ios-simulator-skill
Build, test, and drive iOS apps in the Simulator with 30 token-efficient scripts. Use when asked to build or test an Xcode project, launch an app on a simulator, tap/type/swipe through its UI by accessibility label, take screenshots or visual diffs, audit accessibility, read logs or diagnose hangs, or manage simulators (boot, erase, permissions, location, push, appearance). macOS only; needs Xcode, Python 3.12+ and idb.
The English summary is being prepared. Showing the original description.
Files included (46)
- SKILL.md28.1 KB
- agents/openai.yaml190 B
- scripts/accessibility_audit.py10.3 KB
- scripts/app_launcher.py12.3 KB
- scripts/app_state_capture.py13.2 KB
- scripts/appearance.py13.2 KB
- scripts/build_and_test.py11.9 KB
- scripts/clipboard.py2.6 KB
- scripts/common/__init__.py2.0 KB
- scripts/common/cache_utils.py9.3 KB
- scripts/common/device_utils.py15.1 KB
- scripts/common/env_config.py1.1 KB
- scripts/common/hang_pipeline.py29.6 KB
- scripts/common/hang_sessions.py17.9 KB
- scripts/common/idb_utils.py8.8 KB
- scripts/common/screenshot_utils.py10.0 KB
- scripts/container.py22.7 KB
- scripts/gesture.py17.6 KB
- scripts/hang_watcher.py56.5 KB
- scripts/keyboard.py11.7 KB
- scripts/localization_audit.py16.2 KB
- scripts/location.py15.4 KB
- scripts/log_monitor.py14.8 KB
- scripts/media.py5.6 KB
- scripts/model_inspector.py21.7 KB
- scripts/navigator.py24.0 KB
- scripts/privacy_manager.py7.6 KB
- scripts/push_notification.py10.1 KB
- scripts/screen_mapper.py13.8 KB
- scripts/sim_health_check.sh18.3 KB
- scripts/sim_list.py8.9 KB
- scripts/simctl_boot.py9.1 KB
- scripts/simctl_create.py8.9 KB
- scripts/simctl_delete.py9.1 KB
- scripts/simctl_erase.py11.1 KB
- scripts/simctl_shutdown.py8.4 KB
- scripts/simulator_selector.py10.7 KB
- scripts/status_bar.py6.6 KB
- scripts/test_recorder.py10.6 KB
- scripts/visual_diff.py7.6 KB
- scripts/xcode/__init__.py378 B
- scripts/xcode/builder.py14.0 KB
- scripts/xcode/cache.py5.5 KB
- scripts/xcode/config.py5.4 KB
- scripts/xcode/reporter.py10.7 KB
- scripts/xcode/xcresult.py16.5 KB
SKILL.md (original)
Review the instructions the agent will receive before you install.
iOS Simulator Skill
Build, test, and automate iOS applications using accessibility-driven navigation and structured data instead of pixel coordinates.
Quick Start
# 1. Check environment
bash scripts/sim_health_check.sh
# 2. Launch app
python3 scripts/app_launcher.py --launch com.example.app
# 3. Map screen to see elements
python3 scripts/screen_mapper.py
# 4. Tap button
python3 scripts/navigator.py --find-text "Login" --tap
# 5. Enter text
python3 scripts/navigator.py --find-type TextField --enter-text "user@example.com"
Paths: scripts/ is relative to the directory containing this SKILL.md, not the user's project.
Examples write scripts/... for brevity; run them by absolute path from the user's project
(e.g. python3 <skill-dir>/scripts/navigator.py ...) so relative Xcode project paths still resolve.
All scripts support --help for detailed options; most support --json for machine-readable output.
Navigation Strategy
Always prefer the accessibility tree over screenshots for navigation. The accessibility tree gives you element types, labels, frames, and tap targets — structured data that's cheaper and more reliable than image analysis.
Use this priority:
screen_mapper.py→ structured element list (5-7 lines, ~10 tokens)navigator.py --find-text/--find-type/--find-id→ semantic interaction- Screenshots → only for visual verification, bug reports, or visual diff
Screenshots cost 1,600–6,300 tokens depending on size. The accessibility tree costs 10–50 tokens in default mode.
