Docs/Getting Started/Installation

Installation

Install AXe with Homebrew, then verify the CLI can see your booted iOS Simulators.

Requires macOS 14+Homebrew installiOS Simulator

Requirements#

Requirement	Notes
macOS	macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Homebrew	Recommended installation path for normal use.
Simulator	A booted iOS Simulator is required for interaction, screenshot, and video commands.

Xcode and simulator compatibility#

The current simulator command contract has been validated against these toolchain and runtime combinations:

Xcode	Simulator runtime	Status
Xcode 26.5 (17F42)	iOS 26.5 (23F77)	Supported.
Xcode 27 Beta 3 (27A5218g)	iOS 27.0 (24A5380g)	Beta support, validated with Device Hub simulators.

AXe retains its IDB-based automation approach across both versions. Xcode 27 uses Device Hub for its simulators; you do not need to launch Simulator.app for AXe commands when the target Device Hub simulator is already booted.

Release builds use the immutable cameroncooke/idb fork revision 1395103ca786ee990c70514e1f8bb75fa98cdd82, based on upstream IDB e682506725e9efefb9c43b8b917c0b12eb2a5939.

Xcode 27 is beta software

Support is qualified to the exact beta build and runtime above. Later Xcode 27 betas may change private simulator behavior and require revalidation.

Install with Homebrew#

shell

brew tap cameroncooke/axe
brew install axe

Or install in one command:

shell

brew install cameroncooke/axe/axe

Verify the CLI#

Confirm AXe is installed:

shell

axe --help

Then confirm AXe can see your simulators:

shell

axe list-simulators

If list-simulators prints your simulator devices, AXe is ready to use.

Need a simulator first?

Boot an iOS Simulator before running interaction commands. list-simulators is the fastest check that AXe can reach the simulator runtime.

Next step#

Open Quick Start and run AXe against a booted simulator.