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.
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.
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.
The simulator panel
FlowDeck runs the simulator inside the app, beside your conversation, rather than in a
separate Simulator window you have to hunt for. Press ⇧⌘0 to show or hide it, or use
Open in New Window to pop it out onto its own screen.
The panel is live: click, type, scroll, and pinch go straight to the guest, and ⌘V pastes the
Mac clipboard into it.
Panel controls
Simulated location
Simulated Location sets the guest’s reported position. Pick a preset, Add Custom
Location… to save your own, Manage Custom Locations… to edit the list, or Clear
Location to stop overriding it.
Simulator settings
The Simulator Settings menu reaches the guest’s own system settings without opening Settings
inside it:
- Language — any supported language, applied with Change & Reboot.
- Accessibility — Reduce Motion, Reduce Transparency, Show Borders, VoiceOver, and a Color
Filter (Grayscale, Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia).
- Liquid Glass — look and feel, with an opacity slider.
- Audio — output device, input device, and volume.
- Reset Content & Settings… — wipes the guest back to a clean state.
Accessibility, Liquid Glass, and Audio need Xcode 27. Those settings are driven through the
toolchain’s own device layer, and the commands that reach them do not exist before Xcode 27 —
on Xcode 26 and older those menus are simply inert.Language and Simulated Location work on any supported Xcode, including Xcode 26.
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.
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. 