgraph

Hang Diagnostics

Identifying Main Thread Hangs

For discrete interactions, delays under 100 ms are rarely noticeable; a few hundred milliseconds can make an app feel unresponsive. Apple developer tools typically start reporting main-run-loop busy periods over 250 ms. Common detection tools:

• Thread Checker (Xcode Diagnostics): warns about non-main-thread UI calls
• Thread Performance Checker: reports priority inversions while debugging
• On-device Hang Detection: Developer Settings reports hangs from device use
• Time Profiler / CPU Profiler / Hitches: profile reproducible hangs
• os_signpost and OSSignposter: mark intervals for Instruments
• MetricKit hang diagnostics: production hang detection (see metrickit skill for MXHangDiagnostic)

import os

let signposter = OSSignposter(subsystem: "com.example.app", category: "DataLoad")

func loadData() async {
    let state = signposter.beginInterval("loadData")
    let result = await fetchFromNetwork()
    signposter.endInterval("loadData", state)
    process(result)
}

Using the Time Profiler

1. Product > Profile (Cmd+I) to launch Instruments.
2. Select the Time Profiler template.
3. Record while reproducing the slow interaction.
4. Focus on the main thread — sort by "Weight" to find hot paths.
5. Check "Hide System Libraries" to see only your code.
6. Double-click a heavy frame to jump to source.

Common Hang Causes

| Cause | Symptom | Fix | |-------|---------|-----| | Synchronous I/O on main thread | Network/file reads block UI | Move to Task { } or background actor | | Lock contention | Main thread waiting on a lock held by background work | Use actors or reduce lock scope | | Layout thrashing | Repeated layoutSubviews calls | Batch layout changes, avoid forced layout | | JSON parsing large payloads | UI freezes during data load | Parse on a background thread | | Synchronous image decoding | Scroll jank on image-heavy lists | Use AsyncImage or decode off main thread |

Build Failure Triage

Reading Compiler Diagnostics

• Start from the first error — subsequent errors are often cascading.
• Search for the error code (e.g., error: cannot convert) in the build log.
• Use Report Navigator (Cmd+9) for the full build log with timestamps.

SPM Dependency Resolution

# Common: version conflict
error: Dependencies could not be resolved because root depends on 'Package' 1.0.0..<2.0.0

# Fix: check Package.resolved and update version ranges
# Reset package caches if needed:
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/org.swift.swiftpm
rm -rf .build
swift package resolve

Module Not Found / Linker Errors

| Error | Check | |-------|-------| | No such module 'Foo' | Target membership, import paths, framework search paths | | Undefined symbol | Linking phase missing framework, wrong architecture | | duplicate symbol | Two targets define same symbol; check for ObjC naming collisions |

Build settings to inspect first:

• FRAMEWORK_SEARCH_PATHS
• OTHER_LDFLAGS
• SWIFT_INCLUDE_PATHS
• BUILD_LIBRARY_FOR_DISTRIBUTION (for XCFrameworks)

Instruments Overview

Template Selection Guide

| Template | Use When | |----------|----------| | Time Profiler | CPU is high, UI feels slow, need to find hot code paths | | Allocations | Memory grows over time, need to track object lifetimes | | Leaks | Suspect retain cycles or abandoned objects | | Network | Inspecting HTTP request/response timing and payloads | | SwiftUI | Profiling view body evaluations and update frequency | | Animation Hitches / Core Animation instruments | Frame drops, hitches, blending, and commit/render work | | Power Profiler | Battery drain, thermal pressure, background energy impact | | File Activity | Excessive disk I/O, slow file operations | | System Trace | Thread scheduling, syscalls, virtual memory faults |

xctrace CLI for CI Profiling

# Record a trace from the command line
xcrun xctrace record --device "My iPhone" \
    --template "Time Profiler" \
    --instrument "Allocations" \
    --output profile.trace \
    --launch -- /path/to/MyApp.app

# Export trace data as XML for automated analysis
xcrun xctrace export --input profile.trace --xpath '/trace-toc/run/data/table'

# List available templates
xcrun xctrace list templates

# List connected devices
xcrun xctrace list devices

Use one --template per recording; add extra instruments with --instrument. Use xctrace in CI pipelines to catch performance regressions automatically. Compare exported metrics between builds.

Common Mistakes

DON'T: Use print() for debugging instead of os.Logger

print() output is unstructured, has no subsystem/category or privacy metadata, and is harder to filter than unified logging.

