Xcode Build

If you're tired of dealing with MCP server overhead for iOS development, this gives you direct access to xcodebuild and xcrun simctl. It covers the full workflow: building projects, managing simulators, installing apps, capturing logs, and taking screenshots. The real win is ditching abstraction layers for native CLI commands that Apple actually maintains. For UI automation, it pushes you toward XCUITest instead of fragile coordinate-based tapping, which is the right call. You'll need to manage your own session state with environment variables, but that's a fair tradeoff for not depending on another service. Solid choice if you want control and transparency over convenience wrappers.

skills.sh installs: 318
GitHub stars: 138
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add pzep1/xcode-build-skill --skill xcode-build --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Xcode Build Direct

Build and manage iOS/macOS projects using native Xcode CLI tools instead of MCP servers.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

Building iOS or macOS apps with Xcode
Running apps in iOS simulators
Managing simulator instances (boot, shutdown, list)
Taking screenshots of simulators
Capturing app logs
Running tests (unit or UI)
Automating UI interactions (tap, type, swipe)

Preference: Always use direct CLI commands (xcodebuild, xcrun simctl) instead of XcodeBuildMCP tools.

Quick Start

1. Discover Project Structure

# List schemes in a workspace
xcodebuild -workspace /path/to/App.xcworkspace -list

# List schemes in a project
xcodebuild -project /path/to/App.xcodeproj -list

# Show build settings
xcodebuild -workspace /path/to/App.xcworkspace -scheme AppScheme -showBuildSettings

2. Find Available Simulators

# List all simulators
xcrun simctl list devices

# List as JSON (better for parsing)
xcrun simctl list devices --json

# List only available simulators
xcrun simctl list devices available

SKILL.md on GitHub