Your iOS Simulator, from the terminal

elstar.

See. Drive. Debug.

Inspect the screen, capture HTTP traffic, and hot-reload code in a running app. Use the same tools from your terminal or your AI agent.

$ curl -fsSL https://elstar.dev/install.sh | bash

Free for seven days, starting on first use. No signup, no card.

Start free trial $69/year after

Signed & notarized. Requires macOS 15+ and Xcode 27.1 or later.

$ elstar net com.example.app

POST https://api.example.com/v1/login

← 200 142ms 89 bytes

body:

{ "token": "[redacted]", "user_id": 4821 }

GET https://api.example.com/v1/feed

← 500 891ms 24 bytes ← agent catches this

body:

{ "error": "internal_server_error" }

$ elstar hot FeedService.swift --once

building FeedService.swift

✓ reloaded

$ elstar eval com.example.app "1 + 1" --swift

→ 2

Illustrative output with a fictional app. Replace the bundle ID and source file with your own.

Why elstar

A shorter path from symptom to fix.

No SDK required

Inspect a running simulator app without embedding an SDK. Debugger-based commands need an app that allows attachment; Swift evaluation also depends on its debug information.

Hot reload, no rebuild

Reload supported Swift and Objective-C edits in your running simulator app. Iterate on a screen without a full app rebuild.

HTTPS without certs

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

XCUITest generation

Start from the current screen. uitest --gen produces an XCTest scaffold you can review and extend with meaningful assertions.

Run code in the live app

Evaluate Swift or Objective-C in the running process with eval. Read live instance state, call methods, change values — no rebuild.

Headless previews

Render any #Preview in your app to a PNG with preview, without opening Xcode or launching the app. --list shows every preview in the module.

See what changed

diff compares the screen with a saved screenshot or your last check and shows how many pixels changed and where; --fail-on-change exits with 1 for CI. break stops on a function or Objective-C exception in the running app and prints a backtrace for every hit.

AI-native

40 MCP tools, 4 skills, a chained post-edit hook. First-class agent support out of the box. No glue code, no shell parsing.

Commands

From inspecting a screen to testing a fix.

netIntercept and inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic, export HAR

mockMock or record HTTP responses

evalEvaluate Swift or Objective-C expressions in a live app

hotHot reload a Swift/ObjC file, XIB, or asset without rebuilding

vhDump the UIKit or SwiftUI view hierarchy

ivarRead live instance variable values for a class

respondersWalk the responder chain

breakStop on a function, Objective-C method or Objective-C exception and stream a backtrace for every hit

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

elementsList tappable elements with coordinates

axFull accessibility tree with hit testing

screenshotCapture the simulator screen

previewRender a #Preview to a PNG without opening Xcode or launching the app

diffCompare the screen with a saved screenshot or your last check, and see where pixels changed

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

uitest --genGenerate an XCTest scaffold from the current screen

waitWait for an element to appear

assertVerify element presence

bootBoot a simulator by name

shutdownShut down the booted simulator

devicesList all simulators and their state

appearanceSwitch between light and dark mode, or read the current mode

statusbarSet a fixed time, signal and battery for screenshots, then clear it

containerFind an app's bundle, data folder or app-group locations

capabilitiesList the commands in your build and whether each is declared verified for simulators and devices

mcp installConfigure MCP server for Claude Code or Cursor

mcpStart MCP server (40 tools over stdio)

hook installReload app Swift files after agent edits (Claude Code or Codex CLI)

hook install --all+ accessibility checks for changes introduced by the edit

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

MCP Server

Your agent's debugger.

40 MCP tools. 4 skills. A post-edit hook that hot-reloads your agent's edits. One install command. Let your agent inspect and interact with a running simulator app.

40 MCP Tools

40 runtime operations exposed as structured tools — tap elements, capture traffic, evaluate expressions, read runtime state. No shell, no parsing. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, or any MCP client.

4 Skills

Slash-command workflows your agent runs directly — not just tools, but the proven sequences of them. Install with elstar skills install.

Post-edit Hooks

Runtime feedback your agent gets automatically after each edit — no need to ask.

Claude Code and Codex CLI. Codex requires project and hook trust.

/ios-setupBootstrap a session — detect the running app, install hooks, establish project context

/ios-testWalk a flow live in the simulator and generate the XCUITest code for it

/ios-auditAccessibility & UI quality — missing identifiers, tap-target sizes, element overlap

/ios-debugDiagnose a bug — capture screen state, network traffic, and runtime data

hook install --target codex --allInstall the chained post-edit hook for Codex CLI

hot-reloadEdit an app Swift file → elstar reloads it into the running app

a11y-auditCompares accessibility before and after a successful reload and reports new findings

Getting Started

Install. Run your app. Start driving.

Install

curl -fsSL https://elstar.dev/install.sh | bash

Signed & notarized; the installer verifies the checksum and signature. Requires macOS 15+ and Xcode 27.1 or later.

Start your free trial

elstar devices

No signup or card required. Connect for first use, then use your trial offline. After seven days, activate a purchased key with elstar license activate <key>.

Run your app in Simulator

elstar apps

Build and run your app from Xcode on an iOS Simulator. With multiple simulators running, add --device <udid> to select one explicitly.

See the screen

elstar state

App info, screen size, tappable elements, and a screenshot — in one call.

Drive it

elstar tap "Login" · elstar type "hi@example.com"

Tap, swipe, type, and assert — by label or coordinate.

Give your agent access

elstar mcp install

Wires the 40 MCP tools into Claude Code or Cursor. Add skills & hooks with skills install / hook install --all.

Pricing

Try it free for seven days, then $69 a year.

$69/yr

One developer, two machines

Seven-day free trial, no card needed
All commands, MCP tools, skills & hooks
New features as they ship
Cancel anytime

Get a license

$69/year after the trial — cancel anytime. Your license key arrives by email; activate it with elstar license activate <key>.

Before you start

A few practical answers.

Does elstar work on a physical iPhone?

The current release supports the iOS Simulator. Physical-device support is in development and is not part of the released command set.

Do I need to change my app?

You do not need to embed an elstar SDK. Run your app in Simulator to inspect and interact with its screen. Commands that attach a debugger require an app that permits attachment; evaluating Swift app types also requires suitable debug information.

Can I use it without an AI agent?

Yes. Run commands directly in your terminal. MCP, skills and post-edit hooks are optional integrations.

Which Xcode versions are supported?

elstar 1.1.0 requires Xcode 27.1 or later. Simulator input (taps, swipes, drags, hardware buttons and key presses) is not supported on Xcode 27.0, and elstar says so instead of sending the input.

I script against --json. What changed in 1.1.0?

Some keys were renamed so every command spells them the same way. mock --json and apps --json now name the app bundle_id (it was bundleID), update --json reports update_available and upgrade_command, and a sent feedback --json answers {"command":"feedback","id":…} without ok. Scripts that read the old names need updating. The full list is in the release notes.

Is a license required before I can use it?

No. Your free seven-day trial starts on first use, without signup or a payment card. Internet is required to start or recover a missing trial receipt; subsequent trial use works offline. Deleting local data does not restart the trial. Afterward, a license costs $69/year for one developer on two machines; activate it with elstar license activate <key>.

How do I install hooks for my coding tool?

For Claude Code, run elstar hook install --all in your app project. For Codex CLI, use elstar hook install --target codex --all, then review and trust the project and hook in Codex. Reinstall hooks after upgrading to pick up changes to the generated script.

Elstar is a Danish-Dutch Apple variety, a cross between Golden Delicious and Ingrid Marie. Small, sharp, surprisingly versatile.