agent-device

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Boots the selected device if needed and launches an app, deep link, or URL as the session's foreground automation target, with optional Metro server and reload URL hints.

Instructions

Boot the selected device when needed, then open an app, deep link, or URL in a session. Use the app or URL inputs to choose what becomes the foreground automation target. metroHost, metroPort, and bundleUrl choose the app's Metro server and save its address for later reloads. launchUrl selects the app's launch URL and does not select the reload server. A fresh open without Metro hints clears an older same-name binding; close also clears it. Times out after 90s; a caller-supplied budget extends it.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`app`	No	App name, bundle id, package, or URL.
`url`	No	Optional URL passed with an app shell.
`udid`	No	Apple device or simulator UDID; the selector that pins one device when several share a name.
`debug`	No	Enable debug diagnostics.
`force`	No	Overwrite an existing --save-script target instead of refusing (alias: --overwrite).
`runId`	No	Lease run identifier.
`device`	No	Device name selector (a UDID belongs in udid, a serial in serial).
`serial`	No	Android, HarmonyOS, or Vega VVD serial selector.
`target`	No	Alias for deviceTarget on commands without a UI target field. Interaction commands reserve target for the UI element.
`tenant`	No	Remote tenant identifier.
`waitMs`	No	Block this open for up to n milliseconds (100-120000) while another session holds the device, then fail with DEVICE_IN_USE naming that session. Only session contention is waited for: a device claim held by another workspace is refused at once with its recovery command. A device that never frees, or is taken again while this open waits, costs the full budget, which extends this command's timeout envelope rather than eating into it.
`leaseId`	No	Existing lease identifier.
`session`	No	Agent-device session name.
`surface`	No	macOS presentation surface to open: the app itself, the frontmost app, the desktop, or the menu bar.
`testIme`	No	Activate the headless Android test IME for deterministic Unicode text entry (default on for emulators; opt-in on real devices).
`activity`	No	Android activity name.
`imageTag`	No	Android system image tag for the device a proxy backend leases, for example google_apis_playstore, sent as given. A blank string names nothing; a non-string fails with INVALID_ARGS, reason device-spec-invalid. Only the CLI allocating a lease through connect proxy sends it to that backend; a daemon refuses every other request that names it, with reason device-spec-unsupported.
`noRecord`	No	Do not record this action.
`physical`	No	Ask a proxy backend to lease a physical device instead of a simulator or emulator. false names nothing; a non-boolean fails with INVALID_ARGS, reason device-spec-invalid. Only the CLI allocating a lease through connect proxy sends true to that backend; a daemon refuses every other request that names it, with reason device-spec-unsupported.
`platform`	No	Platform selector used to resolve a device.
`relaunch`	No	Force relaunch.
`bundleUrl`	No	Session-scoped bundle URL hint applied to the opened app.
`launchUrl`	No	Launch URL for the opened app; does not select the server used by metro reload.
`metroHost`	No	Session-scoped Metro/debug host hint applied to the opened app.
`metroPort`	No	Session-scoped Metro/debug port hint applied to the opened app. On an emulator/simulator the host defaults to the loopback alias (Android 10.0.2.2, iOS 127.0.0.1) when --metro-host is omitted; physical devices still require an explicit --metro-host.
`osVersion`	No	OS version or range for the device a proxy backend leases, for example 18.6.2 or ">=26" (Android: API level), sent as given. A blank string names nothing; a non-string fails with INVALID_ARGS, reason device-spec-invalid. Only the CLI allocating a lease through connect proxy sends it to that backend; a daemon refuses every other request that names it, with reason device-spec-unsupported.
`timeoutMs`	No	Startup budget in milliseconds. Bounds the Simulator boot wait, so a never-booted Simulator can finish its first-boot migration; omit for the default startup behavior.
`foreground`	No	Include an initial interactive snapshot in a fresh open response. With no app argument, discover the sole running app on the sole booted iOS simulator; ambiguous environments fail closed.
`launchArgs`	No	Launch arguments forwarded verbatim to the platform launch command.
`saveScript`	No
`includeCost`	No	Include per-command agent-cost (cost.wallClockMs, …) in structuredContent. Defaults to off; the default response shape is unchanged.
`deviceTarget`	No	Device target form. Maps to the CLI --target flag.
`launchConsole`	No	File path on the daemon host for the stdout and stderr of the initial app launch. Local iOS simulator direct app launches only; not for URL opens.
`responseLevel`	No	Response verbosity: token-cheap digest / default (today) / full. Defaults to default; the default response shape is unchanged.
`mcpOutputFormat`	No	MCP text content format. Defaults to optimized agent-friendly text; use json for JSON text. Structured content is always returned separately.
`androidDeviceAllowlist`	No	Android serial allowlist used for device resolution.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed4 schema fields changedv0.21.34Oct 29, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / imageTag

