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XC-MCP is an production-grade MCP server crafted for Xcode workflows and AI agent automation. It exposes a compact, on-demand toolset for Xcode and iOS simulator operations, optimized via platform-native defer_loading and progressive disclosure to minimize token usage. When integrated with Claude or similar clients, the server can supply concise summaries first, then fetch full details only on demand, enabling faster, cheaper interactions. Typical workflows involve listing simulators, managing Xcode builds, and performing common automation tasks through the 29 available tools, with optional modes like --mini for minimal tool descriptions and --build-only for build-focused tasks. To connect, add the XC-MCP server to Claude Desktop’s configuration or use a client that supports the MCP protocol, and start the server via npx xc-mcp (or npm install -g xc-mcp and run xc-mcp).

Prerequisites:\n- Node.js (LTS) and npm installed on your system.\n- Internet access to fetch the xc-mcp package from npm.\n\nRecommended installation steps:\n1) Install the MCP globally (optional, but convenient):\n\nnpm install -g xc-mcp\n```\n2) Run the MCP server directly with npx (no global install required):\n\nnpx xc-mcp\n```\n3) If you prefer to start in a background process or via a script, you can also install locally in a project:\n\nnpm install xc-mcp --save-dev\nnode_modules/.bin/xc-mcp\n\n4) Configure Claude or your MCP client to connect to the server using the standard MCP config. Example Claude Desktop config (JSON) appears in the README: add a server named xc-mcp with command npx and args [-y, xc-mcp].\n

Tips and caveats:\n- Use --mini to reduce tool descriptions dramatically when your client does not support defer_loading. This keeps token usage low while retaining core functionality.\n- Use --build-only to limit to build-related tools, which is helpful for CI-like workflows or when UI automation is unnecessary. Combine with --mini for maximum token savings.\n- The MCP configuration expects JSON with a top-level mcpServers object. Ensure your client’s config points to the correct command (npx) and arguments.\n- If you encounter token or latency constraints, consider enabling progressive disclosure: start with summaries, fetch details via cache IDs only when needed.\n- The npm package name is xc-mcp. If you are packaging this server in a container or environment, you can wrap the npx command in a script that ensures the correct node version and network access.