FlowDeck manages simulators and devices from a dedicated window — no Xcode or simctl needed.
Open Simulators & Runtimes
Go to Tools → Simulators & Runtimes (or press ⌘⇧S). This opens a separate window where you can browse, create, and manage simulators.
Simulators
Browse simulators
The Simulators & Runtimes window lists all installed simulators grouped by platform (iOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS).
Boot and shutdown
Click the power button next to any simulator to boot or shut it down. A running simulator shows a green indicator.
Create a simulator
- Click + at the bottom of the Simulators list
- Choose a device type (e.g. iPhone 16 Pro)
- Choose an OS runtime
- Give it a name and click Create
Rename a simulator
Give an existing simulator a new display name without creating another device.
- Open Tools → Simulators & Runtimes (⌘⇧S).
- Click the pencil icon in that simulator’s action pill (between Clone and Copy ID).
- Type the new name in the sheet. The field starts with the current name; Rename Simulator stays disabled until the name is non-empty and different.
- Click Rename Simulator.
The simulator keeps its UDID. Destination pickers, scripts, and saved config that target that UDID continue to work. Only the name shown in the list and in flowdeck simulator list changes.
From the command line, the same action is:
Delete a simulator
Right-click any simulator and choose Delete. You can also delete all unavailable simulators at once via the context menu on the list header.
Deleting a simulator permanently removes its installed apps, app data, and test state.
Use Clone first when you need to preserve a known-good device state.
Simulator runtimes
The Simulators & Runtimes window shows which runtimes are installed. Download additional runtimes directly from this window, or via Xcode → Platforms.
Devices
Physical Apple devices appear in the Simulators & Runtimes window when connected via USB or paired wirelessly.
Connect a device
- Connect the device via USB
- Trust the Mac if prompted on the device
- The device appears within a few seconds
Wireless pairing
Pair once over USB, then enable wireless pairing in Xcode’s Device Manager. After pairing, the device appears in FlowDeck over Wi-Fi.
Running on simulators and devices
Select any simulator or device from the destination picker in the toolbar. The next Run targets that destination.
iPhone Duo posture
When the selected destination is an iPhone Duo on Xcode 27.1 or later, the inline simulator panel shows Duo Posture with Closed, Partially Open, and Open. The panel uses Apple’s V68 artwork when available and keeps the existing rotation controls. Exact angles and continuous monitoring are available through flowdeck simulator pose.
Phone ↔ Watch companion preview
When you run an iOS app that embeds a Watch companion (Host.app/Watch/*.app), the inline simulator panel’s device-name title becomes a toggle. The phone launches as usual; the watch is not started until you tap the title to switch to watch. FlowDeck pairs/boots/installs/launches the watch as needed, then shows the watch stream with the same controls and pop-out as the phone. Tap the title again to return to the phone — the watch simulator stays running. Projects without an embedded Watch app keep a plain (non-toggle) device name.
Use the simulator panel
After a simulator run starts, open the simulator panel with ⇧⌘0. The panel shows
the running app inside FlowDeck and supports typing, pointer input, scrolling, paste,
Home, screenshots, and rotation. These controls operate on the selected simulator;
they do not change a physical device.
The live panel accepts one pointer at a time. Use UI Automation
when you need a multi-touch gesture or a repeatable accessibility-driven flow.
Using the agent
Advanced simulator controls
Status bar overrides
For clean screenshots (App Store, press kit), override the status bar to show a fixed time, full signal, and full battery. Available from the Simulators & Runtimes window when a simulator is selected.
Push notifications
Send a simulated push notification to test your notification handling — no APNs required. Right-click a running simulator and choose Send Push Notification, then paste a JSON payload.
Location simulation
Override the device’s reported location for testing location-aware features. Set a fixed coordinate or simulate movement along a route.
Privacy permissions
Pre-grant or revoke app permissions (photos, location, microphone, etc.) to test different permission states without interacting with system prompts. Right-click a simulator and choose Manage Permissions.
Simulator settings workflow
- Select the simulator you want to change in Simulators & Runtimes.
- Open its action menu and choose the test state you need, such as status bar,
location, notification, media, privacy, accessibility, or appearance.
- Apply the change, then run or relaunch the app on that same simulator.
- Reset or erase the simulator when you no longer need the altered state.
These settings are for development and testing. They can change the behavior your app
observes, so reset them before treating the simulator as a clean test environment.
Troubleshooting
Simulator won’t boot
Try Erase All Content and Settings from the simulator’s context menu. This resets it to a clean state.
Device not appearing
Check the USB connection and trust dialog. If the device still doesn’t appear, restart both the device and FlowDeck.
”No runtimes available”
Open the Simulators & Runtimes window (⌘⇧S) and download the runtime for the iOS version you need, or open Xcode → Platforms. 
