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Observation

Screenshot, list devices, screen info, clipboard

User Interaction

Tap, swipe, long press, type, key presses

Playwright-style

Accessibility snapshot, wait for element, element exists

Device Management

Boot, shutdown, erase, open URLs, deep links

App Management

Install, launch, terminate, uninstall

Debugging & Diagnostics

Logs, crash reports, file browser, accessibility audit

System Simulation

GPS, push notifications, clipboard, permissions

UI Configuration

Dark mode, status bar, video recording

Advanced Debugging & Testing

Dynamic Type, biometric, keychain, UserDefaults, memory warnings

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Category summary

CategoryToolsWhat it covers
Observation6Screenshots, device listing, app info, clipboard, screen geometry
User Interaction6Tap, swipe, long press, type text, key presses, back navigation
Playwright-style3Accessibility snapshot, element waiting, element existence check
Device Management6Boot, shutdown, erase, open URLs, open Simulator app
App Management4Install, launch, terminate, uninstall apps
Debugging & Diagnostics9Logs, crash reports, file browser, accessibility audit, diagnostics
System Simulation5GPS location, push notifications, clipboard, media, permissions
UI Configuration4Appearance, status bar, video recording
Advanced Debugging & Testing14Dynamic Type, biometric, keychain, iCloud, UserDefaults, memory warnings
Total57

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Observation

Tools for reading the state of the simulator — what’s on screen, what’s installed, and what the device looks like. View full reference →
ToolDescription
simulator_screenshotTake a JPEG screenshot optimized for AI chat (~200–400 KB). Returns image inline.
simulator_list_devicesList simulators with name, UDID, state, runtime. Filter: booted, available, all.
simulator_list_appsList installed apps with bundle IDs. Toggle includeSystem for system apps.
simulator_app_infoGet app metadata: name, version, bundle path, data path, type.
simulator_get_clipboardRead the simulator’s clipboard text.
simulator_get_screen_infoWindow geometry, coordinate mapping, scale factor. Debug tap accuracy.

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User Interaction

Tools for interacting with the simulator as a user would — touching the screen, typing, and pressing keys. View full reference →
ToolDescription
simulator_tapTap at (x, y) in simulator screen points. Cursor-free via idb.
simulator_swipeSwipe between two points. Supports edge-swipe-back from x=1.
simulator_long_pressLong press with configurable duration. Context menus, drag initiation.
simulator_type_textType text into the focused field.
simulator_press_keyPress special keys (return, escape, arrows, F-keys) with modifiers.
simulator_navigate_backNavigate back via Cmd+[. Workaround for edge-swipe limitations.

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Playwright-style

Accessibility-first tools inspired by Playwright MCP for web automation. View full reference →
ToolDescription
simulator_snapshotPreferred over screenshots. Structured accessibility tree — roles, labels, values, positions. No vision model needed. Like Playwright’s browser_snapshot.
simulator_wait_for_elementWait for an element to appear (by label, role, or text). Polls with configurable timeout. Like Playwright’s browser_wait_for.
simulator_element_existsQuick boolean check: does an element matching criteria exist on screen right now?

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Device Management

Tools for controlling the simulator device lifecycle. View full reference →
ToolDescription
simulator_bootBoot a device by name or UDID. Optional waitForBoot polling.
simulator_shutdownShut down a running simulator.
simulator_eraseFactory reset — erases all content and settings.
simulator_open_urlOpen URLs or deep links (e.g., myapp://screen).
simulator_open_simulatorOpen the Simulator.app application.
simulator_get_booted_sim_idGet the UDID of the currently booted simulator.

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App Management

Tools for installing and controlling apps. View full reference →
ToolDescription
simulator_launch_appLaunch by bundle ID with optional args and env vars.
simulator_terminate_appForce-terminate a running app.
simulator_install_appInstall a .app bundle or .ipa from a local path.
simulator_uninstall_appUninstall by bundle ID.

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Debugging & Diagnostics

Tools for inspecting app behavior, reading files, and analyzing crashes. View full reference →
ToolDescription
simulator_get_logsQuery device logs. Filter by process, subsystem, level, time range, message content.
simulator_stream_logsLive log streaming with start/read/stop lifecycle. Configurable buffer.
simulator_get_app_containerGet filesystem path to app’s bundle, data, or shared group container.
simulator_list_app_filesBrowse an app’s Documents/, Library/, Caches/, tmp/ directories.
simulator_read_app_fileRead plists (→JSON), SQLite (→schema), and text files from app data.
simulator_get_crash_logsRetrieve crash reports with stack traces and thread states.
simulator_diagnoseXcode version, disk usage, booted devices, system info.
simulator_accessibility_auditFull iOS accessibility tree — real UIButton/UILabel elements with labels, frames, roles.
simulator_describe_pointReturns the accessibility element at given coordinates.

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System Simulation

Tools for simulating real-world system conditions like location, notifications, and permissions. View full reference →
ToolDescription
simulator_set_locationSet GPS coordinates (lat/lng). Test location-based features.
simulator_send_pushSend push notifications with full APNs payload JSON.
simulator_set_clipboardSet the simulator clipboard text.
simulator_add_mediaAdd photos/videos to the camera roll from local files.
simulator_grant_permissionGrant, revoke, or reset permissions (camera, location, photos, contacts, microphone, etc.).

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UI Configuration

Tools for configuring the visual state of the simulator. View full reference →
ToolDescription
simulator_set_appearanceSwitch between light and dark mode.
simulator_override_status_barSet time, battery, signal, carrier, network type.
simulator_record_videoStart screen recording. On stop, key frames are extracted as images for AI chat.
simulator_stop_recordingStop recording. Returns key frames inline (no disk clutter). Optional savePath to keep the video.

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Advanced Debugging & Testing

Tools for specialized testing scenarios — accessibility sizes, biometrics, keychain, and app configuration. View full reference →
ToolDescription
simulator_set_content_sizeSet Dynamic Type preferred size (13 categories from extra-small to accessibility-XXXL).
simulator_set_increase_contrastToggle Increase Contrast accessibility setting.
simulator_location_scenarioRun predefined GPS routes: Freeway Drive, City Run, City Bicycle Ride.
simulator_location_routeSimulate movement along custom waypoints with configurable speed.
simulator_memory_warningTrigger simulated memory warning (didReceiveMemoryWarning).
simulator_keychainAdd root certificates, add certificates, or reset the device keychain.
simulator_icloud_syncTrigger iCloud synchronization on the device.
simulator_verbose_loggingEnable/disable verbose device logging for deep debugging.
simulator_install_app_dataInstall .xcappdata packages to restore test data snapshots.
simulator_get_envRead environment variables from the running simulator.
simulator_biometricSet Face ID / Touch ID enrollment state for auth testing.
simulator_network_statusGet network configuration — DNS, interfaces, connectivity status.
simulator_defaults_readRead UserDefaults from inside the simulator (inspect app prefs, feature flags).
simulator_defaults_writeWrite UserDefaults inside the simulator (set flags, inject test config).

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Disabling specific tools

You can disable any tool by adding its name to the PREFLIGHT_FILTERED_TOOLS environment variable. This is useful when your AI client has a tool limit or when you want to reduce noise from tools you don’t use.
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "preflight": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/Preflight/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "PREFLIGHT_FILTERED_TOOLS": "simulator_record_video,simulator_stop_recording,simulator_verbose_logging"
      }
    }
  }
}
Separate multiple tool names with commas. Filtered tools are silently skipped at server startup — no errors are thrown.

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