Mirror iOS Simulator inside VS Code and Cursor. Powered by serve-sim
[!NOTE]
This extension is a thin editor wrapper around the serve-sim CLI. It does not bundle the simulator bridge or native helpers. It finds or downloads the CLI, starts the local preview server, and embeds that preview in an editor webview.
Overview
Serve Sim keeps the simulator preview next to your code. Open the panel, pick an installed iOS Simulator if needed, and the extension boots or mirrors the selected device through serve-sim.
The extension focuses on the local desktop workflow:
Reusable preview panel for VS Code and Cursor.
Installed iOS Simulator picker when no device is booted.
Boot, wait, mirror, restart, and stop controls from the panel.
CLI resolution through serveSim.executablePath, workspace node_modules/.bin, PATH, then npx -y serve-sim@latest.
Clear recovery UI when the preview is not ready or no booted simulator is available.
Requirements
macOS
Xcode with iOS Simulator
Node.js 20+
npx on PATH when using the package fallback
Commands
Serve Sim: Open Panel
Serve Sim: Start
Serve Sim: Restart
Serve Sim: Stop Active Stream
Serve Sim: Stop All Streams
Settings
serveSim.executablePath: explicit path to the serve-sim CLI.
serveSim.port: starting port. Default: 3200.
serveSim.packageSpec: package used by npx. Default: serve-sim@latest.
serveSim.autoOpenPanel: open the panel after start. Default: true.
serveSim.codec: auto, h264, or mjpeg. Default: auto.
Development
pnpm install
pnpm test
pnpm build
pnpm package
Run the extension with the Run Extension launch config.