// WRONG — unstructured and not filterable by subsystem/category
print("user tapped button, state: \(viewModel.state)")
print("network response: \(data)")

// CORRECT — structured logging with Logger
import os

let logger = Logger(subsystem: "com.example.app", category: "UI")

logger.debug("Button tapped, state: \(viewModel.state, privacy: .public)")
logger.info("Network response received, bytes: \(data.count)")

Logger messages appear in Console.app with filtering by subsystem and category, and .debug messages are written to the in-memory log store only (not persisted to disk in release builds).

DON'T: Forget to enable Malloc Stack Logging before memory debugging

Without Malloc Stack Logging, the Memory Graph Debugger shows leaked objects but cannot display allocation backtraces, making it difficult to find the code that created them.

// WRONG — open Memory Graph without enabling Malloc Stack Logging
// Result: leaked objects visible but no allocation backtrace

// CORRECT — enable BEFORE running:
// Scheme > Run > Diagnostics > check "Malloc Stack Logging: All Allocations"
// Then run, reproduce the leak, and open Memory Graph

DON'T: Debug optimized code expecting full variable visibility

In Release (optimized) builds, the compiler may inline functions, eliminate variables, and reorder code. LLDB cannot display optimized-away values.

// WRONG — profiling with Debug build, debugging with Release build
// Debug builds: extra runtime checks distort perf measurements
// Release builds: variables show as "<optimized out>" in debugger

// CORRECT approach:
// Debugging: use Debug configuration (full symbols, no optimization)
// Profiling: use Release configuration (realistic performance)

DON'T: Stop on every loop iteration without conditional breakpoints

Breaking on every iteration wastes time and makes it hard to find the specific case you care about.

// WRONG — breakpoint on line inside loop, stops 10,000 times
for item in items {
    process(item)  // breakpoint here stops on EVERY item
}

// CORRECT — use a conditional breakpoint:
// (lldb) br set -f MyFile.swift -l 42 -c "item.id == targetID"
// Or in Xcode: right-click breakpoint > Edit > add Condition

DON'T: Ignore Thread Sanitizer warnings

Thread Sanitizer (TSan) warnings indicate data races that may only crash intermittently. Treat them as real bugs unless you have isolated a tool issue.

// WRONG — ignoring TSan warning about concurrent access
var cache: [String: Data] = [:]  // accessed from multiple threads

// CORRECT — protect shared mutable state
actor CacheActor {
    var cache: [String: Data] = [:]

    func get(_ key: String) -> Data? { cache[key] }
    func set(_ key: String, _ value: Data) { cache[key] = value }
}

Enable TSan: Scheme > Run > Diagnostics > Thread Sanitizer. For iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS apps, run TSan in Simulator; Apple documents device support only for 64-bit macOS apps.

Correction Pattern: Flawed Memory and Hang Plans

When correcting another diagnostic plan, explicitly check these points:

• Leaks scope: Leaks can catch unreachable abandoned allocations and isolated retain cycles the process can no longer reach; it does not prove every retain cycle still reachable from roots.
• Memory growth: Use Allocations Mark Generation before and after the reproduction step, then use Memory Graph Debugger for ownership and Malloc Stack Logging for allocation backtraces.
• Hang severity: Distinguish tool reporting from severity. Developer tools commonly report main-run-loop busy periods over 250 ms, while a few hundred milliseconds can still feel unresponsive to users.

Review Checklist

• [ ] Using os.Logger instead of print() for diagnostic output
• [ ] Malloc Stack Logging enabled before memory debugging sessions
• [ ] Memory Graph Debugger checked after dismiss/dealloc flows
• [ ] Delegates declared as weak var to prevent retain cycles
• [ ] Closures stored as properties use [weak self] capture lists
• [ ] Timers use closure-based API with [weak self]
• [ ] Thread Sanitizer enabled in Simulator test schemes for race triage
• [ ] No synchronous I/O or heavy computation on the main thread
• [ ] Time Profiler run on Release build for performance baselines
• [ ] Build failures triaged from the first error in the build log
• [ ] OSSignposter used for custom performance intervals
• [ ] Conditional breakpoints used for loop/collection debugging

References

• Logging (unified logging system)
• Logger
• OSSignposter
• Generating log messages from your code
• Recording performance data (signposts)
• Diagnosing memory, thread, and crash issues early
• Data races
• Reducing your app's memory use
• Profiling apps using Instruments
• Improving app responsiveness
• Analyzing your app's battery use
• Analyzing the performance of your shipping app
• LLDB command reference: references/lldb-patterns.md
• Instruments template guide: references/instruments-guide.md