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Real iOS device support

Terminal window
export SIMDRIVE_ALLOW_PHYSICAL_DEVICE=1
simdrive bootstrap-device <device-udid> --team-id <APPLE_TEAM_ID>
session_start(bundle_id="com.acme.app", udid="<device-udid>", target="device")

Bootstrap is one-time per device. After that, devices behave like simulators for observe, tap, swipe, type_text, press_key, clear_field, dismiss_sheet, and the full record/replay surface.

  • WDA bootstrap on iOS 26.x has rough edges. Expect 5+ iterations on the first try (Xcode account, provisioning, allowProvisioningUpdates, occasional clang frontend crash). Sim-only is the smoother path if you’re just trying SimDrive out.
  • App install on device is noticeably slower than simctl install.
  • Some HID quirks differ between sim and device — type cadence and multi-touch swipes especially.
  • Step-by-step bootstrap walk-through with screenshots
  • The full simdrive bootstrap-device --help flag matrix
  • Cross-target replay strategy (record on sim, validate on device)
  • Device farm + Sauce Labs integration patterns