XcodeBuildMCP acts as a bridge that allows AI assistants to help build and manage apps for Apple platforms, including iOS, macOS, visionOS, and watchOS. In simple terms, it gives an AI "hands" to perform tasks that a human developer would usually do inside Xcode, such as creating new projects from templates, compiling code, and launching apps. By providing a standardized way for AI to interact with Apple’s development tools, it transforms complex coding tasks into a seamless, automated conversation. Moving into more technical territory, the server provides a robust suite of tools for managing the entire development lifecycle. It handles everything from Swift Package Manager (SPM) dependencies and test suites to sophisticated simulator and physical device management. AI agents can use this MCP to boot specific simulators, install builds, and capture real-time system logs. It even supports advanced UI automation features like taking screenshots, recording video of a running app, and inspecting the accessibility hierarchy, allowing the AI to "see" and interact with the user interface it is building. What makes this tool particularly powerful for developers using LLMs is its ability to enable autonomous debugging and iteration. Instead of the user having to copy-paste error messages, the AI can independently trigger builds, parse compiler errors, and inspect build settings to identify issues. It can then apply a fix and re-run the project to verify the solution. By removing the need for manual command-line invocations, XcodeBuildMCP ensures that AI agents operate with precision and reliability, significantly speeding up the cycle from initial prompt to a fully tested application.
Category: Design, Media & Creative
Tags: automation, ios, simulator, swift, xcode
npx, so no manual global installation is strictly required. However, for specific features like video capture, you must run the following command once locally: bash npm run bundle:axemcpServers object: json { "mcpServers": { "XcodeBuildMCP": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "xcodebuildmcp@latest" ], "env": { "INCREMENTAL_BUILDS_ENABLED": "false", "XCODEBUILDMCP_SENTRY_DISABLED": "false" } } } } OpenAI Codex CLI (TOML): toml [mcp_servers.XcodeBuildMCP] command = "npx" args = ["-y", "xcodebuildmcp@latest"] env = { "INCREMENTAL_BUILDS_ENABLED" = "false", "XCODEBUILDMCP_SENTRY_DISABLED" = "false" }discover_projects, build_operations, list_schemes, show_build_settings, clean_build, scaffold_project. * Swift Package Manager: build_package, run_tests, run_executable, list_processes, stop_process, clean_artifacts. * Simulator Management: list_simulators, boot_simulator, open_simulator, install_app, launch_app, stop_app, capture_logs, interact_ui, capture_screenshot, record_sim_video. * Device Management: list_devices, build_and_run_on_device, run_device_tests, capture_device_logs. * App Utilities: extract_bundle_id. * Resources: * xcodebuildmcp://simulators * xcodebuildmcp://devices * xcodebuildmcp://doctorbuild_ios_simulator tool, sees the "missing argument label" error in the output, fixes the call site automatically, and runs the build again to confirm success.scaffold_project tool to generate the workspace, app target, and library package instantly.Part of MCP Servers
XcodeBuildMCP is a Model Context Protocol server and command-line interface developed by Sentry. It gives AI coding assistants the ability to compile, test, run, and automate applications for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS using standard Apple development utilities.
You can install it using Homebrew by running brew tap getsentry/xcodebuildmcp and brew install xcodebuildmcp, or via npm using npm install -g xcodebuildmcp@latest. It can also be run directly by an MCP client using npx.
XcodeBuildMCP requires a machine running macOS 14.5 or later, Xcode 16.x or later, and Node.js 18.x or later if running via npm or npx.
XcodeBuildMCP works with any standard Model Context Protocol client, including Claude Desktop, Cursor, and OpenAI Codex CLI, by configuring the client to run the server via npx or the local CLI command.
Yes, XcodeBuildMCP is open source and licensed under the MIT License on GitHub.