30 Production Scripts
Build & Development (2 scripts)
-
build_and_test.py - Build Xcode projects, run tests, parse results with progressive disclosure
- Build with live result streaming
- Parse errors and warnings from xcresult bundles
- Retrieve detailed build logs on demand
- Options:
--project,--scheme,--clean,--test,--verbose,--json
-
log_monitor.py - Real-time log monitoring with intelligent filtering
- Stream logs or capture by duration
- Filter by severity (error/warning/info/debug)
- Deduplicate repeated messages
- Options:
--app,--severity,--follow,--duration,--output,--json
Device State (3 scripts)
-
appearance.py - Control simulator appearance: dark mode, Dynamic Type size, contrast, and locale/region
- Toggle light/dark theme via
xcrun simctl ui - Set Dynamic Type size with friendly aliases (XS through AX5)
--contrast high|normaltoggles Increase Contrast and reads it back to confirm;--resetalso restores normal contrast- Write locale and region defaults; optional app restart via
--bundle-id - RTL flagged automatically for ar/he/fa/ur/yi locales
- Options:
--theme,--text-size,--contrast,--locale,--region,--reset,--bundle-id,--udid,--json,--verbose
- Toggle light/dark theme via
-
location.py - Simulate GPS coordinates, named city presets, and GPX scenario playback
- Fix a coordinate with
--lat/--lngor pick a city with--city - Play a built-in scenario (City Run, Freeway Drive, etc.) via
--gpx <scenario> - Animate multi-waypoint paths with configurable speed via
--waypointsand--speed - Clear simulated location with
--clear; list available scenarios with--list-scenarios - Options:
--lat,--lng,--city,--gpx,--waypoints,--speed,--clear,--list-scenarios,--udid,--json,--verbose
- Fix a coordinate with
-
media.py - Seed or empty the photo library for photo-picker tests
--add a.jpg b.pngviaxcrun simctl addmedia--clear --yesempties the library viaidb photos clear(idb 1.7+);--clear --yes --addleaves exactly the added files- Without
--yes,--clearrefuses if the library has photos (they can't be recovered): ask the user first - Fails fast on a missing file
- Options:
--add,--clear,--yes,--udid,--json
Navigation & Interaction (5 scripts)
-
screen_mapper.py - Analyze current screen and list interactive elements
- Element type breakdown
- Interactive button list
- Text field status
- If labelled elements cover under 10% of the screen, adds a
Coverage:line suggesting--deep --deepreads through idb's axbridge backend (idb 1.7+): also sees Safari/WKWebView content and in-app alerts the default read misses, plus many unlabelled container views. It turns on the device's accessibility automation mode (not restored afterwards). Web-content frames are relative to the web view, so use--deepto find elements, not to take tap coordinates- Options:
--verbose,--hints,--deep,--json
-
navigator.py - Find and interact with elements semantically
- Find by text (fuzzy, or exact with
--find-exact); interactive leaf elements rank above containers sharing the label - Find by element type
- Find by accessibility ID
- Enter text or tap elements
--tapon a Button/Link/Switch/CheckBox/Tab with a unique accessibility ID or label uses an accessibility press (idb 1.7+), so overlays like a floating search bar can't intercept it; output says(accessibility press). Otherwise it taps the frame center--set-value TEXTreplaces a field's value without the keyboard (any characters, idb 1.7+). Focus doesn't move, so use--enter-textwhen a Return key must submit afterwards The value is read back before success is claimed (not for secure fields); a mismatch exits 1--tap --expect VALUEtaps only if the element's value is VALUE (toggles:1on,0off) and exits 1 without tapping otherwise, so "turn X off" is safe to repeat- iOS 27 reports toggles as
CheckBox. Only a press flips them (no HID touch does, even on the switch itself); if neither ID nor label is unique, the output warns to check the value - A frozen app stalls every read and tap until its main thread responds
- Failures include idb's stderr (e.g. a dead companion)
- Options:
--find-text,--find-exact,--find-type,--find-id,--index,--tap,--expect,--tap-at,--enter-text,--set-value,--list
- Find by text (fuzzy, or exact with
-
gesture.py - Perform swipes, scrolls, pinches, and complex gestures
- Directional swipes (up/down/left/right) -
--swipeis the direction the finger moves - Multi-swipe scrolling -
--scrollis the direction the content moves (downreveals content below) - Pinch zoom via
