SimParcel

katenin.dev/simparcel · Download · brew install --cask vadimkat/tap/simparcel

Drag and drop for the iOS Simulator. Send photos, videos, Live Photos, contacts, .app builds, .apns push notifications, deep links and any other file to one simulator or to all running simulators at once.

Xcode 27 replaced Simulator.app with Device Hub, which no longer accepts files dropped from Finder. SimParcel is a small native macOS app that brings that workflow back: pick a simulator, drop your files, click Send to Simulator. No terminal, no xcrun simctl addmedia by hand.

Features

Drop files or whole folders onto the window, or choose them with File → Choose Files… (⌘O):

You drop	The simulator gets
Photos and videos	New items in Photos
A still image and a video with the same name	One Live Photo
.vcf contact cards	New contacts
.app simulator builds	The app, installed
.apns push payloads	A push notification
Web links and deep links	The link, opened (drag it from a browser or use File → Add Link…, ⌘L)
Any other file (PDF, JSON, ZIP, …)	A copy in Files → On My iPhone

• Send to one simulator, or choose All Running Simulators to send everything to each running simulator at once.
• Simulators are grouped by iOS version, and running ones are listed first.
• A simulator that isn't running starts automatically and opens in Simulator.
• Items that are sent leave the queue. Items that fail stay there, show the error, and can be retried.

Push payloads

A payload needs an aps dictionary and a Simulator Target Bundle key with your app's bundle ID. The app must be allowed to show notifications in the simulator.

{
  "Simulator Target Bundle": "com.example.MyApp",
  "aps": {
    "alert": { "title": "Hello", "body": "Sent from SimParcel" }
  }
}

Requirements

• macOS 14 or later
• Xcode with at least one iOS Simulator runtime installed
• Xcode → Settings → Locations → Command Line Tools set to the Xcode you want to use

Installation

Homebrew

brew install --cask vadimkat/tap/simparcel

Download

Download SimParcel.dmg (or pick a version on Releases), open it and drag SimParcel to Applications. The app is signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple.

Updates

SimParcel checks for updates once a day with Sparkle and installs them when you agree. You can also choose SimParcel → Check for Updates…. Updates are signed, and the app installs only updates signed with the project's key.

Build from source

git clone https://github.com/VadimKat/SimParcel.git
cd SimParcel
open SimParcel.xcodeproj

Run the SimParcel scheme on My Mac. Xcode fetches Sparkle, the only dependency, with Swift Package Manager.

To build and test from the command line:

xcodebuild -project SimParcel.xcodeproj -scheme SimParcel -destination 'platform=macOS' test

How it works

The app runs Apple's command line tools:

• xcrun simctl list devices available --json lists the simulators.
• xcrun simctl bootstatus <udid> -b boots a simulator that isn't running.
• xcrun simctl addmedia <udid> <files…> imports photos, videos and contacts. The files of a Live Photo go in a single call, which is how simctl pairs them.
• xcrun simctl install, push and openurl handle apps, push payloads and links. Apps are installed first, so pushes and links in the same batch can reach them.
• Other files are copied into the Files app's local storage (the group.com.apple.FileProvider.LocalStorage app group, found with xcrun simctl get_app_container or, on runtimes where that fails, by its container metadata). Each file is written under a temporary name and then renamed, so Files never shows a partial copy. A name that's taken gets a number: report 2.pdf.

Because the app runs xcrun, it can't use the App Sandbox and isn't distributed through the Mac App Store.

Troubleshooting

• No simulators listed: check that an iOS runtime is installed (Xcode → Settings → Components) and that Command Line Tools point to that Xcode. Then click Refresh (⌘R).
• Something else? Open an issue or write to support@katenin.dev.
• Imports go to Photos, not your app: addmedia writes to the simulator's Photos library. Use your app's photo picker to reach the files.
• A push fails with "isn't allowed to show notifications": open the app in the simulator and allow notifications first.
• "The Files app isn't available": some simulator runtimes don't include Files. Try a simulator with another iOS version.
• An app fails to install: only builds for the iOS Simulator work (Debug-iphonesimulator), not device builds or .ipa files.

Releasing

Write the release notes to release-notes/<version>.md, then run:

scripts/release.sh 1.1.0

The script sets the version, builds a universal app, signs it with Developer ID, notarizes and staples the app and the DMG, and writes a Sparkle appcast. After you confirm, it tags the release, publishes it on GitHub with the zip, DMG and appcast, and updates the Homebrew cask. The one-time setup it needs is listed at the top of the script.

License

MIT