xc-mcp

Overview

XC-MCP is a production-grade MCP server that makes Xcode and iOS simulator tooling accessible to AI agents through intelligent context engineering. It addresses token overflow issues by implementing progressive disclosure and defer_loading architecture. The server provides 29 tools with token-efficient workflows, accessibility-first iOS automation, and high-level abstractions for common operations like app builds and UI testing.

Try asking AI

After installing, here are 5 things you can ask your AI assistant:

• simctl-device

  Simulator lifecycle operations (boot, shutdown, create, delete, erase, clone, rename)

  Try:Boot an iPhone simulatorTry:Create a new iPad simulatorTry:Delete simulator with UDID
• simctl-app

  App management operations (install, uninstall, launch, terminate)

  Try:Install MyApp.app on simulatorTry:Launch Instagram with argumentsTry:terminate the banking app
• idb-app

  IDB app operations for physical devices and simulators

  Try:Install app on physical iPhoneTry:Launch calculator on simulatorTry:terminate Spotify on device
• cache

  Cache management operations (get-stats, get-config, set-config, clear)

  Try:Clear build cacheTry:Get cache statisticsTry:Set cache configuration
• persistence

  Persistence control (enable, disable, status)

  Try:Enable file persistenceTry:Check persistence statusTry:Disable persistence
• idb-targets

  Target management (list, describe, connect, disconnect)

  Try:List available simulatorsTry:Connect to physical iPhoneTry:Describe iPad target
• xcodebuild-build

  Build Xcode project with progressive disclosure

  Try:Build MyApp workspaceTry:Build with Debug configurationTry:Get build details
• xcodebuild-test

  Run tests with filtering and test plans

  Try:Run unit testsTry:Test specific planTry:Get test results
• xcodebuild-clean

  Clean build artifacts

  Try:Clean build directoryTry:Clean derived dataTry:Reset build state
• accessibility-quality-check

  Assess UI accessibility quality to determine automation approach

  Try:Check accessibility of login screenTry:Is this UI accessibility-ready?
• idb-ui-find-element

  Find UI element by label/identifier using accessibility

  Try:Find login buttonTry:Locate email input fieldTry:Find settings menu
• workflow-tap-element

  High-level semantic tap combining quality check, element search, and tap

  Try:Tap login buttonTry:Submit formTry:Tap save button

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Installation

# Install globally
npm install -g xc-mcp

# Or run without installation
npx xc-mcp

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xc-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "xc-mcp", "--mini"]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

How does XC-MCP handle token overflow?

XC-MCP uses progressive disclosure to return concise summaries first, with cache IDs for on-demand detail retrieval, reducing token usage by up to 97%.

What is defer_loading?

defer_loading is a platform-native feature in V3.0.0 that allows Claude to discover tools on-demand, minimizing baseline context overhead to zero tokens at startup.

On Hacker News

Recent discussion from the developer community.

• Xcode MCP▲ 2
  Story by persuader · 2025-10-29

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