idb ui pinch(--pinch outzooms in;--scalesets an explicit factor) - Long press via
idb ui tap --duration - Pull to refresh
--double-tap X,Y [--tap-count N]- multi-tap at a point (idb 1.7+)--drag SOURCE DEST- press-hold, drag, release; each end isx,yor an accessibility label, e.g.--drag "Row 1" "Row 4"(idb 1.7+)--rotate portrait|portrait-upside-down|landscape-left|landscape-right- physical device rotation (idb 1.7+)--shake- shake the device, for debug menus and undo (idb 1.7+)- Options:
--swipe,--swipe-from/--swipe-to,--scroll,--scroll-amount,--pinch,--scale,--long-press,--duration,--refresh,--double-tap,--tap-count,--drag,--rotate,--shake
- Directional swipes (up/down/left/right) -
-
keyboard.py - Text input and hardware button control
- Type text (fast or slow; ASCII only)
- Special keys (return, delete, tab, space, escape, arrows), single letters, or raw HID codes
- Key sequences (
--key-sequence h,i,return) - Key chords:
--key z --command --shift(redo);--shift/--control/--optionneed idb 1.7+ - Clear the focused field (Cmd+A, delete)
- Hardware buttons: home, lock/power, side, siri, apple-pay, volume-up/down (volume needs idb 1.6.3+)
- Options:
--type,--slow,--key,--shift,--control,--option,--command,--count,--key-sequence,--button,--clear,--dismiss
-
app_launcher.py - App lifecycle management
- Launch apps by bundle ID
- Terminate apps
- Install/uninstall from .app bundles (
--uninstallneeds--yes: the app's data is deleted) - Deep link navigation
- List installed apps
- Check app state
- Pass launch arguments (
--args) and environment variables (--env KEY=VALUE, injected asSIMCTL_CHILD_*) to the app on launch/restart - Options:
--launch,--terminate,--restart,--install,--uninstall,--yes,--open-url,--list,--state,--args,--env,--wait-for-debugger
Testing & Analysis (9 scripts)
-
accessibility_audit.py - Check WCAG compliance on current screen
- Critical issues (missing labels, empty buttons, no alt text)
- Warnings (missing hints, small touch targets)
- Info (missing IDs, deep nesting)
- Options:
--verbose,--output,--json
-
visual_diff.py - Compare two screenshots for visual changes
- Pixel-by-pixel comparison
- Threshold-based pass/fail
- Generate diff images
- Options:
--threshold,--output,--details,--json
-
test_recorder.py - Automatically document test execution
- Capture screenshots and accessibility trees per step
- Generate markdown reports with timing data
- Options:
--test-name,--output,--verbose,--json
-
app_state_capture.py - Create comprehensive debugging snapshots
- Screenshot, UI hierarchy, app logs, device info
- Markdown summary for bug reports
- Options:
--app-bundle-id,--output,--log-lines,--json
-
sim_health_check.sh - Verify environment is properly configured
- Check macOS, Xcode, simctl, IDB, Python
- List available and booted simulators
- Verify Python packages (Pillow)
-
model_inspector.py - Inspect Core Data and SwiftData models from project files
- Parse .xcdatamodeld packages (entities, attributes, relationships)
- Detect model versions and current active version
- Best-effort SwiftData @Model class extraction
- Raw source dump for any model on demand (
--raw ModelName) - Options:
--project-path,--core-data-only,--swiftdata-only,--show-versions,--raw,--verbose,--json
-
container.py - Inspect app sandbox: files, UserDefaults, and Core Data store paths
- List data container files at configurable depth via
--ls - Read files with auto-detected plist decoding via
--cat(large files cached) - Dump UserDefaults as key=value or JSON via
--userdefaults - Locate
.sqlite/.sqlite-wal/.sqlite-shmstores via--core-data-path - Export full container snapshot via
--export - Options:
--ls,--cat,--userdefaults,--core-data-path,--export,--udid,--json,--verbose
- List data container files at configurable depth via
-
hang_watcher.py (HangBuster) - Record + summarise os_log hang events with progressive disclosure
- Session mode (HangBuster, agent-native): start a detached recorder, interact with the simulator, stop for a token-tight summary
--start→ returns a session ID; detached worker normalises + thresholds events on the fly--stop SESSION_ID→ emits ~80–120 token L1 summary (header + top-N clusters + drill hint)--get-details SESSION_ID [--cluster N | --raw]→ L2 full clusters or L3 per-event detail--list-sessions/--clear-sessions [--older-than 24h]/--diff A B(cross-session regression report)- Filter pipeline: parse → normalise → threshold → bucket → cluster → aggregate → rank → format (in
