How do I install the Expo IOS Simulator skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add simiancraft/expo-ios-simulator in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Expo IOS Simulator safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Expo IOS Simulator?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Expo IOS Simulator free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Expo IOS Simulator?

simiancraft (@simiancraft) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Expo IOS Simulator by simiancraft — Agent Skill

Name: Expo IOS Simulator
Author: simiancraft

Expo IOS Simulator

Run and drive an Expo / React Native app on the iOS Simulator. Pick an execution mode (Expo Go, dev client, Storybook-mobile, web-on-mobile), build and install a dev client, and clear the recurring Expo/RN prompts that block automation: the push-token alert that stacks until the overlay darkens the screen, the "Open in app?" deep-link dialog, the dev menu, and the element-inspector trap. Sits ON TOP of ios-simulator; failures route to ios-simulator-triage. Project-agnostic; discovers bundle id and scheme from the app config. Use for "run my Expo app on the simulator", "load a dev client", or "drive Storybook on iOS".

simiancraft 433d1f5 5 files · 18.5 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Expo on the iOS Simulator (layer on top of ios-simulator)

Everything here is Expo / React-Native runtime behavior, not the simulator itself (that is ios-simulator, which boots devices, captures screenshots, and grants permissions). This skill gets an Expo app running on a booted simulator and clears the Expo-specific overlays that stall automation. For "make the app driveable" see mobile-accessibility.

Before anything

A booted simulator and AXe installed; that is ios-simulator prerequisites.md. This skill discovers everything app-specific (bundle id, scheme) from the app config; it never hardcodes a project's nouns.

The loop

Pick an execution mode (references/execution-modes.md): Expo Go, a development build (dev client), Storybook-mobile, or web-on-mobile. The choice is forced by whether the app has custom native code.
Get the app on the device. Pure-JS app: Expo Go installs and launches it for you (references/expo-go.md). Anything with native modules or a config plugin: build and install a dev client (references/development-builds.md), then serve Metro and connect by deep link.
Clear the recurring prompts (references/known-prompts.md): the "Open in app?" deep-link dialog, the push-token alert that re-fires and stacks on each reload, and the dev menu; avoid the element-inspector trap. Clear each by accessibility, never coordinates.
Drive it. The driving primitive is ios-simulator references/driving.md (axe tap --id / --label); what makes the app addressable is mobile-accessibility.

Rules

Discover bundle id and scheme from the app config; never hardcode them.
Never drive a bundling app. Two readiness gates sit between "launched" and "driveable": Metro serving (curl /status) and the first bundle finishing (the tree grows labels); both recipes are in references/development-builds.md. Taps dispatched before them report success and do nothing.
Clear every Expo dialog and overlay by accessibility (axe tap --label), not coordinates.
Every factual claim here and in the references cites a primary source (Expo, Apple, AXe's own help); a prior-art skill is never a source.

Out of scope

The simulator itself, its chrome, capture, and permissions: ios-simulator.
What makes an app addressable (accessibility props): mobile-accessibility.
The dev menu's items and React Native DevTools (shared with Android): expo-developer-tools.
Build, runtime, and automation failures: ios-simulator-triage.

References

references/execution-modes.md: the four ways to run an Expo app and when to use each.
references/expo-go.md: the Expo Go path and its fixed-native-set limit.
references/development-builds.md: building and connecting a dev client.
references/known-prompts.md: the recurring dialogs, the dev menu, and the inspector trap.

---name: expo-ios-simulatordescription: Run and drive an Expo / React Native app on the iOS Simulator. Pick an execution mode (Expo Go, dev client, Storybook-mobile, web-on-mobile), build and install a dev client, and clear the recurring Expo/RN prompts that block automation: the push-token alert that stacks until the overlay darkens the screen, the "Open in app?" deep-link dialog, the dev menu, and the element-inspector trap. Sits ON TOP of ios-simulator; failures route to ios-simulator-triage. Project-agnostic; discovers bundle id and scheme from the app config. Use for "run my Expo app on the simulator", "load a dev client", or "drive Storybook on iOS".---# Expo on the iOS Simulator (layer on top of ios-simulator)Everything here is Expo / React-Native **runtime** behavior, not the simulator itself(that is **ios-simulator**, which boots devices, captures screenshots, and grantspermissions). This skill gets an Expo app *running* on a booted simulator and clears theExpo-specific overlays that stall automation. For "make the app driveable" see**mobile-accessibility**.## Before anythingA booted simulator and AXe installed; that is **ios-simulator** `prerequisites.md`. Thisskill discovers everything app-specific (bundle id, scheme) from the app config; it neverhardcodes a project's nouns.## The loop1. **Pick an execution mode** (`references/execution-modes.md`): Expo Go, a development build (dev client), Storybook-mobile, or web-on-mobile. The choice is forced by whether the app has custom native code.2. **Get the app on the device.** Pure-JS app: Expo Go installs and launches it for you (`references/expo-go.md`). Anything with native modules or a config plugin: build and install a dev client (`references/development-builds.md`), then serve Metro and connect by deep link.3. **Clear the recurring prompts** (`references/known-prompts.md`): the "Open in app?" deep-link dialog, the push-token alert that re-fires and stacks on each reload, and the dev menu; avoid the element-inspector trap. Clear each by accessibility, never coordinates.4. **Drive it.** The driving primitive is **ios-simulator** `references/driving.md` (`axe tap --id` / `--label`); what makes the app addressable is **mobile-accessibility**.## Rules- Discover bundle id and scheme from the app config; never hardcode them.- **Never drive a bundling app.** Two readiness gates sit between "launched" and "driveable": Metro serving (`curl /status`) and the first bundle finishing (the tree grows labels); both recipes are in `references/development-builds.md`. Taps dispatched before them report success and do nothing.- Clear every Expo dialog and overlay by accessibility (`axe tap --label`), not coordinates.- Every factual claim here and in the references cites a primary source (Expo, Apple, AXe's own help); a prior-art skill is never a source.## Out of scope- The simulator itself, its chrome, capture, and permissions: **ios-simulator**.- What makes an app addressable (accessibility props): **mobile-accessibility**.- The dev menu's items and React Native DevTools (shared with Android): **expo-developer-tools**.- Build, runtime, and automation failures: **ios-simulator-triage**.## References- `references/execution-modes.md`: the four ways to run an Expo app and when to use each.- `references/expo-go.md`: the Expo Go path and its fixed-native-set limit.- `references/development-builds.md`: building and connecting a dev client.- `references/known-prompts.md`: the recurring dialogs, the dev menu, and the inspector trap.

Frequently asked questions