How to fix the error “Failed to instantiate the default view controller for UIMainStoryboardFile”
Swift version: 5.0
This error happens due to a simple mistake in your storyboard, and it’s easy to fix. When your app starts, iOS needs to know precisely which view controller needs to be shown first – known as your default view controller.
If you accidentally deleted that view controller, or otherwise made it not the default, then you’ll see the error “Failed to instantiate the default view controller for UIMainStoryboardFile 'Main' - perhaps the designated entry point is not set?” when your app launches, along with a plain black screen.
To fix the problem, open your Main.storyboard file and find whichever view controller you want to be shown when your app first runs. When it’s selected, go to the attributes inspector and check the box marked “Is Initial View Controller”. You should see a right-facing arrow appear to the left of that view controller, showing that it’s your storyboard’s entry point.
SPONSOR Tired of wasting time debugging your Swift app? Instabug’s SDK is here to help you minimize your debugging time by providing you with complete device details, network logs, and reproduction steps with every bug report. All data is attached automatically. It only takes a line of code to setup. Get started for free.
Available from iOS 5.0
Did this solution work for you? Please pass it on!
Other people are reading…
- How to print using UIActivityViewController
- How to read a title from a UIPickerView using titleForRow
- How to make gesture recognizers work together using require(toFail:)
- How to register a cell for UITableViewCell reuse
- How to make a UIView fill the screen using Auto Layout anchors
About the Swift Knowledge Base
This is part of the Swift Knowledge Base, a free, searchable collection of solutions for common iOS questions.
