René's URL Explorer Experiment

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"Xcode 27 beta: UI automation still fails because bundled AXe looks for SimulatorKit under PrivateFrameworks","articleBody":"### Summary\n\nThis is a fresh reproduction of the Xcode 27 beta `SimulatorKit.framework` path issue discussed in #446. I am opening a new issue because #446 is closed as not planned, but the current released XcodeBuildMCP still reports UI automation as available while `snapshot_ui` / AXe-backed UI automation fails at runtime.\n\nBuild, install, launch, and screenshots still work. The broken part is semantic UI automation / accessibility hierarchy capture / element-ref tapping.\n\n### Environment\n\n- XcodeBuildMCP: `2.6.2`\n- AXe reported by doctor: `1.7.1`\n- Xcode: `Xcode 27.0`, build `27A5194q`\n- Active developer dir: `/Applications/Xcode-beta.app/Contents/Developer`\n- macOS/Darwin: `27.0.0`\n- Host arch: `arm64`\n- Client: Codex Desktop using XcodeBuildMCP tools\n\n### What works\n\nThese XcodeBuildMCP simulator actions worked against the same app/simulator:\n\n- `build_run_sim` after passing `IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=16.4`\n- `install_app_sim`\n- `launch_app_sim`\n- `screenshot`\n\n### What fails\n\n`mcp__xcodebuildmcp.snapshot_ui` fails after the app is launched:\n\n```text\nFailed to get accessibility hierarchy.\nCLIError(errorDescription: \"Failed to load essential private frameworks: Attempting to load a file at path '/Applications/Xcode-beta.app/Contents/Developer/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SimulatorKit.framework', but it does not exist\")\n```\n\nThe framework exists in the Xcode 27 beta bundle at the new location:\n\n```text\n/Applications/Xcode-beta.app/Contents/SharedFrameworks/SimulatorKit.framework\n```\n\nThe old path does not exist:\n\n```text\n/Applications/Xcode-beta.app/Contents/Developer/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SimulatorKit.framework\n```\n\n### Steps to reproduce\n\n1. Use Xcode 27 beta as the active Xcode:\n\n```bash\nxcode-select -p\n# /Applications/Xcode-beta.app/Contents/Developer\n```\n\n2. Launch an iOS simulator app through XcodeBuildMCP.\n3. Call `snapshot_ui` or another AXe-backed UI automation command.\n4. Observe the missing `SimulatorKit.framework` path error above.\n\n### Expected behavior\n\nOne of these would be useful:\n\n1. XcodeBuildMCP / bundled AXe supports both Xcode 26 and Xcode 27 framework locations.\n2. XcodeBuildMCP doctor detects this specific Xcode 27 beta mismatch and reports UI automation as unsupported instead of available.\n3. The docs explicitly say that Xcode 27 beta UI automation is unsupported for now, with a recommended workaround.\n\n### Actual behavior\n\nDoctor reports UI automation as available, and build/run/screenshot tools work, but UI hierarchy/tap automation fails when the bundled AXe path loader tries the old Xcode 26 private-framework path.\n\n### Why this matters\n\nFor Codex/XcodeBuildMCP workflows, this failure makes the tool look partially healthy: agents can build, install, launch, and capture screenshots, but cannot use the intended semantic UI automation APIs. That causes agents to fall back to less reliable visual or desktop-level control even though the simulator is otherwise working.\n","author":{"url":"https://github.com/judiazm","@type":"Person","name":"judiazm"},"datePublished":"2026-06-23T02:45:36.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":0},"url":"https://github.com/453/XcodeBuildMCP/issues/453"}