iOS Simulator
A bridge between iOS simulators and the Model Context Protocol, enabling programmatic control of iOS simulators through standardized communication interfaces.
What is iOS Simulator?
iOS Simulator is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to bridge between ios simulators and the model context protocol, enabling programmatic control of ios simulators through standardized communication interfaces.
A bridge between iOS simulators and the Model Context Protocol, enabling programmatic control of iOS simulators through standardized communication interfaces.
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A bridge between iOS simulators and the Model Context Protoc
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx mcp-server-for-ios-simulatorConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use iOS Simulator
MCP Server for iOS Simulator is a TypeScript bridge that exposes iOS Simulator controls via the Model Context Protocol, allowing AI assistants to programmatically list, boot, and interact with Xcode simulators. It supports listing available and booted devices, launching and terminating apps, capturing screenshots, and tapping screen coordinates. This is primarily useful for iOS developers who want AI-assisted testing and simulator automation without writing Xcode scripts manually.
Prerequisites
- macOS (iOS simulators are not supported on Windows or Linux)
- Xcode installed with at least one iOS Simulator runtime downloaded
- Node.js v16 or higher
- TypeScript 4.5 or higher (if building from source)
- Claude Desktop or another MCP-compatible client
Clone the repository
Clone the mcp-server-ios-simulator repository. There is no published npm package, so you must build from source.
git clone https://github.com/atom2ueki/mcp-server-ios-simulator.git
cd mcp-server-ios-simulatorInstall dependencies and build
Install Node.js dependencies and compile the TypeScript source.
npm install
npm run buildVerify simulators are available
Check that Xcode simulators are installed and visible to simctl before connecting via MCP.
xcrun simctl list devicesConfigure Claude Desktop
Add the server to your Claude Desktop MCP config pointing to the compiled dist/index.js file. Optionally set environment variables to change defaults.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ios-simulator": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-server-ios-simulator/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"SIMULATOR_DEFAULT_DEVICE": "iPhone 16",
"SIMULATOR_DEFAULT_OS": "18.2",
"SIMULATOR_TIMEOUT": "30000"
}
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Quit and reopen Claude Desktop to load the iOS simulator MCP server. You can then ask Claude to list or control simulators.
iOS Simulator Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop config pointing to the compiled server with optional defaults for device model, OS version, and operation timeout.
{
"mcpServers": {
"ios-simulator": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-server-ios-simulator/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"SIMULATOR_DEFAULT_DEVICE": "iPhone 16",
"SIMULATOR_DEFAULT_OS": "18.2",
"SIMULATOR_TIMEOUT": "30000"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for controlling iOS simulators through the MCP server.
- "List all available iOS simulators on my machine"
- "Boot the iPhone 16 simulator running iOS 18.2"
- "Install my app at ~/build/MyApp.app on the booted simulator"
- "Take a screenshot of the current simulator screen"
- "Tap at coordinates (195, 400) on the simulator screen"Troubleshooting iOS Simulator
Error: xcrun simctl command not found
Xcode must be installed, not just the Command Line Tools. Open Xcode, accept the license agreement, and ensure at least one simulator runtime is downloaded via Xcode > Preferences > Platforms.
Simulator boots but app fails to install
The app must be built for the simulator architecture (x86_64 or arm64 simulator). Build your Xcode project with 'Any iOS Simulator Device' as the target before attempting to install via MCP.
SIMULATOR_TIMEOUT errors on slow machines
Increase the SIMULATOR_TIMEOUT environment variable beyond the default 30000ms. Booting a simulator for the first time can take 60 seconds or more. Try setting it to 90000 or 120000.
Frequently Asked Questions about iOS Simulator
What is iOS Simulator?
iOS Simulator is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that bridge between ios simulators and the model context protocol, enabling programmatic control of ios simulators through standardized communication interfaces. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install iOS Simulator?
Follow the installation instructions on the iOS Simulator GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with iOS Simulator?
iOS Simulator works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is iOS Simulator free to use?
Yes, iOS Simulator is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up iOS Simulator in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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