common/hang_pipeline.py) --budget-tokens Npicks the densest level (L0/L1/L2) that fits;--terseforces L0--auto-samplecaptures a main-thread stack on first event per cluster (soft dependency:main_thread_sampler.py#62; graceful no-op if absent)
- Raw capture mode (full fidelity for
jqexploration): skip the clustering pipeline, dump every matching log line verbatim toraw.ndjson--start --raw-capture [--max-size-mb 10] [--no-gzip]— spawnslog stream --style ndjson- Per-session size cap (
--max-size-mb, default 10) — worker stops cleanly on cap;extras.truncated=true --stopgzipsraw.ndjson→raw.ndjson.gz(~15–19× compression;--no-gzipopts out)--get-details SESSION_IDon a raw session prints the path with azcat | jq ...hint
- Resilience (auto-restart on stream death): EOF or subprocess death triggers a
stream_diedevent then a bounded restart with 2s backoff. AfterIOS_SIM_HANG_MAX_RESTARTS(default 3) the session is markedcrashed, never left in stalerunningstate.--list-sessionsshowscapture=Xsandrestarts=N. - Cleanup is automatic: TTL prune (
IOS_SIM_HANG_SESSION_TTL_HOURS, default 24h) + aggregate cap (IOS_SIM_HANG_TOTAL_CAP_MB, default 100 MB, oldest-first eviction) both run on every--start. - Legacy modes (unchanged for backward compat):
--watch [--duration N](live stream) and--since 5m(historical) - Filters:
--bundle-id(post-parse — hang capture stays simulator-global so RunningBoard/SpringBoard events are kept),--predicate(also viaIOS_SIM_HANG_PREDICATE) - All output supports
--json; session storage at~/.ios-simulator-skill/sessions/<id>/{meta.json,events.jsonl,summary.json,raw.ndjson.gz}
Quick start (summarised mode):
SID=$(python3 scripts/hang_watcher.py --start --min-hang-ms 200) # ... interact with the simulator (open sheets, scroll, navigate) ... python3 scripts/hang_watcher.py --stop $SID # token-tight L1 summary python3 scripts/hang_watcher.py --get-details $SID --cluster 1 # drill into cluster 1 python3 scripts/hang_watcher.py --diff $SID_BASELINE $SID # cross-session regressionQuick start (raw capture +
jqexploration):SID=$(python3 scripts/hang_watcher.py --start --raw-capture --max-size-mb 5) # ... interact with the simulator ... python3 scripts/hang_watcher.py --stop $SID # → "Session ...: raw mode, 737 lines, 0.96 MB → 0.05 MB gzipped" # Top processes by event count: zcat ~/.ios-simulator-skill/sessions/$SID/raw.ndjson.gz \ | jq -s 'group_by(.processImagePath) | map({proc: (.[0].processImagePath | split("/") | last), n: length}) | sort_by(-.n) | .[:5]' # All RunningBoard assertion invalidations: zcat .../raw.ndjson.gz | jq -c 'select(.subsystem == "com.apple.runningboard" and (.eventMessage | startswith("Invalidating")))' # Hangs per minute: zcat .../raw.ndjson.gz | jq -r '.timestamp[:16]' | sort | uniq -c - Session mode (HangBuster, agent-native): start a detached recorder, interact with the simulator, stop for a token-tight summary
-
localization_audit.py - Detect string catalog gaps, missing keys, and placeholder mismatches
- Report missing and
needs_review/newkeys per locale in.xcstringscatalogs - Cross-reference catalog keys against Swift source (
String(localized:)/NSLocalizedString) via--source - Flag placeholder count mismatches (
%d,%@,%s,%lld) across locales - Legacy
.stringsand.stringsdictsupport viaplistlib - CI-friendly
--strictexits 2 on any finding - Options:
--catalog,--source,--locale,--strict,--json,--verbose
- Report missing and
Advanced Testing & Permissions (4 scripts)
-
clipboard.py - Manage simulator clipboard for paste testing
- Copy text to clipboard
- Test paste flows without manual entry
- Options:
--copy,--test-name,--expected,--json
-
status_bar.py - Override simulator status bar appearance
- Presets: clean (9:41, 100% battery), testing (11:11, 50%), low-battery (20%), airplane (offline)
- Custom time, network, battery, WiFi settings
- Options:
--preset,--time,--data-network,--battery-level,--clear,--json
-
push_notification.py - Send simulated push notifications
- Simple mode (title + body + badge)
- Custom JSON payloads
- Test notification handling and deep links
--listshows delivered notifications;--clearwithdraws them all (both idb 1.7+; sending stays on simctl)- A push sent while its app is in the foreground isn't delivered to Notification Center, so
--listwon't show it - Options:
--bundle-id,--title,--body,--badge,--payload,--list,--clear,--json
-
privacy_manager.py - Grant, revoke, and reset app permissions
- 13 supported services (camera, microphone, location, contacts, photos, calendar, health, etc.)
