iOS Simulator MCP Server

Name: iOS Simulator MCP Server
Author: Joshua Yoes

Drives and inspects iOS simulators on a Mac: taps, typing, screenshots, video and app installs

By Joshua Yoes (individual) TypeScript Local · stdio Testing Developer tools

GitHub npm Website

79 popularity score ★ 2.2k ↓ 11k/wk

Connect your client

Local (npm)

Add in one click

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code Add to LM Studio Add to Goose

Opens the app, which asks before it adds the server.

Or add it by command or config

Claude CodeTerminal

claude mcp add ios-simulator -- npx -y ios-simulator-mcp

Claude Desktopclaude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-simulator": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "ios-simulator-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-simulator": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "ios-simulator-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "ios-simulator": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "ios-simulator-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Codex~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.ios-simulator]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "ios-simulator-mcp"]

Gemini CLITerminal

gemini mcp add --scope user ios-simulator npx -- -y ios-simulator-mcp

Local (from source)

Add in one click

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code Add to LM Studio

Opens the app, which asks before it adds the server. Then replace each <NAME> in its settings with your value.

Or add it by command or config

FirstTerminal

git clone https://github.com/joshuayoes/ios-simulator-mcp
cd ios-simulator-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Claude CodeTerminal

claude mcp add ios-simulator -- node '<ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_CLONE>/build/index.js'

Claude Desktopclaude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-simulator": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "<ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_CLONE>/build/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-simulator": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "<ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_CLONE>/build/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "ios-simulator": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "<ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_CLONE>/build/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Codex~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.ios-simulator]
command = "node"
args = ["<ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_CLONE>/build/index.js"]

Gemini CLITerminal

gemini mcp add --scope user ios-simulator node -- '<ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_CLONE>/build/index.js'

Settings 3

`IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_FILTERED_TOOLS`	Optional: Comma-separated tool names to leave unregistered.
`IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_DEFAULT_OUTPUT_DIR`	Optional: Folder for screenshots and videos given a relative or no path. Default `~/Downloads`. For screenshot, record_video.
`IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_IDB_PATH`	Optional: Path to the idb executable when it is not on PATH. The server errors if the path does not exist. Default `idb`.

What it does

iOS Simulator MCP Server gives an assistant hands and eyes on an iOS simulator running on the developer's own Mac. It can find the booted simulator, open the Simulator app, read the accessibility tree of the whole screen or of one point, search that tree for elements by label or id, and act on the screen with taps, swipes and typed text. Text can also be pasted through the simulator clipboard, which is the mode to pick for non-US keyboard layouts or non-ASCII text.

It also captures what is on screen: a compressed image returned straight to the assistant, a screenshot saved to disk in several formats, or a video recording that can be started and stopped. App-level tools install a .app or .ipa bundle, list installed apps with their bundle ids, launch or terminate an app (optionally passing environment variables to it), and open web URLs, custom schemes or universal links.

The typical use is a quick QA pass after building a feature: the assistant opens the screen under test, checks labels and layout, interacts with it and records the result. Under the hood it calls Apple's simctl and Facebook's IDB command-line tools. Note that stop_recording takes no arguments and sends SIGINT to every process matching simctl recordVideo, so it also ends recordings started outside the server.

What it needs

Runtime	Node.js 20+
Runs on	macOS
Also	Xcode with at least one iOS simulator installed Facebook IDB: idb_companion plus the fb-idb Python client on PATH fb-idb 1.5.1+ and a recent idb_companion for ui_type paste mode

Install IDB as the repository's TROUBLESHOOTING.md describes: idb_companion through Homebrew and the fb-idb client (for example `uv tool install --python 3.12 fb-idb@latest`). If idb is not on PATH, give its location in IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_IDB_PATH. Paste mode fails on idb_companion 1.1.8, which lacks the axbridge reader. Run `brew upgrade idb-companion` and then `idb kill`. No account or sign-in.

Limits

Platform Runs only on macOS, where iOS simulators exist
Not covered Works on simulators only, not physical iPhones or Android emulators
Size cap ui_type accepts at most 500 characters per call and no newlines
Limit ui_type's default method "type" takes printable ASCII only and assumes a US keyboard layout, so other layouts get wrong characters
Limit Paste mode needs the target field focused first and takes about 2 to 11 seconds a call. Non-text clipboard content is not restored
Limit Taps and swipes take screen coordinates, so the assistant reads the accessibility tree or a screenshot first
Limit Versions before 1.3.3 had command-injection flaws, and its makers ask users to run 1.3.3 or later

Works only on macOS, since iOS simulators exist only there; it does not reach physical iPhones or Android emulators. Typed text is limited to printable ASCII characters. Taps and swipes take screen coordinates, so the assistant must first read the accessibility tree or a screenshot. Versions before 1.3.3 had command-injection flaws; its makers ask users to run 1.3.3 or later.

