ios-simulator-mcp
MCP server for interacting with the iOS simulator
Runs with mockssource: GitHubJavaScriptMITcommit a32f7f836393
JavaScript, MIT licensed.
ios-simulator-mcp runs, with stand-ins for the services it depends on. An Argusic agent installed it in 0.5 minutes and hit 1 error and fixed every one without help on a clean machine with no GPU, and the whole session was recorded.
The ios-simulator-mcp server builds, starts, and responds to all 17 MCP tools correctly on Linux with mocked external dependencies. Real functionality requires macOS with Xcode, iOS Simulators, and Facebook IDB.
What the agent ended up with on a clean machine, in its own words. How this is measured
Measured by Argusic on a fresh machine every time. Every number links to its evidence. Argusic Score 86 of 100 (the mean of this project's run scores).
At a glance
Subject data from GitHub, linked at the top of this page, refreshed . Test data by Argusic (CC BY 4.0); every number links to a run page with the full log, the recording, and their sha256 hashes.
What was measured
From the run that decided this verdict. Every line is a recorded value, not an estimate.
What went wrong, in the agent's own words
The agent's own words, worst first, never rewritten into advice.
- Node.js v18.19.1 is below the required >=20 engine. npm install warns but works; tsc compiles fine.
- Install time
- under a minute
- Cold machine to finish
- 5 minutes
- Errors hit and fixed
- 1 hit, 1 fixed with no human help
- How the result was proved
- MCP server started, responded to initialize with protocolVersion 2025-11-25, listed 17 tools via tools/list. All 17 tool calls (get_booted_sim_id, open_simulator, ui_describe_all, ui_tap, ui_type, ui_swipe, ui_describe_point, ui_find_element, ui_view, screenshot, record_video, stop_recording, install_app, launch_app, terminate_app, open_url, list_apps) returned isError:false when exercised via JSON-RPC over stdin/stdout transport with mocked external dependencies.
- Model tokens used
- 81,026
- Exact commit tested
- a32f7f836393
- Container image
- sha256:cdd920bce783
What was not measured
The other half, so you can see exactly how far this evidence goes. A gap is printed as a gap and never filled in.
- Peak GPU memory
- this ran on a CPU machine, so there was no GPU to sample
- Behaviour over a long run
- each attempt uses the smallest documented settings and a fixed time budget, so this measures whether it runs, not how it holds up under load
- Behaviour against real services
- this run was verified against stand-in services only
The end of the recording
The last lines of the terminal session that decided this verdict, exactly as they were recorded.
**Launch** — Server starts on stdin/stdout transport, responds to MCP initialize, and lists all 17 … **17 tools verified** — `get_booted_sim_id`, `open_simulator`, `ui_describe_all`, `ui_tap`, `ui_typ… **Test depth** — `tier2_mock` (this is a macOS-only project running on Linux; the server's core log… **Node.js version gap**: the `>=20` engine requirement means npm prints 5 EBADENGINE warnings durin… tokens used 81,026 The MCP server is fully operational. Here's the summary: **Install** — `npm install` (233 packages) and `npm run build` (tsc) both succeeded. The only gap: … **Launch** — Server starts on stdin/stdout transport, responds to MCP initialize, and lists all 17 … **17 tools verified** — `get_booted_sim_id`, `open_simulator`, `ui_describe_all`, `ui_tap`, `ui_typ… **Test depth** — `tier2_mock` (this is a macOS-only project running on Linux; the server's core log… **Node.js version gap**: the `>=20` engine requirement means npm prints 5 EBADENGINE warnings durin…
Replay the whole session, every command from a clean machine to this point.
How it was tested
One agent, one container, no human help. It installs the project the way its own documentation says to, runs it, and fixes what breaks. Everything below is recorded as it happened: the terminal session, the log and the exact commit. The full method.
Strengths and limits
Measured facts, not opinions. How this is written.
What went well
- Installed in 0.5 minutes.
- Recovered from all 1 error without a human stepping in, which says the failures are documented well enough to solve.
- Licensed MIT, as reported by its host.
- Measured 2 times, so the result is not a one-off.
What did not, or is not known
- Only reached a running state against stand-in services, so nothing here proves it works against the real ones.
Of the 9 JavaScript projects Argusic has installed and timed, ios-simulator-mcp was the 4th fastest to reach a running state, and 5 of 9 reached one at all.
Run history
| tested by | attempt | outcome | score | cost USD | when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argusic Runner | 2/3 | Runs with mocks | 92.00 | 0.07 | |
| Argusic Runner | 1/3 | Unverified | 80.00 | 0.01 |
Embed the badge
Markdown for the project README. It links back here; terms on the terms page.
[](https://argusic.com/subject/ios-simulator-mcp)Questions
- Does ios-simulator-mcp run?
- ios-simulator-mcp runs, with mocks standing in for external services. Argusic installed and launched it on a clean machine in 1 minutes, hitting 1 error on the way, and recorded the session.
- How did Argusic test ios-simulator-mcp?
- On a fresh, disposable machine, with every command recorded and the repository pinned at commit a32f7f836393. 2 attempts are recorded, and the full method is on the methodology page.
- What did it cost to test ios-simulator-mcp?
- The run that produced this verdict cost $0.07: real compute and model cost, not a list price per million tokens. It is recorded on that run's page.
- How long does ios-simulator-mcp take to install?
- 0.5 minutes in the run that decided this verdict, from a clean machine to a running state. That is one measured attempt, not an average.
- Does ios-simulator-mcp need a GPU?
- Not to start. Argusic reached a running state on a machine with no GPU.
- What goes wrong when installing ios-simulator-mcp?
- 1 thing broke in the recorded run, and 1 were fixed without human help. Each one, and the time it cost, is listed on this page.
- How does ios-simulator-mcp compare with the alternatives?
- Of the 9 JavaScript projects Argusic has installed and timed, ios-simulator-mcp was the 4th fastest to reach a running state, and 5 of 9 reached one at all.
- Where is the evidence for ios-simulator-mcp?
- All 2 recorded runs are on this page, each linking to its full log and terminal recording, stored with a sha256 fingerprint so it cannot be quietly altered.