Xcode MCP Remote Access Options

xcode-mcpbridge.md

Xcode MCP Remote Access Options

Options for connecting to Xcode's MCP server from an agent on a different machine on your network.

Background

• xcrun mcpbridge: Apple's built-in MCP bridge that connects to Xcode. Uses stdio only, must run on the Mac where Xcode is installed.
• Xcode MCP Tools: Enable in Xcode → Settings → Intelligence → Model Context Protocol.

---

Option 1: Custom Python Proxy

Files: xcode-mcp-proxy.py (server) + xcode-mcp-client.py (client)

Transport	Raw TCP relay
Remote binding	Yes (0.0.0.0)
Dependencies	Python 3
Xcode auth prompts	New prompt per connection

Setup

On Xcode Mac:

python3 xcode-mcp-proxy.py [port]   # default: 3847

On remote machine (e.g. ~/.cursor/mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xcode": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/path/to/xcode-mcp-client.py", "<XCODE-MAC-IP>", "3847"]
    }
  }
}

---

Option 2: XCodeMCPService

Repo: https://github.com/ljh740/XCodeMCPService

Transport	Streamable HTTP
Remote binding	Unclear (docs say localhost only)
Dependencies	Swift 6, macOS 15+, Xcode 26.3+
Xcode auth prompts	Single process, one prompt

Setup

On Xcode Mac:

# Build and install
git clone git@github.com:ljh740/XCodeMCPService.git
cd XCodeMCPService
bash build-app.sh
cp -r "build/XCode MCP Service.app" /Applications/

# Config: ~/Library/Application Support/XCodeMCPService/config.json
# Change "host" to "0.0.0.0" for remote (if supported)

On remote machine:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xcode": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://<XCODE-MAC-IP>:13339/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Alternative: Use SSH port forwarding if host binding is restricted:

ssh -L 13339:127.0.0.1:13339 user@xcode-mac
# Then connect to http://127.0.0.1:13339/mcp

---

Option 3: XcodeMCPKit

Repo: https://github.com/lynnswap/XcodeMCPKit

Transport	Streamable HTTP
Remote binding	Yes (--listen 0.0.0.0:8765)
Dependencies	Swift 6, macOS 15+
Xcode auth prompts	Single process, one prompt

Setup

On Xcode Mac:

# Install
git clone https://github.com/lynnswap/XcodeMCPKit.git
cd XcodeMCPKit
swift run -c release xcode-mcp-proxy-install

# Start server with remote access
xcode-mcp-proxy-server --listen 0.0.0.0:8765

On remote machine:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xcode": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://<XCODE-MAC-IP>:8765/mcp"
    }
  }
}

---

Option 4: mcp-proxy (Generic)

Repo: https://github.com/sparfenyuk/mcp-proxy

Transport	stdio → SSE/Streamable HTTP
Remote binding	Yes (--host=0.0.0.0)
Dependencies	Python (uv tool install mcp-proxy or pipx install mcp-proxy)
Xcode auth prompts	New prompt per connection

Setup

On Xcode Mac:

mcp-proxy --port=8080 --host=0.0.0.0 xcrun mcpbridge

On remote machine:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xcode": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://<XCODE-MAC-IP>:8080/sse"
    }
  }
}

Named servers (multiple stdio servers behind one proxy):

mcp-proxy --port=8080 --host=0.0.0.0 \
  --named-server xcode 'xcrun mcpbridge' \
  --named-server fetch 'uvx mcp-server-fetch'
# xcode at /servers/xcode/sse, fetch at /servers/fetch/sse

---

Option 5: XcodeBuildMCP (Different Tool)

Repo: https://github.com/getsentry/XcodeBuildMCP

What it is	Standalone MCP server (not a proxy for mcpbridge)
Uses	xcodebuild CLI, not Xcode's internal tools
Transport	stdio only (no built-in network)
Needs Xcode running	No

XcodeBuildMCP provides its own tools for builds, simulators, testing, etc. It does not wrap xcrun mcpbridge. For remote access, wrap it with mcp-proxy:

mcp-proxy --port=8080 --host=0.0.0.0 npx -y xcodebuildmcp@latest mcp

---

Comparison Table

Option	Remote binding	Single mcpbridge	Native HTTP	Ease of install
Python proxy	✓	✗	✗ (TCP)	Easy
XCodeMCPService	?	✓	✓	Build from source
XcodeMCPKit	✓	✓	✓	swift run + install
mcp-proxy	✓	✗	✓	uv tool install
XcodeBuildMCP	Via mcp-proxy	N/A	✗	Homebrew / npx

---

Firewall

Allow inbound TCP on the proxy port on the Xcode Mac (e.g. System Settings → Network → Firewall).

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Recommendation

• Fewest Xcode prompts: XcodeMCPKit (single mcpbridge, explicit 0.0.0.0 support)
• Quickest setup: mcp-proxy (uv tool install mcp-proxy)
• No extra deps: Custom Python proxy (uses only stdlib)

---

Running Persistently on the Xcode Mac

xcrun mcpbridge (Options 1–4)

Requires Xcode GUI running and a user session. Works when:

Scenario	Works?
User logged in, Xcode running, screen locked	✓ Yes
User logged in, Xcode running, Mac awake	✓ Yes
All users logged out	✗ No
Mac sleeping	✗ Network connections drop

Setup: User LaunchAgent in ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ (no admin). Starts when user logs in. Add Xcode to Login Items if you want both to auto-start.

XcodeBuildMCP (Option 5)

Uses xcodebuild CLI, does not need Xcode GUI. Can run with no one logged in.

Setup: LaunchDaemon in /Library/LaunchDaemons/ (one-time admin). Use UserName to run as non-admin. Starts at boot.

Locked screen

Locked = session still active, only display locked. Xcode and the proxy keep running. MCP works.