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XcodeBuild MCP MCP Server

Build and test iOS, macOS, and visionOS apps. Integrate Xcode build processes into AI-assisted development.

Capabilities
iOS macOS Build Testing
Maintained by
Sentry (created by Cameron Cooke)
Hosting
Runs locally on your machine
Authentication
None beyond local access
Last checked

macOS with Xcode required; also installable via Homebrew (getsentry/xcodebuildmcp).

How to connect the XcodeBuild MCP MCP server

Pick your AI client and paste the snippet. New to this? Our guide to how MCP clients and servers fit together explains what each piece does.

Claude Code

Terminal
claude mcp add --transport stdio xcodebuild-mcp \
  -- npx -y xcodebuildmcp@latest mcp
Full Claude Code setup guide →

Claude Desktop

claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit Config)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xcodebuild-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "xcodebuildmcp@latest",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop after saving.

Full Claude Desktop setup guide →

Cursor

~/.cursor/mcp.json (or .cursor/mcp.json in a project)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xcodebuild-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "xcodebuildmcp@latest",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
Full Cursor setup guide →

VS Code

.vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "xcodebuild-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "xcodebuildmcp@latest",
        "mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
Full VS Code setup guide →

Frequently asked questions

What is the XcodeBuild MCP MCP server?

It is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server — a small piece of software that gives AI assistants like Claude a secure, governed connection to XcodeBuild MCP. Build and test iOS, macOS, and visionOS apps. Integrate Xcode build processes into AI-assisted development.

Is there an official XcodeBuild MCP MCP server?

Not from XcodeBuild MCP itself. This one is community-maintained (Sentry (created by Cameron Cooke)). It is widely used, but review the repository and pin a version before relying on it in production.

Is the XcodeBuild MCP MCP server hosted, or do I run it myself?

It runs locally. Your AI client starts it on your own machine with npx, and it talks to the client over standard input and output rather than the network.

Do I need an API key for the XcodeBuild MCP MCP server?

No. It runs on your machine with your own permissions, so there is no key to create.

What can an AI assistant actually do with XcodeBuild MCP?

Through this server an assistant can work with ios, macos, build, testing — reading from and acting on XcodeBuild MCP directly instead of you copy-pasting between windows. What you allow it to do is controlled by the permissions you grant.

How do I set this up for my business?

The setup section above has copy-paste config for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and VS Code. Once it is running against real systems, the question becomes what catches it when it acts wrongly, which is what Crox's Safety Diagnostic looks at.

New to MCP? Start with our plain-English guide to the Model Context Protocol or see how to connect AI to your business tools without writing code .

Done-for-you integration

Already running this in production?

An agent with a live connection to your tools is a model that can act. Crox looks at what catches it when it acts wrongly: the layers around it, who can stop it, and where a near miss gets reported. Two days, one team, one model.