The iOS Simulator MCP server allows interaction with iOS simulators to perform UI automation tasks, including:
Get the ID of the currently booted iOS simulator
Describe accessibility elements on the screen
Tap on specific screen coordinates
Input text into the simulator
Swipe between coordinates
Get information about UI elements at specific locations
Take screenshots or record videos of the simulator screen
Integrates with Facebook's IDB tool to communicate with and control iOS simulators, enabling the MCP server to perform UI automation tasks.
Provides tools for interacting with iOS simulators, including getting simulator information, controlling UI interactions (tapping, swiping, text input), and inspecting UI elements for accessibility testing and automation.
Enables operation on macOS systems where iOS simulators run, providing simulator access and control capabilities specific to the macOS environment.
Utilizes Xcode's iOS simulator infrastructure to enable UI automation, testing, and interaction with simulated iOS devices.
iOS Simulator MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for interacting with iOS simulators. This server allows you to interact with iOS simulators by getting information about them, controlling UI interactions, and inspecting UI elements.
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/453ebe7b-cc93-4ac2-b08d-0f8ac8339ad3
Features
Get the ID of the currently booted iOS simulator
Interact with the simulator UI:
Describe all accessibility elements on screen
Tap on screen coordinates
Input text
Swipe between coordinates
Get information about UI elements at specific coordinates
Take screenshots of the simulator screen
Filter specific tools using environment variables
Configuration
Environment Variables
IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_FILTERED_TOOLS
: A comma-separated list of tool names to filter out from being registered. For example:screenshot,record_video,stop_recording
💡 Use Case: QA Step via MCP Tool Calls
This MCP server allows AI assistants integrated with a Model Context Protocol (MCP) client to perform Quality Assurance tasks by making tool calls. This is useful immediately after implementing features to help ensure UI consistency and correct behavior.
How to Use
After a feature implementation, instruct your AI assistant within its MCP client environment to use the available tools. For example, in Cursor's agent mode, you could use the prompts below to quickly validate and document UI interactions.
Example Prompts
Verify UI Elements:
Verify all accessibility elements on the current screenConfirm Text Input:
Enter "QA Test" into the text input field and confirm the input is correctCheck Tap Response:
Tap on coordinates x=250, y=400 and verify the expected element is triggeredValidate Swipe Action:
Swipe from x=150, y=600 to x=150, y=100 and confirm correct behaviorDetailed Element Check:
Describe the UI element at position x=300, y=350 to ensure proper labeling and functionalityTake Screenshot:
Take a screenshot of the current simulator screen and save it to my_screenshot.pngRecord Video:
Start recording a video of the simulator screen (saves to ~/Downloads/simulator_recording_$DATE.mp4 by default)Stop Recording:
Stop the current simulator screen recording
Prerequisites
Node.js
macOS (as iOS simulators are only available on macOS)
Xcode and iOS simulators installed
Facebook IDB tool (see install guide)
Installation
This section provides instructions for integrating the iOS Simulator MCP server with different Model Context Protocol (MCP) clients.
Installation with Cursor
Cursor manages MCP servers through its configuration file located at ~/.cursor/mcp.json
.
Option 1: Using NPX (Recommended)
Edit your Cursor MCP configuration file. You can often open it directly from Cursor or use a command like:
# Open with your default editor (or use 'code', 'vim', etc.) open ~/.cursor/mcp.json # Or use Cursor's command if available # cursor ~/.cursor/mcp.jsonAdd or update the
mcpServers
section with the iOS simulator server configuration:{ "mcpServers": { // ... other servers might be listed here ... "ios-simulator": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "ios-simulator-mcp"] } } }Ensure the JSON structure is valid, especially if
mcpServers
already exists.Restart Cursor for the changes to take effect.
Option 2: Local Development
Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/joshuayoes/ios-simulator-mcp cd ios-simulator-mcpInstall dependencies:
npm installBuild the project:
npm run buildEdit your Cursor MCP configuration file (as shown in Option 1).
Add or update the
mcpServers
section, pointing to your local build:{ "mcpServers": { // ... other servers might be listed here ... "ios-simulator": { "command": "node", "args": ["/full/path/to/your/ios-simulator-mcp/build/index.js"] } } }Important: Replace
/full/path/to/your/
with the absolute path to where you cloned theios-simulator-mcp
repository.Restart Cursor for the changes to take effect.
Installation with Claude Code
Claude Code CLI can manage MCP servers using the claude mcp
commands or by editing its configuration files directly. For more details on Claude Code MCP configuration, refer to the official documentation.
Option 1: Using NPX (Recommended)
Add the server using the
claude mcp add
command:claude mcp add ios-simulator --command npx --args "-y,ios-simulator-mcp"Note: The
Restart any running Claude Code sessions if necessary.
Option 2: Local Development
Clone this repository, install dependencies, and build the project as described in the Cursor "Local Development" steps 1-3.
Add the server using the
claude mcp add
command, pointing to your local build:claude mcp add ios-simulator --command node --args "/full/path/to/your/ios-simulator-mcp/build/index.js"Important: Replace
/full/path/to/your/
with the absolute path to where you cloned theios-simulator-mcp
repository.Restart any running Claude Code sessions if necessary.
License
MIT
local-only server
The server can only run on the client's local machine because it depends on local resources.
Tools
Enables interaction with iOS simulators by providing tools to inspect UI elements, control UI interactions, and manage simulators through natural language commands.
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