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simulator_create

Create a new iOS simulator by specifying a name, device type, and runtime. This tool is essential for setting up test environments for different device and OS combinations, enabling you to verify your app works across the full range of supported configurations.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`name`	string	Yes	—	A human-readable name for the new simulator (e.g., `"My Test iPhone"`).
`deviceTypeId`	string	Yes	—	The device type identifier. Use `simulator_list_device_types` to see available values.
`runtimeId`	string	Yes	—	The runtime identifier. Use `simulator_list_runtimes` to see available values.

Usage Examples

Create an iPhone 16 Pro with iOS 18.0

“Create a new iPhone 16 Pro simulator running iOS 18”

{
  "name": "iPhone 16 Pro - Test",
  "deviceTypeId": "com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimDeviceType.iPhone-16-Pro",
  "runtimeId": "com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimRuntime.iOS-18-0"
}

Create an iPad Air for UI testing

“I need an iPad Air simulator on iOS 17.5 for layout testing”

{
  "name": "iPad Air - Layout Tests",
  "deviceTypeId": "com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimDeviceType.iPad-Air-6th-generation-M2",
  "runtimeId": "com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimRuntime.iOS-17-5"
}

Create an iPhone 15 for backward compatibility testing

“Set up an iPhone 15 with iOS 17.0 to test backward compatibility”

{
  "name": "iPhone 15 - iOS 17 Compat",
  "deviceTypeId": "com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimDeviceType.iPhone-15",
  "runtimeId": "com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimRuntime.iOS-17-0"
}

Create an iPhone SE for small screen testing

“Create an iPhone SE simulator so I can test my layouts on a small screen”

{
  "name": "iPhone SE - Small Screen",
  "deviceTypeId": "com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimDeviceType.iPhone-SE-3rd-generation",
  "runtimeId": "com.apple.CoreSimulator.SimRuntime.iOS-18-0"
}

Example Output

Simulator created successfully.

Name: iPhone 16 Pro - Test
UDID: A9F8E7D6-C5B4-3A21-9087-654321FEDCBA
Device Type: iPhone 16 Pro
Runtime: iOS 18.0
State: Shutdown

simulator_list_device_types — List available device types to find valid deviceTypeId values
simulator_list_runtimes — List installed runtimes to find valid runtimeId values
simulator_boot — Boot the newly created simulator
simulator_clone — Clone an existing simulator instead of creating from scratch
simulator_delete — Delete a simulator you no longer need

Tips