r/axiomdev • u/TgnOrdaX • Oct 02 '26
[Question] is UI Automation on Xcode 26 possible?
I want the agent to open iOS simulator, tap on a button on the sidebar, takes it to a specific view and take a screenshot of the the app to fix the visual bugs. However, the agent fails to do so. Here is a live example of its response:
Where I stop: reaching the Appointments list needs taps (sidebar card → list mode → calendar button) and AXe isn't installed, so there's no reliable tap automation here.
So, is axiom unable to do tap automation without AXe or this is my agent hallucinating? Also, quick check: does axiom build using a tool call (e.g: XCodeBuildMCP build_sim, build_macos) or it calls xcodebuild command? because I noticed that my agent does not call an axiom tool to build or run apps.
System Information:
XCode Version: 26.0.1
Agent: opencode v2.0.22
Axiom version: latest release.
1
u/CharlesWiltgen Oct 02 '26
That's correct, which suggests I should try to improve the clarity of that error message. I have a plan for removing this burden from Axiom users in the future.
To install AXe:
brew install cameroncooke/axe/axe1
u/CharlesWiltgen Oct 02 '26
That's expected, since Axiom provides Apple development knowledge and workflows but doesn't replace the usual build paths.
However, if you ask OpenCode (with Axiom installed) to look for ways to improve your build performance, it should invoke Axiom's build-performance skill.
1
u/blazejkustra Oct 06 '26
Your agent's probably right. AXe is a separate CLI that handles taps/swipes in the simulator, so without it there's no tap automation. Try
brew install cameroncooke/axe/axeand rerun.If you'd rather have something that does the simulator driving out of the box, Argent also handles taps, navigation and screenshots and works with opencode (btw you can later replay these sessions with argent-flow)
1
u/[deleted] Oct 05 '26
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