Migrating from apple-mcp
apple-mcp was archived on 2026-01-01. macos-mcp covers its PIM surface with a different shape: apple-mcp multiplexed each app behind one tool with an operation argument (notes {operation: "search"}); macos-mcp ships one focused tool per operation, so schemas stay small and an agent picks by name. Natural-language prompts that worked against apple-mcp work unchanged.
Tool mapping
| apple-mcp call | macos-mcp equivalent |
|---|---|
contacts {name} | contacts_search {name} |
notes {operation: "list"} | applescript_run_recipe {recipe: "notes_list", params: {limit}} |
notes {operation: "search", searchText} | applescript_run_recipe {recipe: "notes_search", params: {query}} |
notes {operation: "create"} | not yet — writes come with the full PIM surface (Phase 4) |
reminders {operation: "list"} | reminders_list {list?, include_completed?} |
reminders {operation: "search", searchText} | reminders_search {text} |
reminders {operation: "create"} | not yet (Phase 4, destructive-flagged) |
calendar {operation: "list"} | calendar_search {from?, to?} (defaults to the coming 7 days); calendars themselves via calendar_list |
calendar {operation: "search", searchText} | calendar_search {text, from?, to?} |
calendar {operation: "create"} | not yet (Phase 4, destructive-flagged) |
messages / mail / maps | not yet — Messages and Mail land with the ScriptingBridge modules (Phase 4) |
Permissions
macos-mcp never silently fails on TCC. The first calendar, reminders or contacts call triggers the system's own permission prompt, attributed to the app hosting macos-mcp; a denial comes back as a typed permission_missing error carrying the exact System Settings deep-link. macos-mcp doctor shows all grants at a glance. Notes reads go through AppleScript and use the Automation permission — the first notes_* recipe run prompts for Notes automation.
Enabling the tools
The apps toolset is gated off by default to keep the default surface lean. Enable it at runtime with enable_toolset {"toolset": "apps"}, or start the server with:
macos-mcp serve --toolsets ui,screen,system,files,appsWhat you gain
Beyond the PIM tools: the whole accessibility-driven UI surface, screenshots and OCR, AppleScript recipes for Safari, Finder, volume, dark mode and notifications, Shortcuts, a permission model with confirmation tokens, and an audit log — from one signed binary with no Bun or Node runtime. The full tool reference →
FAQ
Is apple-mcp dead?
The dhravya/apple-mcp repository was archived on 2026-01-01 and no longer receives updates. Its Calendar, Reminders and Contacts surface maps directly onto macos-mcp's apps toolset, and Notes reads are covered by AppleScript recipes.
Do my existing apple-mcp prompts still work?
Natural-language prompts do. apple-mcp multiplexed each app behind one tool with an operation argument; macos-mcp ships one focused tool per operation, and the agent maps the same prompt to the new tool names.