Apple Project Builder Xcode project
File type: Source code and script file
A .pbxproj file is an Apple Project Builder or Xcode project file. It normally appears as project.pbxproj inside an .xcodeproj project package.
The file stores the project definition used by Xcode to organize files, targets, build phases, and settings.
File type category:
Source code and script file
Date updated: October 6, 2026
Apple Project Builder, the predecessor to Xcode, used the pbxproj format for its project files. Xcode can read these older Project Builder projects.
In an Xcode project, the file contains references to source files and other resources, groups, targets, build phases, and project or target build settings. It is one part of the .xcodeproj project package rather than usually being used as a standalone file.
Xcode is developed by Apple for macOS. Although Project Builder is obsolete, Xcode continues to use the pbxproj format for its project files.
Open the associated .xcodeproj package in Xcode on macOS rather than opening the .pbxproj file directly. Xcode can also open older projects created with Apple Project Builder.
There is no general-purpose conversion needed or commonly used for a .pbxproj file. Open the Project Builder project in Xcode and save it there. Projects can often be exported from Xcode when required.
Software applications that can open pbxproj files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Software applications that can edit pbxproj files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Software capable of saving pbxproj files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Software apps that create pbxproj files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
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