Preflight MCP
Preflight is an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives AI agents full control over iOS Simulators. Connect it to Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, or any MCP-compatible tool and get complete programmatic access to iOS Simulators — tap, swipe, type, read accessibility trees, inspect app data, capture screenshots, record video, manage devices, and debug apps in real time. 57 tools across 10 categories. Zero cursor interference — works silently in the background while you use your Mac.Quick Start
Get Preflight running in under 5 minutes
IDE Setup
Connect to Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, and more
Tools Reference
Browse all 57 tools organized by category
Design Philosophy
Accessibility-first, Playwright-inspired approach
Why Preflight?
No disk clutter
Screenshots and video frames return directly in chat — no folders filling up your Desktop.
AI-optimized
Images compressed for minimal token usage. Video extracts key frames — most AI models can’t view video files directly.
Accessibility-first
Like Playwright’s
browser_snapshot, use simulator_snapshot to understand the screen without vision models.Cursor-free
Touch injection via idb (IndigoHID) — your Mac cursor stays put while the simulator receives real iOS touch events.
Tool Categories
| Category | Tools | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Observation | 6 | Screenshots, device listing, app info, clipboard, screen geometry |
| User Interaction | 6 | Tap, swipe, long press, type, key presses, navigation |
| Playwright-Inspired | 3 | Accessibility snapshot, wait for element, element exists |
| Device Management | 6 | Boot, shutdown, erase, URL/deep link opening |
| App Management | 4 | Install, launch, terminate, uninstall |
| Debugging & Diagnostics | 9 | Logs, file browsing, crash reports, accessibility audit |
| System Simulation | 5 | GPS, push notifications, clipboard, media, permissions |
| UI Configuration | 4 | Dark mode, status bar, video recording |
| Advanced Debugging & Testing | 14 | Dynamic Type, biometric, location routes, UserDefaults, keychain |
Compatibility
Preflight works with any MCP-compatible client:- Claude Code — Official Anthropic CLI
- Cursor — AI-powered code editor
- Windsurf — Codeium’s AI IDE
- VS Code — with Copilot, Cline, or Continue extensions
- Zed — High-performance editor with AI features
- Any MCP client — Uses standard stdio transport
Requirements
- macOS with Xcode and iOS Simulator installed
- Node.js 18+
- Facebook idb (recommended for cursor-free operation)
Without idb, Preflight falls back to CGEvent mouse injection — this works but briefly moves your Mac cursor during touch events.