iOS Simulator Deployment & Debugging

This is an action skill. Run commands, don't just explain them.

Quick Commands

Build and run on simulator:

cd apps/ios && ./scripts/run.sh

This script:

1. Builds the app (always rebuilds to pick up code changes)
2. Boots iPhone 17 Pro simulator
3. Installs and launches the app

Debugging / Log Streaming

Important: print() does NOT show in Console.app. Use NSLog() or os_log instead.

Stream app logs in terminal:

xcrun simctl spawn booted log stream --predicate 'eventMessage CONTAINS "[YourTag]"' --level debug

Stream all app logs:

xcrun simctl spawn booted log stream --predicate 'subsystem == "com.bytespell.shella"' --level debug

Check if app is running:

xcrun simctl spawn booted launchctl list | grep shella

Clean Build

If you suspect stale code is being used:

cd apps/ios && rm -rf .build && ./scripts/run.sh

Troubleshooting

App doesn't reflect code changes:

• The run.sh script now always rebuilds, but if issues persist, do a clean build (see above)

Logs not appearing:

• print() statements don't show in Console.app - use NSLog("message") or os_log
• Make sure Console.app is filtering by "Simulator" in the sidebar
• Enable "Include Info Messages" and "Include Debug Messages" in Console.app's Action menu

Simulator won't boot:

xcrun simctl shutdown all
xcrun simctl boot "iPhone 17 Pro"

Kill and restart app:

xcrun simctl terminate booted com.bytespell.shella
xcrun simctl launch booted com.bytespell.shella

Typical Flow

User: "run on simulator" / "test this on iOS" / "build and run"

1. Run the build+deploy script:

cd apps/ios && ./scripts/run.sh

2. If user needs logs, start streaming:

xcrun simctl spawn booted log stream --predicate 'eventMessage CONTAINS "[SomeTag]"' --level debug

3. For debugging, remind user that print() won't show - they need NSLog().