iOS Simulator MCP Server
An MCP server for the iOS Simulator: taps, swipes, text input, accessibility tree, screenshots, video and app control
Install
claude mcp add ios-simulator npx ios-simulator-mcpWith pnpm: claude mcp add ios-simulator -- pnpm dlx ios-simulator-mcp.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
The server gives the agent control of a running iOS Simulator on a Mac. The agent reads screen elements from the accessibility tree, finds them by label or type, taps, swipes and types text. It takes screenshots and compressed screen views for the model, records video, installs, launches and terminates apps, and opens URLs and deep links. Unneeded tools can be hidden with an environment variable.
Who it is for. For iOS and React Native developers who want the agent to check its own work in the simulator.
Good fit when
- You want the agent to look at the screen after a UI change and verify it
- You need to check accessibility labels on a screen
- You need to jump to a screen via deep link and test it
Not a fit when
- You need Android or a real device
- You are not on macOS
Example request
Open myapp://products/42 in the simulator and verify the product details screen is shownLimitations
Works only on macOS with Xcode, simulators, Node 20 and Facebook's IDB installed. Text input is limited to printable ASCII, so Cyrillic cannot be typed this way. Versions before 1.3.3 had a command injection vulnerability.
How to disable. Run claude mcp remove ios-simulator or delete the ios-simulator block from the MCP config.
MCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- not required
| Environment variables | |
|---|---|
| IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_FILTERED_TOOLS | Tools to leave unregistered |
| IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_DEFAULT_OUTPUT_DIR | Folder for screenshots and videos |
| IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_IDB_PATH | Path to the IDB executable |
| IDB_UDID | Default simulator UDID |
Security check
- Controls the simulator and installs apps into it
- Writes screenshots and videos to disk
README in short
The README documents every tool with parameters and gives example QA prompts to run after implementing a feature. It recommends deep links so the agent does not waste steps navigating. It lists prerequisites, install for Cursor and Claude Code via npx, pnpm or a local build, and environment variables. MIT licensed.
FAQ
Where do screenshots and videos go?
To ~/Downloads unless IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_DEFAULT_OUTPUT_DIR is set.
How do I disable some tools?
List them comma-separated in IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_FILTERED_TOOLS.
Related
An MCP server and CLI from Sentry for building, running and testing Xcode iOS and macOS projects from an AI agent
Paul Hudson's skill for reviewing and writing SwiftUI for iOS 26: deprecated APIs, data flow, navigation, accessibility, performance
Expo's official agent skills: building, deploying, updating and debugging Expo and EAS apps
An open phone agent model and framework: it reads the screen and taps through Android, HarmonyOS and iOS apps from a text command