MiniSim: macOS Emulator Launcher
/MiniSim
MiniSim earns its spot on the menu bar by cutting the friction of digging through Xcode or Android Studio just to start an emulator for developers who constantly switch between iOS and Android devices. The no-audio option alone justifies its use for those with Bluetooth headphones. However, it can be skipped if you only work on one platform and already have your own scripts.
What is MiniSim?
MiniSim is a native macOS menu bar utility that discovers and launches iOS simulators and Android emulators from a single popup, with extras like copying device IDs, cold booting, and toggling audio. It stays out of your way while you work.
Key Features for Developers
- ✓Global menu bar popup via ⌥ + ⇧ + e — no clicking through Xcode or Android Studio
- ✓Launches iOS simulators through xcrun and Android emulators through sdk/emulator
- ✓Cold boot Android emulators from the menu instead of the command line
- ✓Run Android emulators without audio — avoids Bluetooth headphone conflicts
- ✓Copy iOS device UDIDs and Android ADB IDs with one click
- ✓Delete iOS simulators and toggle accessibility settings directly from the popup
- ✓Running device indicators so you know what's already active
- ✓Raycast extension for command-palette access
Installation Steps
Download the .app from the releases page, or install via Homebrew: `brew install --cask minisim`. A Raycast extension is also available if you prefer the command palette.
How to Use MiniSim
Press ⌥ + ⇧ + e to open the menu bar popup. MiniSim scans available devices using xcrun (iOS) and sdk/emulator (Android). Select a device to launch it, or use the submenu for actions like copying UDID/ADB ID, cold booting, running without audio, or deleting the simulator.
Strengths
- ✓Zero IDE overhead — opens emulators from a hotkey without touching Xcode or Android Studio windows
- ✓Android no-audio flag is genuinely useful and not exposed in the standard emulator UI
- ✓Single interface for both iOS and Android virtual devices
- ✓Native macOS app — fast, minimal memory footprint, no Electron
- ✓MIT licensed, source available
Prerequisites and Usage Notes
- △Requires Xcode and Android Studio to already be installed and configured — MiniSim can't create or install emulators
- △macOS only — no Windows or Linux support
- △No built-in emulator creation or configuration editing
- △Relies on xcrun simctl and sdk/emulator being correctly set up in PATH
Alternative Emulator Launchers
Common Questions
MiniSim is macOS only. It won't run on Windows or Linux because it depends on macOS-specific tools like xcrun for iOS simulator management.
MiniSim launches iOS simulators via Xcode's xcrun and Android emulators via Android Studio's sdk/emulator. It discovers whatever virtual devices you already have configured on your machine.
Yes. The README explicitly states MiniSim uses xcrun and sdk/emulator to fetch available devices — you'll need Xcode for iOS simulators and Android Studio for Android emulators to be present and configured.
Yes. MiniSim is released under the MIT license and the source is available on GitHub.
You can download the app directly from the GitHub releases page, or install it via Homebrew with the command: brew install --cask minisim
Yes. The README mentions an official Raycast extension that lets you access MiniSim's emulator controls directly from the Raycast command palette.
The problem it solves
Starting an iOS simulator or Android emulator usually means opening Xcode, Android Studio, or wrestling with the command line. The tools are there in the OS and SDK, but there's no unified, quick-access interface for switching between virtual devices across both platforms.
Best use cases
- •Mobile developers who test on both iOS and Android daily and want to swap devices without switching windows
- •Teams standardizing emulator workflows across developers who might not know the xcrun simctl flags
- •QA engineers needing quick, repeatable device launch without digging through IDE menus
- •Anyone frustrated by emulator audio hijacking their Bluetooth headphones
Who should try it — and who should skip
Mobile developers working across both iOS and Android platforms who want quick emulator access without switching apps. Less useful for single-platform developers or those comfortable with command-line tools.
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