elstar - iOS Runtime Instrumentation

Why elstar

Built different.

No SDK required

Works on any app you can launch. No framework embeds, no linker flags, no source changes. Drop a bundle ID, you're in.

Hot reload, no rebuild

Inject Swift changes into running apps in seconds via LLDB. No rebuild cycles, no relaunches, no losing app state.

HTTPS without certs

Capture network traffic without proxy setup or certificate installation. Injects at the URLSession level, sees real traffic.

XCUITest generation

Walk the app live. uitest --gen writes the XCTest code for you. Manual test writing, gone.

Live leak detection

Monitor view controllers as they're dismissed. Catch retain cycles in real time with leaks --auto.

AI-native

67 MCP tools, 5 skills, 3 hooks. First-class agent support out of the box. No glue code, no shell parsing.

Commands

Everything you need, nothing you don't.

netIntercept and inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic

mockMock HTTP responses with pattern matching

gaugesLive CPU, memory, disk, and network meters

leaksDetect retain cycles and leaked allocations

hitchesFrame time and hitch detection

profileTrace with Instruments from the command line

hotHot reload a Swift file without rebuilding

print-changesMonitor SwiftUI view re-renders

replSwift REPL inside the running process

evalEvaluate Swift or Objective-C expressions

vhDump UIKit or SwiftUI view hierarchy

layersInspect Core Animation layer tree

respondersWalk the responder chain

logStream or search device logs

breakSet breakpoints and log hits

threadsList all threads with current stack

btPrint backtrace for a thread

symbolsSearch symbols in a running app

dylibsList loaded dynamic libraries

class-dumpDump Objective-C class headers

ivarInspect live instance variable values

uitest --genGenerate complete XCUITest files

uitest --liveRecord interactions as XCUITest code

waitWait for an element to appear

assertVerify element presence or state

diffVisual screenshot diff against baseline

stateScreen snapshot: app, elements, and screenshot in one call

elementsList tappable elements with coordinates

axFull accessibility tree with hit testing

screenshotCapture the screen or a specific view

trackMonitor screen transitions live

defaultsRead and write UserDefaults

filesBrowse the app sandbox

sqliteQuery app databases

crashRead and list crash reports

sizeBinary size and segments

launch-timeMeasure app launch time

containerGet app container paths

tapTap by label, identifier, or coordinate

swipeSwipe gestures with configurable speed

dragDrag with configurable hold time

typeType text into the focused field

buttonPress hardware buttons (home, lock, siri)

keySend keyboard key events

bootBoot a simulator by name

shutdownShut down the booted simulator

installInstall an .app bundle

launchLaunch an app with optional arguments

terminateTerminate a running app

privacyGrant, revoke, or reset permissions

pushGrant or revoke push notification permissions

locationSpoof GPS coordinates

biometricSimulate Face ID / Touch ID

openurlOpen a URL or deep link

mcp installConfigure MCP server for Claude Code or Cursor

mcpStart MCP server (67 tools over stdio)

hook installAuto hot-reload Swift files on save (Claude Code only)

hook install --all+ crash detection, accessibility audit (Claude Code only)

skills installInstall /ios-setup, /ios-test, /ios-debug, /ios-perf, /ios-audit

MCP Server

Your agent's debugger.

67 MCP tools. 3 hooks. 5 skills. One install command. Give your agent full runtime access to a running iOS app.

67 MCP Tools

Every command exposed as a structured tool. Tap elements, capture traffic, evaluate expressions, detect leaks. No shell, no parsing. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, or any MCP client.

3 Hooks

Auto hot-reload Swift files on save. Surface crash reports after commands. Audit accessibility on every UI change. Your agent gets runtime feedback without asking for it.

Claude Code only.

5 Skills

/ios-setup bootstraps a session. /ios-debug, /ios-test, /ios-perf, and /ios-audit give your agent workflows, not just tools.

elstar.