---
id: fb-idb
version: "1.1.7"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# fb-idb — iOS debug bridge

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 80.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

fb-idb is a Python client and CLI tool that lets you automate iOS Simulators and Devices from anywhere, not just from Xcode. It works by running a companion daemon on macOS that communicates with your iOS targets, while the Python client can run on any machine. This architecture enables scenarios like centralized device labs or distributed test sharding across many simulators.

The package exposes low-level primitives—launching apps, listing targets, querying installed apps, and accessing Xcode features not normally available outside the GUI—so you can build custom testing workflows. It depends on aiofiles, grpclib, protobuf, and treelib to handle async I/O, gRPC communication, protocol buffers, and tree output formatting.

Use it for:

- Run iOS app tests in parallel across a pool of simulators in a data center or CI environment
- Automate app launch, interaction, and state inspection from a Python script or IDE without Xcode
- Build a centralized device lab where remote machines can control simulators on a macOS host
- Access Xcode private framework features (e.g., advanced debugging, performance profiling) from the command line
- Integrate iOS testing into a custom build or test orchestration pipeline

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

A command-line and Python client for automating iOS Simulators and Devices remotely, exposing granular primitives for testing and automation workflows.

Yes, if you need to automate iOS testing at scale or from outside Xcode. The low install friction and active repository are positive signals. However, the 2022 release date and required separate macOS companion daemon mean you should verify current iOS version compatibility and CI/CD integration feasibility before committing to a large test infrastructure.

## Install

pip install fb-idb
uv add fb-idb
poetry add fb-idb

## Installing fb-idb

Before you install: Low friction install as a pure Python wheel. The package is actively maintained with recent commits, though the latest release was in 2022; the companion daemon (idb-companion) must be installed separately via brew on macOS to function.

License in practice: MIT-licensed under permissive terms, so you can use, modify, and distribute the package freely with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install fb-idb

from idb.client import IdbClient
import asyncio

async def list_targets():
    async with IdbClient() as client:
        targets = await client.list_targets()
        for target in targets:
            print(target)

Requires idb-companion installed on macOS via brew (brew install idb-companion) and a macOS host with Xcode; the Python client can run elsewhere but must connect to a companion daemon.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the 2022 release date indicates active development or maintenance mode relative to current iOS versions
- Compatibility with modern Python versions beyond the stated 3.6+ requirement
- Whether the separate idb-companion installation is a significant barrier for CI/CD environments

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 80.1K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

iOS simulator automation, iOS device testing CLI, remote iOS automation, iOS app testing framework, Xcode automation alternative, iOS test orchestration, device lab automation, ios-automation, device-testing, remote-execution

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