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Android system image tag for the device a proxy backend leases, for example google_apis_playstore, sent as given. A blank string names nothing; a non-string fails with INVALID_ARGS, reason device-spec-invalid. Only the CLI allocating a lease through connect proxy sends it to that backend; a daemon refuses every other request that names it, with reason device-spec-unsupported.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / launchConsole / description

Previous value: -"File path on the daemon host for the stdout and stderr of the initial app launch. iOS simulator direct app launches only; not for URL opens."New value: +"File path on the daemon host for the stdout and stderr of the initial app launch. Local iOS simulator direct app launches only; not for URL opens."

addedInput schema / properties / osVersion

Added value: +{
+  "description": "OS version or range for the device a proxy backend leases, for example 18.6.2 or \">=26\" (Android: API level), sent as given. A blank string names nothing; a non-string fails with INVALID_ARGS, reason device-spec-invalid. Only the CLI allocating a lease through connect proxy sends it to that backend; a daemon refuses every other request that names it, with reason device-spec-unsupported.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / physical

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Ask a proxy backend to lease a physical device instead of a simulator or emulator. false names nothing; a non-boolean fails with INVALID_ARGS, reason device-spec-invalid. Only the CLI allocating a lease through connect proxy sends true to that backend; a daemon refuses every other request that names it, with reason device-spec-unsupported.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedv0.21.29Oct 23, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / launchConsole / description

Previous value: -"Launch console mode."New value: +"File path on the daemon host for the stdout and stderr of the initial app launch. iOS simulator direct app launches only; not for URL opens."

Changed1 schema field changedv0.21.27Oct 12, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / launchUrl / description

Previous value: -"Session-scoped launch URL hint applied to the opened app."New value: +"Launch URL for the opened app; does not select the server used by metro reload."

Changed1 schema field changedv0.21.13Sep 24, 2026

removedInput schema / properties / deviceHub

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Use Xcode Device Hub when surfacing Apple simulators.",
-  "type": "boolean"
-}

Changed1 schema field changedv0.21.12Sep 23, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / waitMs

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Block this open for up to n milliseconds (100-120000) while another session holds the device, then fail with DEVICE_IN_USE naming that session. Only session contention is waited for: a device claim held by another workspace is refused at once with its recovery command. A device that never frees, or is taken again while this open waits, costs the full budget, which extends this command's timeout envelope rather than eating into it.",
+  "maximum": 120000,
+  "minimum": 100,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

Changed4 schema fields changedv0.21.0Sep 9, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / device / description

Previous value: -"Device name selector."New value: +"Device name selector (a UDID belongs in udid, a serial in serial)."

changedInput schema / properties / serial / description

Previous value: -"Android device or Vega VVD serial selector."New value: +"Android, HarmonyOS, or Vega VVD serial selector."

addedInput schema / properties / timeoutMs

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Startup budget in milliseconds. Bounds the Simulator boot wait, so a never-booted Simulator can finish its first-boot migration; omit for the default startup behavior.",
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / udid / description

Previous value: -"iOS device UDID selector."New value: +"Apple device or simulator UDID; the selector that pins one device when several share a name."

Changed8 schema fields changedv0.20.10Aug 26, 2026

removedInput schema / properties / cwd

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Working directory for command execution.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedInput schema / properties / daemonAuthToken

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Remote daemon auth token.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedInput schema / properties / daemonBaseUrl

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Remote daemon base URL.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedInput schema / properties / iosSimulatorDeviceSet

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "iOS simulator device-set path used for device resolution.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedInput schema / properties / iosXctestDerivedDataPath

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Derived data path for external iOS XCTest runner execution.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedInput schema / properties / iosXctestEnvDir

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Writable directory for iOS XCTest runner env overlays.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedInput schema / properties / iosXctestrunFile

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Externally built iOS XCTest runner .xctestrun artifact path.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedInput schema / properties / stateDir

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Agent-device state directory.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

Changed2 schema fields changedv0.20.9Aug 19, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / foreground / description

Previous value: -"[RFC prototype] On a fresh session with no app argument, resolve the target from the sole booted iOS simulator's sole running app and include an initial interactive snapshot in the response. Fails with AMBIGUOUS_MATCH when the environment is not unambiguous (0 or 2+ booted simulators, or no confidently-detectable running app) — never guesses."New value: +"Include an initial interactive snapshot in a fresh open response. With no app argument, discover the sole running app on the sole booted iOS simulator; ambiguous environments fail closed."

changedInput schema / properties / platform / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "apple",
-  "android",
-  "vega",
-  "linux",
-  "web",
-  "ios",
-  "macos"
-]New value: +[
+  "apple",
+  "android",
+  "harmonyos",
+  "vega",
+  "linux",
+  "web",
+  "ios",
+  "macos"
+]

Changed2 schema fields changedv0.20.6Aug 7, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / foreground

Added value: +{
+  "description": "[RFC prototype] On a fresh session with no app argument, resolve the target from the sole booted iOS simulator's sole running app and include an initial interactive snapshot in the response. Fails with AMBIGUOUS_MATCH when the environment is not unambiguous (0 or 2+ booted simulators, or no confidently-detectable running app) — never guesses.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / surface / description

Added value: +"macOS presentation surface to open: the app itself, the frontmost app, the desktop, or the menu bar."

