Robot Actions — Remote Device Control

iOS rotate

ios_rotate

Two-finger rotation (twist) about (x,y) on an iOS device — the gesture maps, photo editors and canvas apps listen for. Positive degrees turns clockwise on screen, negative anticlockwise. The fingers follow the ARC of a circle rather than a straight line, which is what a rotation recogniser needs. Coordinates are screen points. IN HID MODE (iOS 18+) the rotation is centred exactly on (x,y) and any angle up to 360° works. OTHERWISE it falls back to the native rotate gesture, which turns the ACTIVE APP about its own centre: (x,y) is ignored there. Any angle works on both paths. Fine for a full-screen map or canvas. auto (the default input) now takes the precisely-centred path whenever it is available, falling back to the app-centred one only when it is not — check ios_hid_status first if you need to know which one a call will get.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`x`	Yes	Rotation centre X (screen points)
`y`	Yes	Rotation centre Y (screen points)
`norm`	No	If true, x/y (and path points) are 0..1 FRACTIONS of the screen — pass `pixelInScreenshot ÷ screenshotSize` directly (scale-free, matches the frontend, avoids point-guessing). Default false = iOS screen points.
`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.
`degrees`	Yes	Turn in degrees; positive is clockwise on screen
`durationMs`	No	Gesture duration in ms (default: 400)

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"
+]

Changed2 schema fields 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"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / norm

Added value: +{
+  "description": "If true, x/y (and path points) are 0..1 FRACTIONS of the screen — pass `pixelInScreenshot ÷ screenshotSize` directly (scale-free, matches the frontend, avoids point-guessing). Default false = iOS screen points.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

AddedSep 16, 2026

TDQS

A3.9/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Adds substantial behaviour beyond the annotations (readOnly=false, destructive=false, idempotent=false): the HID-vs-session branching, the app-centred fallback where (x,y) is ignored, and the 'response says which one ran' detail. The internal wording 'any angle up to 360°' followed later by 'Any angle works on both paths' is mildly muddled but does not contradict the annotations.

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

Conciseness3/5

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

Front-loaded with the core gesture definition, which is good, but the paragraph is long and repeats itself (angle limits stated twice, the auto/fallback explanation restated in the closing sentence). Several clauses could be trimmed without losing meaning.

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?

With no output schema and 7 parameters, the description supplies the branching logic, prerequisites, and fallback semantics an agent needs to call it correctly. It is nearly complete, lacking only explicit sibling differentiation and a note on any session/HID permission requirements.

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 description coverage is 100%, so the 3 baseline applies, but the description genuinely enriches the `input` enum by explaining what auto/hid/session each do and how a forced-forced path reports errors. It also reinforces the clockwise-positive sign convention for `degrees`, adding value over the schema alone.

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

Purpose4/5

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

States a specific gesture (two-finger twist) and resource (iOS device) with the sign convention and path shape made explicit. It does not, however, differentiate itself from closely related siblings like ios_pinch, ios_two_finger_swipe, or device_rotate/ios_orientation, which an agent could plausibly confuse it with.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

Gives clear operating context: HID mode vs native fallback, when (x,y) is honoured vs ignored, and the concrete recommendation to check ios_hid_status first when the path matters. It stops short of naming a sibling alternative for overlap cases, so guidance is strong but not exhaustive.

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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