Who it suits

Suits iOS and React Native developers on a Mac who want an assistant to check its own UI work in the simulator: reading accessibility labels, tapping through flows, testing deep links and keeping screenshots or videos as evidence. It runs entirely locally and needs no account. Testers on non-US keyboard layouts should use the paste mode of ui_type, which needs an up-to-date IDB. It is not for Windows or Linux users, for real devices, or for Android. Teams that only need code or build help rather than on-screen checks need none of this.

Tools 17

6 only read, 11 change things. A ? marks an optional parameter.

get_booted_sim_id: Returns the id and name of the simulator that is currently booted
open_simulator changes: Starts the Simulator app
ui_describe_all: Reads accessibility details for everything on the current screenudid?: string
ui_tap changes: Taps at given screen coordinates, with an optional press lengthx: numbery: numberduration?: stringudid?: string
ui_type changes: Enters up to 500 characters into the simulator by key presses or by pastingtext: stringmethod?: enumreplace?: booleanudid?: string
ui_swipe changes: Swipes from one point to another over a set durationx_start: numbery_start: numberx_end: numbery_end: numberduration?: stringdelta?: numberudid?: string
ui_describe_point: Reports the accessibility element found at one coordinatex: numbery: numberudid?: string
ui_find_element: Searches the accessibility tree by label or id, optionally filtered by element typesearch: arraytype?: stringmatchMode?: enumcaseSensitive?: booleanudid?: string
ui_view: Returns a compressed image of the current screen to the assistantudid?: string
screenshot changes: Saves a screenshot to a file in png, jpeg, tiff, bmp or gifoutput_path: stringtype?: enumdisplay?: enummask?: enumudid?: string
record_video changes: Starts recording the simulator screen to a video fileoutput_path?: stringcodec?: enumdisplay?: enummask?: enumforce?: booleanudid?: string
stop_recording changes: Ends every running simctl screen recording
install_app changes: Installs a .app or .ipa bundle on the simulatorapp_path: stringudid?: string
launch_app changes: Starts an app by bundle id, optionally restarting it and passing env variablesbundle_id: stringterminate_running?: booleanenv?: objectudid?: string
terminate_app changes: Stops a running app by bundle idbundle_id: stringudid?: string
open_url changes: Opens a web address, custom scheme or universal link in the simulatorurl: stringudid?: string
list_apps: Lists installed apps with bundle ids and display namesudid?: string

Popularity

79 popularity score, on our list (the bar is 36)

★ 2.2k ↓ 11k/wk

GitHub stars	2,210	40.1 points
Stars in 30 days	+21	6.7 points
npm downloads, last week	11,378	32.4 points

Measured 2026-11-07. How the score works.

Where it is published

Code	joshuayoes/ios-simulator-mcp ★ 2.2k
npm	ios-simulator-mcp 2.2.0, 2026-10-27

What it can reach

Runs	On your machine
Reaches	Runs shell commands, Files on your machine
Changes things	Yes: it can write, send, create or delete
Sign-in	None
Licence	MIT (npm)
Last code change	2026-10-27

Runs locally on the user's Mac and calls the xcrun simctl and idb command-line tools. No hosted service, no sign-in. It controls the simulator: it taps, types, installs and terminates apps, and opens URLs, so simulated Safari may reach the network. Paste mode of ui_type puts the text on the simulator pasteboard and restores earlier text afterwards, but not images. Screenshots and videos are written to disk, to ~/Downloads unless IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_DEFAULT_OUTPUT_DIR or a given path says otherwise, and install_app reads any app bundle path it is handed. stop_recording signals every process matching simctl recordVideo. Versions before 1.3.3 had command-injection flaws (see the repository's SECURITY.md). Individual tools can be switched off with IOS_SIMULATOR_MCP_FILTERED_TOOLS.

Over time

GitHub stars 2.2k +21 (+1 %)

2.2k2.2k

8 Oct 20267 Nov 2026

npm downloads a week 11k +10k (+1096 %)

14k609

20 Oct 20257 Nov 2026

Before the site measured it, read from npm's daily download counts.

Popularity score 79 +10 (+14 %)

8069

8 Oct 20267 Nov 2026

What is rising across the directory

Sources

Page checked 2026-10-31.

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MarkdownREADME.md

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Connect your client

Add in one click

Or add it by command or config

Add in one click

Or add it by command or config

Settings 3

What it does

What it needs

Limits

Who it suits

Tools 17

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