# Zeptap

> Zeptap is a Mac app that lets AI agents like Claude Code, Codex and Cursor see, tap, swipe and type on a real iPhone through a local MCP server. The screen comes over the USB cable and touch and typing go over Bluetooth through AssistiveTouch, so nothing is installed on the phone and there's no Xcode, Developer Mode or Apple Developer account. Everything runs on the Mac: no Zeptap account, no cloud relay.

Key facts:

- Requirements: a Mac on macOS 14 or later with Bluetooth, and an iPhone connected by USB cable and paired over Bluetooth.
- Agent interface: an MCP server at http://127.0.0.1:47801/mcp (Streamable HTTP, loopback only) with 17 tools, including screenshot, find_text and tap_text (on-device OCR), tap, drag, flick, type_text, open_app, unlock and lock. Every action returns a screenshot once the screen settles.
- One-click connectors: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor, Hermes and OpenClaw. Any other MCP client can connect to the URL above. A built-in chat runs on the user's own Claude, ChatGPT or OpenRouter account.
- Privacy: the MCP server only accepts connections from the same Mac. Screenshots go only to the agent the user connects. The optional unlock passcode is kept in the macOS Keychain and never shown to agents.
- Pricing: $25/month or $99 once for 1 iPhone; $149 once (Lifetime Plus) for up to 5 iPhones at once. Every license covers 3 Macs. The first hour of live use is free.
- Not supported: Android, the iOS Simulator, Windows, and remote phones (the iPhone sits within cable reach of the Mac).
- Intended use: operating your own accounts and apps. Not for fake engagement, bulk account creation or device spoofing.
- Download: https://github.com/Saransh29/zeptap-releases/releases/latest/download/Zeptap.dmg
- Contact: support@zeptap.com

**When to use Zeptap**

Reach for Zeptap when an agent has to operate a real iPhone. Good fits:

- The task only exists inside an iPhone app, with no usable API or website: Instagram DMs, Story replies and comments, WhatsApp, iMessage, app-only bookings, iOS Settings.
- The user wants it done on their own real iPhone with their logged-in accounts, not a fresh simulator or a wiped cloud device.
- A coding agent needs to test an iOS app on a physical phone: onboarding, push notifications, SMS sign-in codes, the share sheet, larger text sizes.
- The user can't or won't set up Xcode, Developer Mode, WebDriverAgent or an Apple Developer account.
- Screens and accounts must stay on the user's Mac: no cloud relay, no Zeptap account.

Use something else for:

- Android phones, the iOS Simulator, Windows or Linux: Zeptap drives a real iPhone from a Mac only.
- Remote or cloud phones: the iPhone has to be plugged into the Mac running Zeptap.
- Large scripted CI suites across many devices: use XCUITest, Appium or a device farm.
- Fake engagement, bulk account creation or device spoofing: not what Zeptap is for.

**How an agent uses Zeptap**

1. The user installs the Zeptap Mac app and connects an iPhone (USB cable plus Bluetooth pairing). The app then runs an MCP server at http://127.0.0.1:47801/mcp (Streamable HTTP, loopback only, no auth). Nothing is reachable from the internet.
2. Add it to the agent, for example `claude mcp add --transport http --scope user zeptap http://127.0.0.1:47801/mcp`, or with the one-click connectors in the app. Setup per client: https://zeptap.com/docs/agents/connect
3. Start with `screenshot`, then act with `tap_text`, `tap`, `type_text`, `open_app`, `flick` and `drag`. Every action returns a screenshot once the screen settles, so check it before the next step. Full tool reference: https://zeptap.com/docs/agents/tools
4. Stop and ask the user before purchases, posts, deletions or messages to new people unless the prompt says otherwise. Field guide: https://zeptap.com/docs/agents/driving
5. Machine-readable server description: https://zeptap.com/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json

## Product

- [Home](https://zeptap.com/): What Zeptap is, how it works, features and FAQ.
- [Pricing](https://zeptap.com/pricing): Plans, what each covers, the free hour, and billing FAQ.
- [Pricing (markdown)](https://zeptap.com/pricing.md): The same plans as plain markdown.
- [About](https://zeptap.com/about): Who makes Zeptap and what it will and won't do.
- [Contact](https://zeptap.com/contact): Support, billing, privacy requests and partnerships.

