Apple System MCP

Local MCP server for macOS system context, truthful Focus support metadata, assistant-relevant settings reads, explicit settings writes, and bounded GUI fallback automation.

Capabilities

• battery status
• frontmost app
• running applications
• clipboard read and write
• local notifications
• open an application
• appearance settings
• accessibility settings
• Dock settings
• Finder settings
• truthful Focus support metadata
• combined system context snapshots
• appearance mode write
• Finder visibility and bar writes
• Dock write controls for autohide and recent apps
• accessibility writes for reduce motion, increase contrast, and reduce transparency
• GUI fallback tools for menu clicks, key presses, text entry, button clicks, and pop-up selection
• preference-domain inspection via defaults export
• resources: system://status, system://applications, system://settings, system://context
• prompt: system_capture_context
• tool discovery helpers search_tools and get_tool_info for context-constrained clients

Install On This Mac

uvx apple-system-mcp

git clone https://github.com/JonathanRReed/Apple-MCPs.git
cd Apple-MCPs
uv sync --all-packages

Install In AI Agents

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apple-system": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["apple-system-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "APPLE_SYSTEM_MCP_SAFETY_MODE": "safe_manage"
      }
    }
  }
}

Running from a clone instead? Use /path/to/Apple-MCPs/AppleSystem-MCP/start.sh as the command with empty args.

Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope project apple-system -- uvx apple-system-mcp

Transport

stdio is the default and recommended transport. Set APPLE_SYSTEM_MCP_TRANSPORT=streamable-http (with optional APPLE_SYSTEM_MCP_HOST and APPLE_SYSTEM_MCP_PORT) to serve Streamable HTTP instead.

Prompting Notes

• tools/list returns the full System tool surface. Context-constrained clients can use search_tools first, then get_tool_info for the System tool they need.
• Use this server when the user’s current desktop context matters.
• Read battery state and the frontmost app before interruptive actions.
• Use the settings tools before falling back to raw defaults read in prompts or E2E checks.
• Use APPLE_SYSTEM_MCP_SAFETY_MODE=safe_manage for assistant-grade operation.
• Keep safe_readonly only for audit-only or context-only deployments.
• Keep GUI fallback narrow. Prefer native app-domain MCPs first, then explicit System tools, then GUI tools only when native support is missing.
• Focus reporting is best-effort and truthful. This server does not claim Notification Center history support when macOS does not expose it cleanly on an unsigned local install.

Health And Recovery

• system_health
• system_permission_guide
• system_get_settings_snapshot
• system_get_focus_status
• system_get_context_snapshot
• system_read_preference_domain

Assistant-Grade Control Surface

The launch System write surface is explicit, not generic:

• system_set_appearance_mode
• system_set_show_all_extensions
• system_set_show_hidden_files
• system_set_finder_path_bar
• system_set_finder_status_bar
• system_set_dock_autohide
• system_set_dock_show_recents
• system_set_reduce_motion
• system_set_increase_contrast
• system_set_reduce_transparency

The bounded GUI fallback surface is:

• system_gui_list_menu_bar_items
• system_gui_click_menu_path
• system_gui_press_keys
• system_gui_type_text
• system_gui_click_button
• system_gui_choose_popup_value

Launch Checklist

• Add uvx apple-system-mcp (or a clone's AppleSystem-MCP/start.sh) to your MCP client
• Reload or reconnect the client so the System tool surface is loaded into context
• Call system_health first
• If a scoped system action is blocked, call system_permission_guide
• Call system_status to verify the full context surface is available

Preference-domain reads accept named domains such as com.apple.finder and NSGlobalDomain, rather than filesystem paths or command options. The -g and -globalDomain aliases select NSGlobalDomain.