Let iPhone operate itself: Swipt goes open source, installing scripts, MCP, and automation plugins directly into the phone

Beating AI News Flash: The open-source project Swipt enables iPhones to run automation scripts on their own, reading the interfaces of other apps, tapping buttons, entering text, and even accepting commands from AI agents such as Claude Code via MCP.

Most iPhone Use projects previously introduced require a computer to run continuously, controlling the phone via Bluetooth, WDA, or Apple developer interfaces. Swipt, by contrast, runs the automation service directly on the iPhone; once installation and configuration are complete, no Mac needs to stay resident.

It leverages Apple's CoreDevice developer protocol, using device pairing and an on-device loopback VPN to let the iPhone connect to its own developer service. This allows it to read the system accessibility control tree, obtain button text and positions, and then send commands such as taps, swipes, text input, and pinch-to-zoom.

Swipt also has a built-in JavaScript runtime. External agents can submit scripts directly via MCP to execute multiple operations consecutively on the phone, without having to initiate a new remote-control request for every single tap.

Even more interesting is its plugin system, Swiplet. Developers can write plugins in TypeScript to add standalone interfaces, shortcuts, and continuously running background tasks. Ordinary automation flows can be executed entirely by scripts, without calling a large model every time.

The official team has already built a splash-ad-skipping plugin similar to "Li Tiaotiao." It listens for app switches, uses accessibility controls and OCR to find the skip button, and taps it automatically. The plugin includes a large set of recognition rules for apps and ad SDKs, and can remember successfully tapped positions to prioritize reusing them next time.

Currently, Swipt prioritizes support for iOS 27; compatibility with older versions has not yet been fully verified. Installation requires developer mode, sideload signing, device pairing, and a loopback VPN. Free Apple account signing typically requires renewal every 7 days, and background services cannot be guaranteed to run continuously.

GitHub: https://github.com/swipt-automation/swipt