iOS Simulator

Free

Enables Claude to interact with iOS Simulator for testing and debugging iOS applications. *By [@conorluddy](https://github.com/conorluddy)*

FreeFree tier

Type

Open Source

Visit Website GitHub (40 stars)

About iOS Simulator

iOS Simulator Skill for Claude Code is a production-ready open-source skill that enables Claude AI agents to build, test, and automate iOS applications. It wraps xcodebuild for efficient compilation and testing with progressive error disclosure, and uses xcrun simctl and idb for semantic UI navigation via iOS accessibility APIs. The skill includes 27 scripts optimized for token-efficient output — default responses are 3–5 lines, achieving up to 97.5% reduction compared to raw tool output. It is designed to save context in agent conversations by keeping build logs and simulator details hidden until requested. Requires macOS 12+, Xcode Command Line Tools, and Python 3.

Key Features

27 scripts optimized for both human developers and AI agents

Xcode builds via xcodebuild with progressive error disclosure (summary line with xcresult ID, then drill down on demand)

Simulator interaction via xcrun simctl and idb using iOS accessibility APIs for semantic UI navigation

Screenshot token optimization — automatic resize and compression, default output 3–5 lines (96% reduction vs raw tools)

Accessibility tree structured data at ~10 tokens vs 1,600–6,300 tokens for screenshots

Easy installation via Claude Code plugin marketplace or git clone

Pros & Cons

Pros

Dramatically reduces token usage for build output and simulator screen captures
Accessibility-based navigation is more robust than pixel-coordinate tapping
Progressive disclosure keeps agent conversations focused and context-efficient
Open source and free to use under MIT License
Well-documented installation and prerequisites

Cons

Requires macOS 12+ and Xcode Command Line Tools, limiting cross-platform use
Interactive features (e.g., tap by text) require optional IDB and Pillow dependencies
Primarily designed for Claude Code, not general-purpose iOS automation
Steep initial setup for users unfamiliar with command-line iOS tooling

Best For

Automated iOS app building and testing with Claude CodeToken-efficient debugging of Xcode build errors and warningsSemantic UI navigation and accessibility testing in iOS SimulatorVisual verification and bug reporting with compressed screenshotsCI/CD integration for iOS development workflows

FAQ

What are the prerequisites for installing iOS Simulator Skill?

macOS 12 or later, Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install), Python 3. IDB (brew install idb-companion) and Pillow (pip3 install pillow) are optional for interactive features and visual diffs.

How does the skill save tokens compared to raw tools?

Default output across all 27 scripts is 3–5 lines — a 96% reduction vs raw tool output. For example, screen analysis drops from 200+ lines to 5 lines, and finding a tap button reduces from 100+ lines to 1 line.

How does the skill interact with the iOS Simulator?

It uses iOS accessibility APIs (via idb and xcrun simctl) to find elements by meaning rather than pixel coordinates. For example, it can tap a button by its label text, making navigation robust to UI changes.

Is this skill free to use?

Yes, it is open source and free. There is no paid tier; you can install it via the Claude Code plugin marketplace or by cloning the GitHub repository.