mikekelly/outside-in-testing-ios-apps

Overview

This skill guides outside-in testing of iOS apps running in the Simulator using the AXe CLI. It focuses on driving the app like a real user — launching flows, interacting with UI, verifying screens, and diagnosing failures with simulator logs. Use it to run acceptance, end-to-end, functional, exploratory, or smoke tests and produce repeatable evidence of app behavior.

How this skill works

The agent uses AXe CLI commands to Observe → Act → Verify in a loop: capture screenshots, read the accessibility tree, interact (taps, typing, gestures), then re-check UI state. All interactions target a Booted Simulator identified by its UDID. When behavior deviates from expectations the skill collects simulator logs and crash reports to diagnose root causes.

When to use it

• Verify core user flows and acceptance criteria in an iOS Simulator
• Run end-to-end or smoke tests before a build merge or release
• Explore UI behavior and catch accessibility or layout regressions
• Diagnose crashes, hangs, or unexpected UI states using logs
• Record test sessions for QA evidence or developer debugging

Best practices

• Find a Booted simulator UDID with axe list-simulators before starting
• Follow Observe → Act → Verify: screenshot and describe UI before and after actions
• Prefer accessibility labels/identifiers; fall back to coordinates from describe-ui
• Use pre/post delays for animations or slow loading to reduce flakiness
• Capture logs and video when failures occur to speed diagnosis

Example use cases

• Acceptance test: launch app, log in, navigate to settings, and verify expected content
• Smoke test: confirm app launches and critical buttons are tappable after an install
• Exploratory test: navigate varied screens, interact with inputs, and note unexpected behavior
• End-to-end flow: simulate user purchase flow including typing, scrolling, and confirmation
• Failure diagnosis: reproduce a crash, stream recent logs, and collect crash reports for triage