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Overview

⚠️ Partial

Current state: - XcodeCompanion (ios/XcodeCompanion/) — Scaffolded macOS executable app. All major views are defined (DevicesView, RecordingView, ExecutionView, PerformanceView, SettingsView, MenuBarView, FeatureFlagsView) and MCPConnectionManager is wired up. Feature completeness is ongoing. - XcodeExtension (ios/XcodeExtension/) — Scaffolded Xcode Source Editor Extension. 5 commands registered; command implementations are minimal stubs.

See the Status Glossary for chip definitions.

Xcode does not support the rich plugin APIs available in Android Studio. The closest parity is a companion macOS app plus an Xcode Source Editor Extension (XcodeKit). This approach provides UI parity with the Android IDE plugin while staying within supported Apple tooling. Future interactive screen control should use the daemon input API for tap, swipe, text, and button input over the daemon socket.

Components

  • AutoMobile Xcode Companion (macOS app)
  • Hosts all UI surfaces: navigation graph, performance views, feature flags, test recording, and plan execution.
  • Connects to MCP over STDIO or daemon socket.
  • Provides a menu bar mode plus a docked window for persistent views.
  • Xcode Source Editor Extension
  • Adds commands to insert plan templates, run plans, or open the companion app.
  • Keeps source edits inside Xcode without embedding a custom tool window.

Transport selection

The companion app selects an MCP transport in this order:

  1. AUTOMOBILE_MCP_STDIO_COMMAND or automobile.mcp.stdioCommand.
  2. Unix socket fallback at /tmp/auto-mobile-daemon-<uid>.sock.

UX goals

  • One-click attach to MCP server.
  • Live navigation graph rendering.
  • Feature flag toggles.
  • Test recording and plan generation.
  • Execution log view with errors and timing.
  • Menu bar actions: Record Test, Stop Recording Test, feature flags submenu, and deep links to companion views.

Recording flow

  • The companion app uses the daemon Unix socket to request recording start/stop.
  • The MCP server emits resource update notifications when a new recorded plan is available.
  • The companion app listens for resource updates to load the latest recorded plan.

Distribution and signing

  • The companion app should be signed and notarized (non-App-Store distribution).
  • If signing constraints block features, provide a fallback unsigned developer build.
  • When iOS tooling is enabled but the app is missing, doctor should surface a download link.

Notes

  • The companion app provides the rich UI that Xcode does not allow.
  • The Source Editor Extension is optional but improves developer workflow.

See also