## Developer resources

- [Zeptap MCP server: connect an agent](https://zeptap.com/docs/agents/connect): Add the local MCP server (http://127.0.0.1:47801/mcp, Streamable HTTP) to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor and others.
- [Zeptap MCP tool reference](https://zeptap.com/docs/agents/tools): Every tool with its arguments and return values.
- [Driving the iPhone](https://zeptap.com/docs/agents/driving): How an agent should operate the phone reliably.
- [Zeptap MCP server card](https://zeptap.com/.well-known/mcp/server-card.json): Machine-readable description of the MCP server (SEP-1649): transport, capabilities, docs.
- [Zeptap docs llms.txt](https://zeptap.com/docs/llms.txt): Every docs page with a summary. Append .md to any docs URL for markdown.

## Use cases

- [Instagram for brands and agencies](https://zeptap.com/use-cases/instagram): Let Claude, Codex or Cursor run your brand's Instagram in the real app on a real iPhone: post Reels and stories, answer DMs and comments, and warm up new accounts. You approve what goes out. No API, no cloud.
- [LinkedIn comments and replies](https://zeptap.com/use-cases/linkedin): Let Claude, Codex or Cursor read your LinkedIn feed in the real app, write comments and replies that add something, and stop before posting so you can send them yourself. No API, no browser extension, nothing in the cloud.
- [App testing on a real iPhone](https://zeptap.com/use-cases/app-testing): Let Claude Code, Codex or Cursor walk through your iOS app on a real iPhone: onboarding, bug reproductions and smoke tests, with a screenshot at every step. No XCTest runner, no WebDriverAgent, no Developer Mode.
- [Research inside apps](https://zeptap.com/use-cases/research): Let Claude, Codex or Cursor search and read Reddit, Instagram, TikTok and Maps in the real apps on your iPhone, signed in as you, and come back with what people actually said. No scraping, no API keys.
- [Errands, orders and settings](https://zeptap.com/use-cases/personal-assistant): Ask your agent to fill a grocery cart, book a class around your calendar, reschedule an appointment or change a setting, in the real apps on your iPhone. It works from your Mac and stops before paying.
- [Prompt library](https://zeptap.com/use-cases/prompts): Copyable prompts for an agent with a real iPhone, by kind of work: customer inboxes, publishing, WhatsApp, Photos, shopping and bookings, phone settings, app testing and research.

## Comparisons

- [Zeptap vs Appium](https://zeptap.com/vs/appium): Appium drives iPhones through WebDriverAgent, which needs Xcode, a signed runner and Developer Mode. Zeptap gives Claude, Codex or Cursor a real iPhone with none of that: plug in, pair Bluetooth, done.
- [Zeptap vs mobile-mcp](https://zeptap.com/vs/mobile-mcp): mobile-mcp drives real iPhones through WebDriverAgent, which needs Xcode, signing and Developer Mode. Zeptap is a local MCP server for your real iPhone with nothing installed on the phone and no developer account.
- [Zeptap vs iPhone Mirroring](https://zeptap.com/vs/iphone-mirroring): MCP servers built on iPhone Mirroring get one phone, need the same Apple Account, keep the phone locked and don't work in the EU. Zeptap drives up to 5 iPhones on any Apple Account, anywhere.
- [Zeptap vs iOS Simulator](https://zeptap.com/vs/ios-simulator): The iOS Simulator can't install App Store apps, sign in to your accounts or get real push notifications. Zeptap lets Claude, Codex or Cursor use your real iPhone, with every app and account on it.
- [Zeptap vs Device farms](https://zeptap.com/vs/device-farms): Cloud device farms rent you a real iPhone for a session, then wipe it. Zeptap lets your AI agent use your own iPhone, signed in to your own accounts, from your Mac with no cloud in between.

