iOS Simulator MCP — Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

List/boot/shutdown sims; create new device + runtime combos
Install/launch/uninstall .app bundles
Tap, swipe, type, key combos via idb
Take screenshot or record screen video
Permission grants (camera, photos, location)
Set status bar (clean screenshots for App Store)

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

ios-simulator-mcp.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-simulator-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "ios-simulator-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-simulator-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "ios-simulator-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-simulator-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "ios-simulator-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-simulator-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "ios-simulator-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "ios-simulator-mcp",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "ios-simulator-mcp"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "ios-simulator-mcp": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": [
          "-y",
          "ios-simulator-mcp"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add ios-simulator-mcp -- npx -y ios-simulator-mcp

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use iOS Simulator MCP

Generate App Store screenshots across devices

👤 iOS devs preparing a release ⏱ ~25 min intermediate

When to use: You need 6.5", 6.7", iPad screenshots in light + dark, fast.

Prerequisites

Xcode + simctl — Standard Xcode install
idb installed — brew tap facebook/fb && brew install idb-companion
.app bundle built — xcodebuild -scheme YourApp -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator' build

Flow

Setup devices

Boot iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPad Pro 13-inch sims. List them when ready.✓ Copied

→ list_simulators shows both Booted
Set status bar

Set status bar to 9:41, full battery, full signal on both. App Store style.✓ Copied

→ status_bar_set succeeds; clean look
Install + screenshots

Install MyApp.app on both. Launch, navigate Home → Profile → Settings, screenshot each in light and dark mode. Save under /screenshots/<device>/<mode>/.✓ Copied

→ Folder per device, with light + dark variants of each screen

Outcome: Full App Store screenshot pack in ~10 min, no manual capture.

Pitfalls

Sim boots but app crashes on launch — Pull simctl log; check for missing entitlements
Dynamic Island content covers status bar tweaks — On Pro Max, status_bar_set still applies under DI

Combine with: filesystem

Capture a clean repro video for a UI bug

👤 iOS devs / QA ⏱ ~10 min beginner

When to use: Bug only repros in the sim; you want a video for the ticket.

Flow

Start recording

Boot iPhone 15. Install build.app. Start screen recording.✓ Copied

→ record_video_start returns recording id
Reproduce

Open the app. Tap Profile, then the Edit pencil. Type 'Test' in the name field. Tap Save. Wait 2 seconds.✓ Copied

→ Sequence executed; bug visible if it repros
Stop and attach

Stop recording, save as bug-1234.mov in /tickets/.✓ Copied

→ MOV saved

Outcome: Repro video ready to attach to the ticket.

Pitfalls

Tap missed because layout differs from expected — Use describe_ui first to find current frames

Combine with: filesystem · github

Run a smoke test loop after each rebuild

👤 iOS devs in a tight build/test cycle ⏱ ~15 min intermediate

When to use: You're iterating on a screen and want a 30-second smoke test after every rebuild.

Flow

Rebuild + reinstall

Run xcodebuild for scheme MyApp Debug, then reinstall on the booted sim.✓ Copied

→ Install succeeds with new bundle
Drive smoke path

Open app, sign in with test account, navigate to the screen I'm working on, screenshot.✓ Copied

→ Screenshot looks right; no crashes in the log

Outcome: Faster build/test cycle without manual tapping.

Pitfalls

Sign-in flow has a captcha — Use a captcha-bypass build or stub the auth flow

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

ios-simulator-mcp + filesystem

Save screenshots into your repo

Capture screenshots for all main screens, save to /design/screenshots/.✓ Copied

ios-simulator-mcp + github

Open a bug issue with a repro video

Record the bug, then file a GitHub issue attaching the MOV and reproducer steps.✓ Copied

ios-simulator-mcp + xcodebuildmcp

Build and immediately run smoke test

XcodeBuild: build Debug. Sim: install + launch + screenshot.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call	Cost
list_simulators	(none)	First step	free
boot_simulator	device_id: str	Power on a sim	free
install_app	device_id, path: str (.app)	Push a build	free
launch_app	device_id, bundle_id: str	Open the app	free
tap	device_id, x, y	Tap a coordinate	free
type_text	device_id, text: str	Enter text	free
screenshot	device_id, path?	Capture state	free
record_video_start	device_id, path: str	Begin video	free
record_video_stop	recording_id	End video	free
describe_ui	device_id	Find tap coordinates	free
status_bar_set	device_id, time, battery, signal	Clean App Store screenshots	free

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: None — local
Tokens per call: 100–800; screenshots referenced by path, not embedded
Monetary: Free OSS
Tip: Use describe_ui to find tap coords once instead of guessing repeatedly

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Minimum scopes: execute simctl + idb

Credential storage: None — but app data in sim is yours

Data egress: Local only

Never grant: root / kernel access

If your app stores test creds in the keychain, be aware screenshots may show them

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

idb not found

brew tap facebook/fb && brew install idb-companion; also pip install fb-idb

Verify: idb list-targets

Tap doesn't land

Use describe_ui; coords differ across device sizes; element might be in a sheet

Sim booted but stays black

Sim shutdown + reset; sometimes Xcode runtime needs re-download

Recording corrupts

Use simctl io recordVideo directly; idb's wrapper occasionally fails on macOS sleep

Alternatives

iOS Simulator MCP vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
XcodeBuildMCP (Sentry)	You want build + sim in one MCP	Heavier; broader scope
Maestro	You want a full UI testing DSL	Not LLM-driven by default
Xcode Cloud / Fastlane	Production CI	Different layer; not interactive

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills