Drive the user's iPhone (SideTap)
The user's real iPhone is connected to this PC over USB and fully controllable.
Replace /path/to/sidetap below with the SideTap folder — a git clone, or
%LOCALAPPDATA%\SideTap\app when it was installed with the sidetap.io
one-liner. Driving the phone works from any project directory.
Run
Cheapest path, and the only one a subagent with no MCP tools has: the declick
adapter iphone. Build it once with
declick add "mcp:python /path/to/sidetap/scripts/phone_mcp.py" --name iphone,
then every helper is a shell verb:
declick daemon start # once per boot: keeps the server warm, ~0.6s a call instead of 2-4s
declick run iphone ocr --rows screen --fields text,x,y --limit 30
declick run iphone tap-text --text "General"
declick run iphone send-message --contact Mom --text "hi"
declick run iphone act --steps '[{"tool":"tap","args":{"x":100,"y":200}},{"tool":"type_text","args":{"text":"hi"}}]'
declick describe iphone --verb tap-text # one verb's flags, under 500 tokens
Verbs are the helper names in kebab-case (tap_text is tap-text) and every
argument is a --flag; inside act --steps the tool names stay Python-style
(type_text). ocr and find-text answer {warning, source, flags, screen}:
--rows screen unwraps the rows and the warning stays in meta.extra. Set
DECLICK_TIMEOUT_MS=120000 for unlock, send-message, read-messages and
find-on-home-screen, which can outrun the 30s default. Every safety gate below
applies unchanged.
For a step that needs logic between gestures, run Python with the helpers in scope:
cd /path/to/sidetap && ./phone-harness.cmd <<'PY'
send_message("Mom", "hi")
PY
Bare phone-harness is NOT on the bash PATH — always use ./phone-harness.cmd
from the repo root. Helpers are pre-imported; print() output comes back to you.
REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: read phone-gotchas before your first tap. It holds the
coordinate traps, the batching tool, and what the harness genuinely cannot do —
none of which you can learn by looking at the screen.
Helpers
| Helper |
Use |
send_message(contact, text) |
full Messages send; contact = conversation name in the Messages list |
send_image(contact, image_path, text="") |
send a PNG/JPEG file from this PC as a Messages attachment, optional caption (clipboard paste; same approval gate) |
save_clipboard_image(path) |
save the image copied on the phone to a PNG on this PC |
read_messages(contact, limit=20) |
read a thread back: [{text, from_me}, ...], oldest first |
ocr() |
all visible text with center coords (real UI tree, exact). Elements are {"text","x","y","type","rect"} — the key is text, and full= is MCP-only |
find_text(t) / tap_text(t) |
locate / tap by visible text |
wait_for_text(t, timeout=10) |
poll until text appears; returns the element (with x/y) |
tap(x, y) / swipe(x1,y1,x2,y2,secs) / scroll("down") |
raw gestures, units = points |
long_press(x, y, seconds=1.0) |
context menus and other hidden affordances |
act([{"tool":n,"args":{...}}, ...]) |
several tools in ONE round trip; screenshot excluded |
type_text(t) |
type into the focused field (tap the field first) — it appends at the cursor |
set_field_text(field, text) |
replace a field's contents: pass the ocr() row for the field (it taps it for you), reads the value back. The only correct way to fill a field that may already hold text or an iOS draft |
get_clipboard() / set_clipboard(t) |
read or write the iPhone system clipboard |
open_app("messages", wait_seconds=0) |
friendly name or bundle id; wait_seconds>0 confirms it reached the foreground and raises if it never did (the only foreground-confirmed launch that does not need the bundle id) |
current_app() / wait_for_app(bundle_id) |
frontmost app / wait until one is |
open_apps() / close_app(name) |
the app switcher's contents [{name, bundle_id, pid}], newest first, read over USB; force-quit one (same names as open_app). The switcher SCREEN cannot be opened: WDA touches never reach the home-indicator zone (measured) |
screenshot("out.png") / press_home() / wait_stable() / unlock() |
utilities |
Not in the table, and you will want them:
- There is no
drag(). Moving Home Screen icons means jiggle mode plus a
hand-built client()._pointer_actions gesture, and it fails silently if you
skip jiggle mode. Recipe and the page-hiding flow are in phone-gotchas.
Same-page drags and folder-creation (drop icon A on icon B) are verified;
cross-page drags are not and degrade into plain swipes that look like
progress.
- "Organise my Home Screen" is not a quick job. ~160 icons is hours of drags
and can strand half-sorted. Hiding pages via the
PageIndicator editor is
~10 taps, reversible, and does most of the work — read the costing section in
phone-gotchas before you promise anything.
- Full installed-app inventory:
ios apps --list (go-ios, on PATH as
ios.EXE). Instant, and far cheaper than sweeping Home Screen pages.
Rules
- Sending to real people: send exactly what the user asked. If you composed the
content yourself (a summary, a draft), include the sent text verbatim in your reply.
Ask first only when the recipient or content is genuinely ambiguous.
- Messages compose field is labeled "Message", NOT "iMessage" — old message
bubbles carry "iMessage" in their labels; searching for it taps the wrong thing.
send_message/read_messages handle Messages resuming mid-thread, find the
thread via Messages SEARCH (type the name, tap the Conversations result), and
verify the opened thread's header before acting — a wrong or unverifiable
match raises instead of guessing.- MCP alternative: the
sidetap MCP server (see the SideTap README) exposes the
same helpers as native mcp__sidetap__* tools. The declick verbs are the same
tools with no per-session catalog cost, and they work from every subagent, so
prefer them; fall back to MCP only where declick is not installed.
- Anything fails to connect →
./phone-harness.cmd doctor from the repo root.
Never guess at connection problems. Common: free-Apple-ID signing expires every
7 days → phone-harness fix-input, then the USER clicks Start in Sideloadly.
- Phone must be unlocked for bring-up;
unlock() enters PHONE_PASSCODE from .env if set (digit passcodes are typed in one fast request and verified by the pad leaving the screen; if a lock-screen notification holding keyboard focus eats the typed digits, they go in by tapping the pad's buttons instead). It raises if the screen stays dark after two wake attempts — that means the phone needs a hand wake (side button), not a retry loop.
- Human-watchable live viewer: http://127.0.0.1:8770 (start with
python launch.py).
1---2name: phone-23description: Use when the user asks to text or message someone from their iPhone, read or check something on their phone, or control their iPhone — e.g. "text my dad ...", "send this to Mom", "summarize this and text it to X", "what's on my phone", "open <app> on my phone", "organize my home screen", "what apps do I have installed".4---56# Drive the user's iPhone (SideTap)78The user's real iPhone is connected to this PC over USB and fully controllable.9Replace `/path/to/sidetap` below with the SideTap folder — a git clone, or10`%LOCALAPPDATA%\SideTap\app` when it was installed with the sidetap.io11one-liner. Driving the phone works from any project directory.1213## Run1415Cheapest path, and the only one a subagent with no MCP tools has: the declick16adapter `iphone`. Build it once with17`declick add "mcp:python /path/to/sidetap/scripts/phone_mcp.py" --name iphone`,18then every helper is a shell verb:1920```bash21declick daemon start # once per boot: keeps the server warm, ~0.6s a call instead of 2-4s22declick run iphone ocr --rows screen --fields text,x,y --limit 3023declick run iphone tap-text --text "General"24declick run iphone send-message --contact Mom --text "hi"25declick run iphone act --steps '[{"tool":"tap","args":{"x":100,"y":200}},{"tool":"type_text","args":{"text":"hi"}}]'26declick describe iphone --verb tap-text # one verb's flags, under 500 tokens27```2829Verbs are the helper names in kebab-case (`tap_text` is `tap-text`) and every30argument is a `--flag`; inside `act --steps` the tool names stay Python-style31(`type_text`). `ocr` and `find-text` answer `{warning, source, flags, screen}`:32`--rows screen` unwraps the rows and the warning stays in `meta.extra`. Set33`DECLICK_TIMEOUT_MS=120000` for `unlock`, `send-message`, `read-messages` and34`find-on-home-screen`, which can outrun the 30s default. Every safety gate below35applies unchanged.3637For a step that needs logic between gestures, run Python with the helpers in scope:3839```bash40cd /path/to/sidetap && ./phone-harness.cmd <<'PY'41send_message("Mom", "hi")42PY43```4445Bare `phone-harness` is NOT on the bash PATH — always use `./phone-harness.cmd`46from the repo root. Helpers are pre-imported; print() output comes back to you.4748**REQUIRED SUB-SKILL:** read `phone-gotchas` before your first tap. It holds the49coordinate traps, the batching tool, and what the harness genuinely cannot do —50none of which you can learn by looking at the screen.5152## Helpers5354| Helper | Use |55|---|---|56| `send_message(contact, text)` | full Messages send; `contact` = conversation name in the Messages list |57| `send_image(contact, image_path, text="")` | send a PNG/JPEG file from this PC as a Messages attachment, optional caption (clipboard paste; same approval gate) |58| `save_clipboard_image(path)` | save the image copied on the phone to a PNG on this PC |59| `read_messages(contact, limit=20)` | read a thread back: `[{text, from_me}, ...]