- Batch operations (comma-separated services)
- Audit trail with test scenario tracking
- Options:
--bundle-id,--grant,--revoke,--reset,--list,--json
Simulator Discovery (2 scripts)
-
sim_list.py - List simulators with progressive disclosure
- Concise summary by default (total / available / booted)
- Full details on demand via cache IDs
- Filter by device type
- Suggest recommended simulators with
--suggest - 96% token reduction vs raw
simctl list(57k → 2k tokens) - Options:
--get-details,--suggest,--device-type,--json
-
simulator_selector.py - Suggest the best simulator for the job
- Ranks candidates by recent use (from
config.json), latest iOS, common test models, and boot status - List all available simulators with
--list - Boot a selected simulator directly with
--boot - JSON output for programmatic use
- Options:
--suggest,--list,--boot,--json
- Ranks candidates by recent use (from
Device Lifecycle Management (5 scripts)
-
simctl_boot.py - Boot simulators with optional readiness verification
- Boot by UDID or device name
- Wait for device ready with timeout
- Batch boot operations (--all, --type)
- Performance timing
- Options:
--udid,--name,--wait-ready,--timeout,--all,--type,--json
-
simctl_shutdown.py - Gracefully shutdown simulators
- Shutdown by UDID or device name
- Optional verification of shutdown completion
- Batch shutdown operations
- Options:
--udid,--name,--verify,--timeout,--all,--type,--json
-
simctl_create.py - Create simulators dynamically
- Create by device type and iOS version
- List available device types and runtimes
- Custom device naming
- Returns UDID for CI/CD integration
- Options:
--device,--runtime,--name,--list-devices,--list-runtimes,--json
-
simctl_delete.py - Permanently delete simulators
- Delete by UDID or device name
- Refuses without
--yes(no prompt; the simulator and its data can't be recovered): ask the user first - Batch delete operations
- Smart deletion (--old N to keep N per device type)
- Options:
--udid,--name,--yes,--all,--type,--old,--json
-
simctl_erase.py - Factory reset simulators without deletion
- Preserve device UUID (faster than delete+create)
- Erase all, by type, or booted simulators
- Optional verification
- Refuses without
--yes(apps, data and settings can't be recovered): ask the user first - Options:
--udid,--name,--yes,--verify,--timeout,--all,--type,--booted,--json
Common Patterns
Auto-UDID Detection: Most scripts auto-detect the booted simulator if --udid is not provided.
Device Name Resolution: Use device names (e.g., "iPhone 16 Pro") instead of UDIDs - scripts resolve automatically.
Batch Operations: Many scripts support --all for all simulators or --type iPhone for device type filtering.
Output Formats: Default is concise human-readable output. Use --json for machine-readable output in CI/CD.
Help: All scripts support --help for detailed options and examples.
Screenshot Sizing: Screenshots are resized to save tokens. Presets: full (3-4 tiles, ~5K tokens), half (1 tile, ~1.6K tokens, default), quarter (1 tile, ~800 tokens, less detail). Use quarter for quick visual checks, half for readable UI, full only when pixel-level detail matters. Scripts that capture screenshots (app_state_capture.py, test_recorder.py) default to half.
