run-simulator
Build, install, launch, and screenshot an iOS app in the Simulator to verify a change visually. Use when the user wants to run the app, see a change live, screenshot the running app, or confirm a UI fix actually works (not just that it compiles).
npx skills add rshankras/claude-code-apple-skills --skill run-simulator --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Run in Simulator Launches the **actual app** in the iOS Simulator and drives it far enough to see what a user would see. Building proves the code compiles; this skill proves it *runs*. The payoff is a screenshot of the live app that you read back to confirm the change — a blank or crashed frame is a failure, not a pass. This skill is generic. Nothing about a specific app is hardcoded — the scheme, simulator, product path, and bundle id are all discovered at runtime. ## When This Skill Activates Use this skill when the user: - Asks to "run", "launch", or "open" the app in the simulator - Wants to *see* a change working, not just compile it - Asks for a screenshot of the running app - Wants to verify a UI fix visually before committing or pushing - Says "does this actually work?" about a view/flow they just changed Do **not** use it for unit/UI test runs (`xcodebuild test`) — that's a different goal. This is about meeting the app as a user would. ## Process Run the steps in order. Each step's output feeds the next, so don't hardcode values a previous step can discover. ### 1. Discover the project and scheme Prefer a workspace over a bare project when both exist (CocoaPods/SPM setup
- When This Skill Activates
- Process
- 1. Discover the project and scheme
- 2. Pick a simulator destination
- 3. Build for the simulator
- 4. Resolve the built .app and its bundle id
- 5. Boot, install, launch
- 6. Screenshot and verify (and drive if needed)
- Output Format
- Reliability Notes (common failure modes)
- References
Find the container ls *.xcworkspace 2>/dev/null || ls *.xcodeproj 2>/dev/null List schemes (use -workspace X.xcworkspace OR -project X.xcodeproj) xcodebuild -list -project <App>.xcodeproj 2>/dev/null Already-booted sim, if any (fastest — skip the boot wait) xcrun simctl list devices booted xcrun simctl list devices available | grep -i iphone xcodebuild build \ Product directory + name from the resolved build settings eval $(xcodebuild -project <App>.xcodeproj -scheme <Scheme> \
What does the run-simulator skill do?
Build, install, launch, and screenshot an iOS app in the Simulator to verify a change visually. Use when the user wants to run the app, see a change live, screenshot the running app, or confirm a UI fix actually works (not just that it compiles).
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add rshankras/claude-code-apple-skills --skill run-simulator --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From rshankras/claude-code-apple-skills, a repository with 589 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.