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Getting started with Argent Cloud

Argent Cloud is a cloud-hosted iOS simulator infrastructure platform developed by Software Mansion. It provides network-accessible, isolated iOS simulators that run on dedicated Apple hardware. AI coding agents, such as Claude Code or Cursor Cloud Agents, use it to run iOS and React Native applications remotely. CI/CD pipelines on Linux or cloud hosts use it in the same way. Both can execute, inspect, debug and test the applications.

Quick start with an AI agent
Set up Argent Cloud on this computer and boot a hosted iOS simulator.
Follow the documentation at https://docs.swmansion.com/argent/docs/cloud/fundamentals/installation

1. Download the latest sim-remote binary for this platform from
 https://github.com/software-mansion/sim-remote-releases/releases/latest
 into ~/.local/bin, make it executable, add ~/.local/bin to PATH if missing,
 and confirm with sim-remote --help.
2. If SIM_REMOTE_API_KEY is set, run `sim-remote login`. If not, ask me to add
 it to my shell profile or a secret manager. Never ask for, print or store the key.
3. Run `sim-remote simctl list devices available`, pick an iPhone,
 boot it and wait with `sim-remote simctl bootstatus <UDID> -b`.
4. Confirm the simulator shows up in argent's list-devices as a remote device.
 Reply in at most 5 lines: machine name, UDID, state, and one sentence
 telling me what I can ask you to do on it now (e.g. "open the app and
 profile a screen"). No build steps, no command lists.

Do not run sim-remote logout or release. I want to keep the machine.

Quick start​

Step 1: Install the sim-remote CLI​

curl -fL -o sim-remote https://github.com/software-mansion/sim-remote-releases/releases/latest/download/sim-remote-aarch64-apple-darwin
chmod +x sim-remote
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin && mv sim-remote ~/.local/bin/

If ~/.local/bin is not on your PATH, add this line to your shell profile. Run the same line in the current shell, so the next command finds the binary:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Confirm the installation:

sim-remote --help

See Installation for the prerequisites and the list of release assets.

Step 2: Acquire an API key​

We issue one API key per user and send it to you directly. If you do not have a key yet, contact us and we will send you one. Treat the key like a password and do not commit it to a repository. See Security and data.

Step 3: Authenticate​

Put your API key in the SIM_REMOTE_API_KEY environment variable and log in. The command reserves a machine for you and prints its name.

export SIM_REMOTE_API_KEY=<API_KEY>
sim-remote login

We recommend the environment variable. Set it once in your shell profile, and sim-remote login needs no arguments. In CI, supply the same variable as a secret.

You can also give the key with the --api-key option:

sim-remote login --api-key <API_KEY>

sim-remote keeps the session in memory only and does not write the key to disk.

Step 4: Boot a simulator​

List the simulators on your machine and copy the UDID of one of them.

sim-remote simctl list devices available

Boot the simulator and wait until the boot completes. The -b option boots the simulator if it is not booted yet.

sim-remote simctl bootstatus <UDID> -b

Step 5: Install and launch your app​

Install your app. The path is a path on your computer. sim-remote uploads the bundle for you.

sim-remote simctl install <UDID> ./build/MyApp.app

Launch your app.

sim-remote simctl launch <UDID> com.example.MyApp

Step 6: Log out​

Log out when you are done. The makes the machine available to other users on your team again.

sim-remote logout

Next steps​

How it works

Learn how sessions, machines, simulators and tunnels fit together.

Integrations

Connect Argent, Maestro, Appium and GitHub Actions to the hosted simulators.

CLI reference

Look up every sim-remote command.

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