Typical Workflow
- Verify environment:
bash scripts/sim_health_check.sh - Launch app:
python3 scripts/app_launcher.py --launch com.example.app - Analyze screen:
python3 scripts/screen_mapper.py - Interact:
python3 scripts/navigator.py --find-text "Button" --tap - Verify:
python3 scripts/accessibility_audit.py - Debug if needed:
python3 scripts/app_state_capture.py --app-bundle-id com.example.app
Configuration
Most operational limits can be tuned via environment variables. Defaults work for typical local development; raise them for slow CI runners, large monorepo builds, or accessibility audits on complex screens.
| Variable | Default | Controls |
|---|---|---|
IOS_SIM_A11Y_LABEL_MAX | 80 | Max chars of AXLabel retained in accessibility audit output |
IOS_SIM_A11Y_TOP_ISSUES | 10 | Top accessibility issues surfaced per audit |
IOS_SIM_APPS_PREVIEW | 30 | App entries listed by app_launcher.py before truncation |
IOS_SIM_BOOT_SUBPROCESS_TIMEOUT | 60 | Timeout for the simctl boot subprocess itself (seconds) |
IOS_SIM_BOOT_TIMEOUT | 300 | Wait-for-ready timeout after boot (seconds) |
IOS_SIM_BUILD_JSON_CAP | 50 | Max build errors / failed tests in JSON output |
IOS_SIM_BUILD_LOG_PREVIEW | 4000 | Chars of build log preview in default output |
IOS_SIM_BUILD_TIMEOUT | 1800 | Max seconds for an xcodebuild build invocation before kill |
IOS_SIM_INTROSPECT_TIMEOUT | 60 | Timeout for xcodebuild -list and simctl list lookups (seconds) |
IOS_SIM_TEST_TIMEOUT | 2700 | Max seconds for an xcodebuild test invocation before kill |
IOS_SIM_BUILD_SUMMARY_CAP | 15 | Errors/failures in default build summary |
IOS_SIM_BUILD_VERBOSE_CAP | 100 | Errors/warnings in verbose build output |
IOS_SIM_CACHE_MAX_ENTRIES | 500 | Max entries in progressive disclosure cache (LRU eviction) |
IOS_SIM_CACHE_TTL_HOURS | 1 | Cache entry expiration |
IOS_SIM_ERASE_TIMEOUT | 90 | Wait-for-erase timeout (seconds) |
IOS_SIM_HANG_PREDICATE | (default) | Override the os_log predicate used by hang_watcher.py (default catches RunningBoard kills + "Hang detected" + main-thread hangs). Hang events originate from system daemons (RunningBoard, SpringBoard) so the predicate stays simulator-global — --bundle-id is applied post-parse, not ANDed in. |
IOS_SIM_HANG_MIN_MS | 250 | HangBuster threshold — events below this duration never reach disk (smaller = more sensitive, larger summaries) |
IOS_SIM_HANG_SESSION_TTL_HOURS | 24 | HangBuster session prune age; pruning runs on every --start |
IOS_SIM_HANG_DEFAULT_TOP_N | 3 | Default top-N clusters in --stop L1 output |
IOS_SIM_HANG_BUDGET_TOKENS | (unset) | Default token budget for --stop (picks L0/L1/L2 to fit) |
IOS_SIM_HANG_MAX_RESTARTS | 3 | HangBuster worker: max log stream respawn attempts on EOF/subprocess death before the session is marked crashed |
IOS_SIM_HANG_TOTAL_CAP_MB | 100 | HangBuster aggregate disk cap. When total session-state exceeds this on --start, oldest sessions are dropped first. Set to 0 to disable. |
IOS_SIM_LOG_JSON_CAP | 100 | Max errors/warnings in log_monitor.py JSON output |
IOS_SIM_LOG_LINE_MAX | 300 | Per-line truncation in log summaries |
IOS_SIM_LOG_TAIL | 200 | Lines of log tail in verbose / sample output |
IOS_SIM_LOG_TEXT_SUMMARY | 15 | Errors/warnings shown in text-mode log summary |
IOS_SIM_MAX_ELEMENTS | 25 | Items listed by navigator.py --list and push_notification.py --list |
IOS_SIM_POLL_INTERVAL | 0.5 | Boot/erase state polling interval (seconds) |
IOS_SIM_RELAUNCH_DELAY_MS | 1000 | Delay between terminate and re-launch in app_launcher.py |
IOS_SIM_SCREEN_BUTTONS_PREVIEW | 15 | Button names listed by screen_mapper.py |
IOS_SIM_SCREEN_SECTION_ITEMS | 10 | Items per section shown by screen_mapper.py |
