IOS Simulator Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude Code agentic control over the iOS Simulator for UI/UX debugging and development.

Features

Simulator Control

• List, boot, and shutdown simulators
• Take screenshots
• Set location, status bar overrides
• Push notifications
• Manage app permissions

App Management

• Install, launch, and terminate apps
• List installed apps
• Open URLs
• Access app containers

UI Interaction (requires IDB)

• Tap at coordinates
• Swipe gestures
• Text input
• Hardware button presses

Deep UI Debugging (requires ClaudeDebugKit)

• Complete view hierarchy inspection
• Auto Layout constraint analysis
• Touch target size audit (44pt minimum)
• Color contrast audit (WCAG AA/AAA)
• Accessibility audit
• Font and color inspection
• View highlighting
• Trait collection overrides (dark mode, Dynamic Type)
• Memory stats and performance metrics

Installation

Prerequisites

1. Xcode with iOS Simulator
2. Node.js 18+
3. IDB (optional, for UI interaction):

   brew install idb-companion
   pip install fb-idb
   

Install the MCP Server

cd ios-simulator-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

Configure Claude Code

Add to your Claude Code MCP configuration (~/.config/claude-code/mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-simulator": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/ios-simulator-mcp-server/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Add ClaudeDebugKit to Your iOS App

For deep UI inspection features, add the Swift package to your iOS project:

1. In Xcode: File → Add Package Dependencies
2. Enter: file:///path/to/ClaudeDebugKit
3. Add to your app (DEBUG builds only):

#if DEBUG
import ClaudeDebugKit

// In AppDelegate or SceneDelegate
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions...) {
    ClaudeDebugServer.shared.start()
    return true
}
#endif

Usage Examples

Basic Simulator Control

"List all available iOS simulators"
"Boot iPhone 15 Pro"
"Take a screenshot of the simulator"
"Set the location to San Francisco (37.7749, -122.4194)"

App Development Workflow

"Install my app from ~/Build/MyApp.app and launch it"
"Get the view hierarchy of the current screen"
"Find all interactive elements"
"Audit touch targets for HIG compliance"

UI/UX Debugging

"Check color contrast for WCAG AA compliance"
"Show me the constraints on the login button"
"Highlight the view with accessibility label 'Submit'"
"Run a full UI/UX audit"

Testing Different Configurations

"Switch to dark mode"
"Override Dynamic Type to extra large"
"Simulate a memory warning"
"Get memory stats for the app"

Available Tools

Simulator Management

Tool	Description
ios_list_devices	List all simulators
ios_boot_device	Boot a simulator
ios_shutdown_device	Shutdown a simulator
ios_screenshot	Take screenshot
ios_set_location	Set GPS location
ios_set_status_bar	Override status bar
ios_push_notification	Send push notification
ios_set_permission	Grant/revoke permissions
ios_get_logs	Get app logs

App Management

Tool	Description
ios_install_app	Install .app bundle
ios_launch_app	Launch app
ios_terminate_app	Terminate app
ios_list_apps	List installed apps
ios_open_url	Open URL
ios_get_app_container	Get container path

UI Interaction (requires IDB)

Tool	Description
ios_tap	Tap at coordinates or label
ios_swipe	Swipe gesture
ios_input_text	Type text
ios_press_button	Hardware buttons
ios_long_press	Long press

View Debugging (requires ClaudeDebugKit)

Tool	Description
ios_get_view_hierarchy	Full view tree
ios_get_constraints	Auto Layout constraints
ios_find_element	Find by label/identifier
ios_get_view_colors	Color information
ios_get_font_info	Font details
ios_highlight_view	Visual highlighting
ios_get_interactive_elements	All tappable elements
ios_get_responder_chain	Responder chain
ios_get_traits	Trait collection
ios_override_traits	Override appearance
ios_get_memory_stats	Memory usage
ios_export_view_image	Export view as PNG

Auditing (requires ClaudeDebugKit)

Tool	Description
ios_audit_touch_targets	Check 44pt minimum
ios_audit_contrast	WCAG contrast check
ios_audit_layout	Auto Layout issues
ios_audit_accessibility	Accessibility issues
ios_audit_all	Full UI/UX audit

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     Claude Code                          │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┘
                      │ MCP Protocol (stdio)
                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              ios-simulator-mcp-server                    │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────────┐ │
│  │   simctl    │  │     IDB     │  │  Debug Client   │ │
│  │  (built-in) │  │ (optional)  │  │   (HTTP)        │ │
│  └──────┬──────┘  └──────┬──────┘  └────────┬────────┘ │
└─────────┼────────────────┼──────────────────┼──────────┘
          │                │                  │
          ▼                ▼                  ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    iOS Simulator                         │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │                   Your iOS App                     │ │
│  │  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │ │
│  │  │            ClaudeDebugKit                    │  │ │
│  │  │         (HTTP Server on :8765)               │  │ │
│  │  └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │ │
│  └───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Requirements

• macOS with Xcode 15+
• Node.js 18+
• iOS 14+ target for ClaudeDebugKit

License

MIT