Changed8 schema fields changedv0.20.2Jul 30, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / bundleUrl

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Session-scoped bundle URL hint applied to the opened app.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / force

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Overwrite an existing --save-script target instead of refusing (alias: --overwrite).",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / launchUrl

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Session-scoped launch URL hint applied to the opened app.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / metroHost

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Session-scoped Metro/debug host hint applied to the opened app.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / metroPort

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Session-scoped Metro/debug port hint applied to the opened app. On an emulator/simulator the host defaults to the loopback alias (Android 10.0.2.2, iOS 127.0.0.1) when --metro-host is omitted; physical devices still require an explicit --metro-host.",
+  "maximum": 65535,
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / platform / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "apple",
-  "android",
-  "linux",
-  "web",
-  "ios",
-  "macos"
-]New value: +[
+  "apple",
+  "android",
+  "vega",
+  "linux",
+  "web",
+  "ios",
+  "macos"
+]

changedInput schema / properties / serial / description

Previous value: -"Android serial selector."New value: +"Android device or Vega VVD serial selector."

addedInput schema / properties / testIme

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Activate the headless Android test IME for deterministic Unicode text entry (default on for emulators; opt-in on real devices).",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

Changed3 schema fields changedv0.17.11Jul 6, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / includeCost

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Include per-command agent-cost (cost.wallClockMs, …) in structuredContent. Defaults to off; the default response shape is unchanged.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / platform / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "ios",
-  "macos",
-  "android",
-  "linux",
-  "web",
-  "apple"
-]New value: +[
+  "apple",
+  "android",
+  "linux",
+  "web",
+  "ios",
+  "macos"
+]

addedInput schema / properties / responseLevel

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Response verbosity: token-cheap digest / default (today) / full. Defaults to default; the default response shape is unchanged.",
+  "enum": [
+    "digest",
+    "default",
+    "full"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedv0.17.7Jun 23, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / platform / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "ios",
-  "macos",
-  "android",
-  "linux",
-  "apple"
-]New value: +[
+  "ios",
+  "macos",
+  "android",
+  "linux",
+  "web",
+  "apple"
+]

Changed6 schema fields changedv0.17.6Jun 18, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / deviceHub

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Use Xcode Device Hub when surfacing Apple simulators.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / iosXctestDerivedDataPath

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Derived data path for external iOS XCTest runner execution.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / iosXctestEnvDir

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Writable directory for iOS XCTest runner env overlays.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / iosXctestrunFile

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Externally built iOS XCTest runner .xctestrun artifact path.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / mcpOutputFormat

Added value: +{
+  "description": "MCP text content format. Defaults to optimized agent-friendly text; use json for JSON text. Structured content is always returned separately.",
+  "enum": [
+    "optimized",
+    "json"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / platform / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "ios",
-  "android",
-  "macos",
-  "linux",
-  "apple"
-]New value: +[
+  "ios",
+  "macos",
+  "android",
+  "linux",
+  "apple"
+]

First observedv0.16.9Jun 3, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

No annotations exist, so the description carries full burden, and it does disclose non-obvious behavior: booting is implicit when needed, a fresh open without Metro hints clears an older same-name binding (later also cleared by `close`), and a 90s timeout that a caller-supplied budget extends. It omits return-shape and failure modes, but the stateful side effects it does document are the parts an agent could not infer from structured fields.

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 in the first sentence, then progressively narrower parameter semantics and finally the timeout bound. Dense but every sentence adds an operational fact; only the timeout sentence could be trimmed since `timeoutMs` and `waitMs` are already in the schema.

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 36-parameter tool with no annotations and no output schema, the description covers intent, the key parameter ambiguities, state lifecycle, and the timeout envelope — enough to call it correctly. What remains unsaid is what a session identifier looks like in the response and the effect of `foreground`/`saveScript`, though those are documented in the schema.

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 97%, so the baseline is 3; the description earns a step above by explaining the semantic difference between the Metro hints (server selection, saved for later reloads) and `launchUrl` (launch target only, not the reload server), which the schema fields only state individually.

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?

Opening sentence names specific verbs and resources ("Boot the selected device when needed, then open an app, deep link, or URL in a session") and implies the pairing with `close` ("close also clears it"). An agent can tell this apart from `boot`, `metro`, and `session` from the description alone.

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?

It explicitly routes parameter choice ("Use the app or URL inputs to choose what becomes the foreground automation target") and distinguishes `launchUrl` from `metroHost`/`metroPort`/`bundleUrl` by stating the former does not select the reload server. It also flags the binding-clearing interaction with `close`. It stops short of stating explicit preconditions or when-not-to-use this tool versus `boot` or `session`.

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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Instructions

Input Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

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