IOS_SIM_STATE_SUBPROCESS_TIMEOUT | 15 | Subprocess timeout in app_state_capture.py (seconds) |
IOS_SIM_TAP_SETTLE_MS | 500 | Post-tap settle delay in navigator.py |
Example:
# Slow GitHub Actions runner: give boot 10 minutes
IOS_SIM_BOOT_TIMEOUT=600 python3 scripts/simctl_boot.py --wait-ready
Requirements
- macOS 15 (Sequoia)+
- Xcode 26+ (the full app; Command Line Tools alone are not enough for idb)
- Apple silicon Mac (the Homebrew idb build is arm64-only)
- Python 3.12+
idb1.5.1+ (1.6.3+ recommended) - required for every interactive script (tap, swipe, type):brew install facebook/fb/idb(installs both idb-cli and idb-companion)- Pillow, for visual diffs only:
pip3 install pillow
Verify with bash scripts/sim_health_check.sh (add --json for structured output).
Troubleshooting
Taps, swipes and typing do nothing, but reads work. idb reports success and the screen
never changes. On Xcode 27 this means idb-companion is older than 1.5.1: it looks for
SimulatorKit.framework at the path Xcode 26 used. Upgrade both together, then restart running
companions: brew upgrade facebook/fb/idb-cli facebook/fb/idb-companion && idb kill.
SimulatorKit is required for HID interactions. Same cause, same fix.
Health check warns "idb companions started before idb-companion was last installed". Those
companions still run the pre-upgrade binary. Run idb kill; the next idb call starts a fresh one.
Connection refused or No such file from every idb call. A dead companion is still in
idb's registry at /tmp/idb/state, so idb dials a socket nobody is listening on instead of
starting a fresh companion. Fix: idb disconnect <udid>.
open -a Simulator fails. Xcode 27 has no Simulator.app; it was replaced by
DeviceHub.app in Xcode.app/Contents/Applications/. Boot headlessly instead:
xcrun simctl boot <udid>. Note that quitting DeviceHub shuts down the simulator it hosts.
idb: command not found. The companion and the CLI are separate packages;
brew install facebook/fb/idb installs both. If which -a idb shows more than one, the first on
PATH wins. An old pip fb-idb there needs pip uninstall fb-idb.
Known upstream idb issues (open as of idb 1.7.6):
- facebook/idb#964: on some iOS 26+ screens
describe-allreturns only the application node, and SpringBoard alerts can't be tapped. The defaultaxbackend can't see across process boundaries; tryidb ui describe-all --json --api axbridge. Tap coordinates are points, not screenshot pixels. After an app relaunch the default read can also stay stuck on a single zero-size Application node; onescreen_mapper.py --deepread (which may itself time out once) brings it back. - facebook/idb#978: accessibility custom actions
are listed by
describe-allbut can't be performed. - facebook/idb#954: the Homebrew build is arm64-only, so Intel Macs are unsupported.
Documentation
- SKILL.md (this file) - Script reference, requirements, troubleshooting
- README.md - Installation, updating idb, Xcode 27 notes
- AGENTS.md - Architecture and implementation details
Key Design Principles
Semantic Navigation: Find elements by meaning (text, type, ID) not pixel coordinates. Survives UI changes.
Token Efficiency: Concise default output (3-5 lines) with optional verbose and JSON modes for detailed results.
Accessibility-First: Built on standard accessibility APIs for reliability and compatibility.
Zero Configuration: Works immediately on any macOS with Xcode. No setup required.
Structured Data: Scripts output JSON or formatted text, not raw logs. Easy to parse and integrate.
Auto-Learning: Build system remembers your device preference. Configuration stored per-project.
Use these scripts directly or let Claude Code invoke them automatically when your request matches the skill description.
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