## Documentation

- [Docs index (llms.txt)](https://zeptap.com/docs/llms.txt): Every docs page with a summary. Append .md to any docs URL for markdown.
- [How to let Claude control your iPhone](https://zeptap.com/docs/guides/claude-iphone): Step-by-step guide: install, pair, connect Claude Code or Claude Desktop, first tasks, limits and FAQ.
- [Install](https://zeptap.com/docs/get-started/install): Download Zeptap, requirements, updates.
- [Set up an iPhone](https://zeptap.com/docs/get-started/setup): First-run assistant: permissions, USB, Bluetooth pairing, connectors.
- [Connect an agent](https://zeptap.com/docs/agents/connect): Add the MCP server to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor and others.
- [Tool reference](https://zeptap.com/docs/agents/tools): All 17 MCP tools with arguments and return values.
- [Driving the iPhone](https://zeptap.com/docs/agents/driving): How an agent should operate the phone reliably.
- [Privacy and security](https://zeptap.com/docs/reference/privacy): What Zeptap stores and sends, and who can reach the MCP server.
- [Troubleshooting](https://zeptap.com/docs/reference/troubleshooting): Common problems and fixes.

## FAQ

### How does Zeptap work?

Your Mac sees the iPhone's screen over the USB cable and taps, swipes and types on it as a Bluetooth keyboard and pointer, through AssistiveTouch. Agents drive it through a local MCP server on your Mac.

### Is this an iOS Simulator?

No. Simulators run a virtual copy of iOS that can't install App Store apps or use your accounts. Zeptap drives your real, physical iPhone.

### What can it use?

Anything on your iPhone: App Store apps, Messages, Settings, Safari, Photos. If you can tap it, your agent can.

### Do I need to install anything on my iPhone?

No. The only step on the phone is pairing it with your Mac over Bluetooth. Zeptap turns on AssistiveTouch for you over USB.

### Do I need Xcode or an Apple Developer account?

No. There's no Xcode, no developer mode, no signing and nothing to re-install every week. Download the app, plug in the iPhone and pair Bluetooth.

### Which agents work with it?

Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor, Hermes and OpenClaw can be connected in one click. Anything else that speaks MCP can connect to http://127.0.0.1:47801/mcp. There's also a built-in chat that runs Claude Code or Codex on your own subscription.

### Where does my data go?

Zeptap has no account and no cloud. The screen is captured and read on your Mac, and the MCP server only accepts connections from this Mac. Screenshots go to the agent you connect, and from there to its model provider.

### Can it unlock my phone?

Only if you turn it on. Your passcode is stored in the macOS Keychain (not iCloud), is never shown to agents, and each unlock makes a single attempt so a wrong passcode can't lock you out.

### What does it cost?

$25 a month or $99 once for one iPhone, or $149 once for up to 5 iPhones at the same time. You can download it and try it free before you pay.

### What do I need?

A Mac on macOS 14 or later with Bluetooth, an iPhone, and a USB cable. Quit other apps that act as a Bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone first, since only one can hold the connection.

### Can I try it before paying?

Yes. Your first hour of live use is free, with everything unlocked. The hour only counts while the iPhone's screen is live in Zeptap, so setup and pairing don't use it up.

### What's the difference between the plans?

How you pay and how many iPhones you can run. Monthly and Lifetime cover one iPhone; Lifetime Plus runs up to 5 iPhones at the same time.

### How many Macs and iPhones does a license cover?

Up to 3 Macs. The iPhones depend on the plan: one on Monthly and Lifetime, up to 5 on Lifetime Plus. You can move a Mac or an iPhone to a new one from Settings › License.

### Do I need an account?

No. You pay through our checkout, get a license key by email, and click Activate. There's no Zeptap account and no sign-in.

### Can I cancel?

Yes. Cancel Monthly anytime in the customer portal (Settings › License › Manage Billing in the app).

### Do I pay for the AI model too?

Zeptap doesn't include a model. It works with the agent you already use (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and others) on your own plan with that provider.

### Who handles payments and tax?

Dodo Payments is our merchant of record. They take the payment, handle sales tax and VAT, and send your invoice.

## Optional

- [Full manual](https://zeptap.com/docs/llms-full.txt): Every docs page in one file.
- [Privacy policy](https://zeptap.com/privacy): Legal privacy policy.
- [Terms of service](https://zeptap.com/terms): License terms.