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XcodeBuildMCP

Runs Xcode project, simulator, build, test, and app workflows through MCP tools or a macOS CLI.

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Install XcodeBuildMCP

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xcodebuildmcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mobilebuildmcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Install not yet sandbox-tested— we haven't run this command through our automated sandbox yet. Not a red flag; we're working through the catalog.

Overview

XcodeBuildMCP MCP server gives AI coding agents tools for managing Xcode-based iOS and macOS projects, simulators, builds, tests, and app utilities. It runs locally on macOS and is also available as a CLI, with the `mcp` subcommand starting the MCP server. Install it through Homebrew or npm, or run it on demand with `npx`. Reach for it when an agent needs to build, test, inspect, or operate Apple-platform projects through Xcode and related command-line tooling.

Use cases

  • Build an iOS or macOS project for a simulator
  • Prepare and run simulator test products
  • Manage simulators during agent-driven development
  • Capture logs and support debugging workflows
  • Run Xcode project commands from a terminal

Key features

  • Xcode project management
  • Simulator builds and tests
  • Simulator and device operations
  • Application utilities
  • CLI and MCP server modes
  • Workspace-scoped daemon for logs and debugging

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

ActiveLast checked Today

Recent health check succeeded.

48/49 checks healthy over the last 90d

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 2d ago via OSV.dev · mobilebuildmcp@latest (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars6.6kStargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads8kPackage downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit2d agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Directory activity8 viewsConfig copies, upvotes, and views on AllMCPs.

How XcodeBuildMCP works

What XcodeBuildMCP MCP server does

XcodeBuildMCP MCP server connects MCP-compatible coding agents with workflows for iOS and macOS projects. Its capabilities cover Xcode project management, simulator management, application utilities, and build and test operations. The package also includes a command-line interface, so the same project workflows can be used directly from a terminal instead of through an agent.

The repository describes support for simulator builds, prepared test products, simulator tests, debugging-related state, log capture, and device operations. Device-related workflows depend on code signing being configured in Xcode.

How it works

The package provides two operating modes: an MCP mode for AI coding clients and a CLI mode for direct terminal use. Running mobilebuildmcp mcp starts the MCP server. Other subcommands expose direct commands, including commands to list tools, build an app for a simulator, prepare test products, and run those products later.

CLI stateful operations use a daemon scoped to the workspace. The daemon starts automatically when needed and supports operations such as log capture and debugging. For builds involving Swift Macros, the package asks xcodebuild to skip macro validation to avoid related build errors.

Setup and configuration

XcodeBuildMCP MCP server requires macOS 14.5 or newer and Xcode 16.x or newer. Node.js 18.x or later is needed for npm installation and use, but the Homebrew installation does not require a separate Node.js installation.

Install with Homebrew:

bash
brew tap getsentry/xcodebuildmcp
brew install mobilebuildmcp

Or install globally with npm:

Terminal
npm install -g mobilebuildmcp@latest

You can verify the installation with mobilebuildmcp --help. MCP clients can also start the package without a global installation by running npx -y mobilebuildmcp@latest mcp. The project provides client configuration examples for Cursor, Claude Code, and Codex.

Optional agent skills can be initialized with mobilebuildmcp init or the equivalent npx command. The MCP skill provides usage guidance for the server tools, while the CLI skill provides guidance for using the command-line interface.

Tools and capabilities

The available workflows include:

  • Listing the available tools from the CLI.
  • Building an Xcode project for a simulator.
  • Building test products without immediately running tests.
  • Running previously prepared test products on a simulator.
  • Managing simulators and using app utilities.
  • Supporting device operations when signing is configured.
  • Capturing logs and supporting debugging through the workspace daemon.
  • Checking for updates and upgrading the installed package.

For example, a simulator build can specify a scheme and project path. Test preparation can additionally specify a simulator name, build-for-testing mode, and test-products path.

Limitations and notes

XcodeBuildMCP MCP server is intended for macOS environments with the required Xcode version; it is not described as a cross-platform server. Device tools require code signing configured in Xcode. The package uses Sentry for internal runtime error telemetry, with opt-out information provided in the project documentation.

The README identifies the project as MIT licensed. Third-party and npm package attribution notices are provided separately in the repository.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

Reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions about XcodeBuildMCP

XcodeBuildMCP is an MCP server that connects AI coding agents to Xcode-based iOS and macOS project workflows through tools for project management, simulator builds and tests, simulator and device operations, and app utilities. It also provides a CLI for running these operations directly from a macOS terminal.

Install it with Homebrew or npm. Homebrew uses `brew tap getsentry/xcodebuildmcp` followed by `brew install mobilebuildmcp`; npm uses `npm install -g mobilebuildmcp@latest`. You can also launch it on demand with `npx -y mobilebuildmcp@latest mcp`.

Yes, Cursor is one of the clients with a documented configuration example. After installing the package, configure Cursor to start the MCP server, or use the documented `npx -y mobilebuildmcp@latest mcp` approach when supported by the client setup.

It requires macOS 14.5 or later and Xcode 16.x or later. Node.js 18.x or later is required for npm-based installation and use, while the Homebrew installation does not require Node.js.

Device tools require code signing to be configured in Xcode. Without the required signing setup, device-related workflows may not be available for the project.

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