`, oldest first |60| `ocr()` | all visible text with center coords (real UI tree, exact). Elements are `{"text","x","y","type","rect"}` — the key is **`text`**, and `full=` is MCP-only |61| `find_text(t)` / `tap_text(t)` | locate / tap by visible text |62| `wait_for_text(t, timeout=10)` | poll until text appears; returns the element (with x/y) |63| `tap(x, y)` / `swipe(x1,y1,x2,y2,secs)` / `scroll("down")` | raw gestures, units = points |64| `long_press(x, y, seconds=1.0)` | context menus and other hidden affordances |65| `act([{"tool":n,"args":{...}}, ...])` | several tools in ONE round trip; screenshot excluded |66| `type_text(t)` | type into the focused field (tap the field first) — it **appends** at the cursor |67| `set_field_text(field, text)` | replace a field's contents: pass the `ocr()` row for the field (it taps it for you), reads the value back. The only correct way to fill a field that may already hold text or an iOS draft |68| `get_clipboard()` / `set_clipboard(t)` | read or write the iPhone system clipboard |69| `open_app("messages", wait_seconds=0)` | friendly name or bundle id; `wait_seconds>0` confirms it reached the foreground and raises if it never did (the only foreground-confirmed launch that does not need the bundle id) |70| `current_app()` / `wait_for_app(bundle_id)` | frontmost app / wait until one is |71| `open_apps()` / `close_app(name)` | the app switcher's contents `[{name, bundle_id, pid}]`, newest first, read over USB; force-quit one (same names as `open_app`). The switcher SCREEN cannot be opened: WDA touches never reach the home-indicator zone (measured) |72| `screenshot("out.png")` / `press_home()` / `wait_stable()` / `unlock()` | utilities |7374**Not in the table, and you will want them:**7576- **There is no `drag()`.** Moving Home Screen icons means jiggle mode plus a77 hand-built `client()._pointer_actions` gesture, and it fails *silently* if you78 skip jiggle mode. Recipe and the page-hiding flow are in `phone-gotchas`.79 Same-page drags and folder-creation (drop icon A on icon B) are verified;80 **cross-page drags are not** and degrade into plain swipes that look like81 progress.82- **"Organise my Home Screen" is not a quick job.** ~160 icons is hours of drags83 and can strand half-sorted. Hiding pages via the `PageIndicator` editor is84 ~10 taps, reversible, and does most of the work — read the costing section in85 `phone-gotchas` before you promise anything.86- **Full installed-app inventory:** `ios apps --list` (go-ios, on PATH as87 `ios.EXE`). Instant, and far cheaper than sweeping Home Screen pages.8889## Rules9091- **Sending to real people:** send exactly what the user asked. If you composed the92 content yourself (a summary, a draft), include the sent text verbatim in your reply.93 Ask first only when the recipient or content is genuinely ambiguous.94- Messages compose field is labeled **"Message"**, NOT "iMessage" — old message95 bubbles carry "iMessage" in their labels; searching for it taps the wrong thing.96- `send_message`/`read_messages` handle Messages resuming mid-thread, find the97 thread via Messages SEARCH (type the name, tap the Conversations result), and98 verify the opened thread's header before acting — a wrong or unverifiable99 match raises instead of guessing.100- MCP alternative: the `sidetap` MCP server (see the SideTap README) exposes the101 same helpers as native `mcp__sidetap__*` tools. The declick verbs are the same102 tools with no per-session catalog cost, and they work from every subagent, so103 prefer them; fall back to MCP only where declick is not installed.104- Anything fails to connect → `./phone-harness.cmd doctor` from the repo root.105 Never guess at connection problems. Common: free-Apple-ID signing expires every106 7 days → `phone-harness fix-input`, then the USER clicks Start in Sideloadly.107- Phone must be unlocked for bring-up; `unlock()` enters PHONE_PASSCODE from .env if set (digit passcodes are typed in one fast request and verified by the pad leaving the screen; if a lock-screen notification holding keyboard focus eats the typed digits, they go in by tapping the pad's buttons instead). It raises if the screen stays dark after two wake attempts — that means the phone needs a hand wake (side button), not a retry loop.108- Human-watchable live viewer: http://127.0.0.1:8770 (start with `python launch.py`).
ucsandman