Robot Actions — Remote Device Control

iOS press button

ios_press_button

Press a hardware or keyboard button on an iOS device. Hardware: home, volumeUp, volumeDown. Keyboard submit: return, go, done, search. Editing: backspace (delete-left), delete (delete-right alias — iOS soft keyboard treats both the same in most contexts). Whitespace: tab. home is the Home BUTTON: it goes to the Home screen and leaves whatever app was open. To wake the device or clear a Lock Screen WITHOUT leaving the app, use ios_unlock or the keyboard Home key (ios_key_hid with usages [74]) instead. (On an Apple TV, press remote keys with ios_tv_button and change volume with ios_tv_volume — the hardware/keyboard buttons here are unavailable there.) Works without an automation session when the direct input path is available; falls back to one otherwise (see input). Note: for reliable backspace, ensure the soft keyboard is actually raised (visible) before pressing — a tap that visually focuses a field may not yet have raised the keyboard, in which case key events are dropped.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`udid`	Yes	iOS device UDID
`input`	No	Input path. 'auto' (default) tries the direct input path first — the one that needs no automation session — and falls back to the session only when the direct path is not usable right now (the response says which one ran). On a device set to direct-input-only, an unusable direct path is reported as an error instead of silently switching to the session. 'hid' forces the direct path with no fallback, reporting 'no HID available' on iOS 17.x or with no tunnel. 'session' forces the automation session even when the direct path would have worked.
`button`	Yes	Button name: home, volumeUp, volumeDown, return, go, done, search, backspace, delete, tab

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedSep 28, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / input / description

Previous value: -"Input path. 'auto' (default) tries the direct input path first — the one that needs no automation session — and falls back to the session only when the direct path is not usable right now (the response says which one ran). 'hid' forces the direct path with no fallback, reporting 'no HID available' on iOS 17.x or with no tunnel. 'session' forces the automation session even when the direct path would have worked."New value: +"Input path. 'auto' (default) tries the direct input path first — the one that needs no automation session — and falls back to the session only when the direct path is not usable right now (the response says which one ran). On a device set to direct-input-only, an unusable direct path is reported as an error instead of silently switching to the session. 'hid' forces the direct path with no fallback, reporting 'no HID available' on iOS 17.x or with no tunnel. 'session' forces the automation session even when the direct path would have worked."

Changed2 schema fields changedSep 26, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / input / description

Previous value: -"Input path. 'auto' (default) drives the gesture through the automation session. 'hid' drives it through the direct input path instead, which needs no automation session — it reports 'no HID available' on iOS 17.x or with no tunnel."New value: +"Input path. 'auto' (default) tries the direct input path first — the one that needs no automation session — and falls back to the session only when the direct path is not usable right now (the response says which one ran). 'hid' forces the direct path with no fallback, reporting 'no HID available' on iOS 17.x or with no tunnel. 'session' forces the automation session even when the direct path would have worked."

changedInput schema / properties / input / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "auto",
-  "hid"
-]New value: +[
+  "auto",
+  "hid",
+  "session"
+]

Changed1 schema field changedSep 20, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / button / description

Previous value: -"Button name: home, volumeUp, volumeDown, return, go, done, search, backspace, delete, tab. Siri Remote (Apple TV): up, down, left, right, select, back, tv, play_pause, volume_up, volume_down, mute"New value: +"Button name: home, volumeUp, volumeDown, return, go, done, search, backspace, delete, tab"

Changed1 schema field changedSep 20, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / button / description

Previous value: -"Button name: home, volumeUp, volumeDown, return, go, done, search, backspace, delete, tab"New value: +"Button name: home, volumeUp, volumeDown, return, go, done, search, backspace, delete, tab. Siri Remote (Apple TV): up, down, left, right, select, back, tv, play_pause, volume_up, volume_down, mute"

Changed1 schema field changedSep 17, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / input

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Input path. 'auto' (default) drives the gesture through the automation session. 'hid' drives it through the direct input path instead, which needs no automation session — it reports 'no HID available' on iOS 17.x or with no tunnel.",
+  "enum": [
+    "auto",
+    "hid"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

First observedAug 4, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations declare those safety traits, so the bar is lower, yet the description still adds real context: `home` leaves the current app, input paths auto/hid/session fall back with reported behavior, and key events are silently dropped if the keyboard isn't raised. The only gap is not describing the response payload beyond 'the response says which one ran'.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the core action and button list, then layered caveats. It is long and contains some parenthetical density, but nearly every sentence carries actionable information (sibling routing, keyboard-raised prerequisite); only minor tightening is possible.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a mutation tool with no output schema, it covers the salient behaviors: side effects of `home`, fallback semantics of `input`, and the backspace precondition. It could do slightly more on what a failure versus a fallback result looks like, hence not a 5.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, but the description still adds semantic value beyond it: it clarifies that `delete` is a delete-right alias that the soft keyboard treats identically to backspace, and that `home` is the Home BUTTON with app-exiting semantics. This goes past the schema's flat name list.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb+resource ('Press a hardware or keyboard button on an iOS device') and enumerates the supported button classes (home/volume, submit, editing, whitespace). It explicitly distinguishes itself from ios_key_hid, ios_unlock, ios_tv_button, and ios_tv_volume, so an agent can route correctly without opening sibling schemas.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives explicit when-to-use-elsewhere rules: use ios_unlock or ios_key_hid usages [74] to wake or clear the Lock Screen without leaving the app, and ios_tv_button / ios_tv_volume on Apple TV where these buttons are unavailable. It also states the prerequisite for reliable backspace (soft keyboard must be raised).

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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