macos-use

macos-use is a Swift MCP server for macOS automation. It is meant to let Claude Code drive Mac apps directly through the accessibility tree rather than through AppleScript or screenshot-based interaction, and the page describes it as handling any app with an AX tree, including Xcode, Slack, Mail, System Settings, and other modern Mac apps.

Its automation model is built around native accessibility APIs and CGEvent. The server can open or focus an application by name, bundle ID, or path; click by coordinates or by element text; type into the focused field; press keys with modifier support; scroll; and refresh the accessibility tree without taking an action. After each action it returns the updated accessibility tree as a diff, and the responses include structured elements with roles, text, and coordinates. The page also says it is not a screenshot agent and does not rely on OCR or a vision model. It supports cross-app handoff when a clicked link opens another app.

The server runs locally as one Swift binary over stdio, with no SaaS and no network egress from the server. Every action is gated by the MCP client’s approval prompt, and an InputGuard overlay blocks stray input during automation while Escape cancels instantly. The setup pack mentioned on the page provides per-client JSON for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, Windsurf, Cline, and Zed, and the install flow is described as a single command for Claude Code or a five-line JSON configuration for the other clients. The page also states that macOS 13+ is required and that Swift builds on first run in about twenty seconds.