Sim Screener

Sim Screener is a native Mac utility that turns screenshots and recordings from Apple's Simulator or Device Hub into device-framed exports. It watches the folder where captures are saved, detects new PNG and MP4 files, and matches each one to an included iPhone or iPad frame. The app was built to restore a simple presentation workflow that became harder after Device Hub changed how framed Simulator captures were handled. Instead of opening an image editor, finding the right bezel, and aligning the screen by hand, an iOS developer can keep capturing normally and let Sim Screener prepare an asset at the source resolution.

Setup starts with a capture folder and an export destination. While the app is running, it listens for new files in that folder and waits for a capture to finish writing before processing it. Device and orientation are matched from the capture dimensions and Simulator filename. The bundled library contains 122 original Apple frames covering recent iPhone and iPad families, with portrait and landscape artwork and selectable finishes. Sim Screener does not stretch an arbitrary image into a close fit. A capture has to match a supported device's native resolution, which protects the proportions and crispness of the frame but means unsupported sizes will not be processed as if they were valid.

Framed screenshots appear in a floating corner preview rather than forcing a full editor in front of the current work. From there, a user can switch the bezel finish, copy the image, save it, open it for editing in Preview, drag it into another app, or discard the working copy. Exports retain full resolution and can preserve transparency outside the device. Existing captures are supported too. They can be opened from the app or dragged into Settings, so the folder watcher is a convenience rather than the only route into the workflow. Originals remain untouched, and the local inbox keeps pending work available across app restarts until it is saved, shared, or moved to the Trash.

Recordings receive the same device treatment with formats suited to different destinations. A standard H.264 MP4 uses a black background and works well for broad playback. Transparent HEVC MOV and ProRes 4444 MOV exports are available for compatible editors and players when the frame needs to sit over another background. Sim Screener preserves the original timing, orientation, and mono or stereo audio while it composites the frame. Progress and cancellation are built into the export flow. This makes the app useful for product demos, App Store material, release notes, support clips, and social posts where a raw Simulator recording looks unfinished but a full video editor would add unnecessary work.

The focus is deliberately narrow. Sim Screener is not a general mockup studio, a screenshot localization system, or a screen recorder for physical devices. It is a companion to captures that already come from an iPhone or iPad Simulator at a supported resolution. That narrow scope is also what keeps the workflow quick. App developers can make a capture while testing, designers can collect consistent device-framed images for a launch page, and product teams can share a polished demo without rebuilding the frame for every update. Both Apple silicon and Intel Macs are supported, but macOS 14 or later is required, and there is no Windows or Linux version.

Capture processing stays on the Mac. The privacy policy says screenshots, recordings, frames, and capture history are never uploaded by the app, and the app contains no advertising, analytics, or crash-reporting SDKs. License activation sends a license key and a random activation identifier directly to Lemon Squeezy, while updates are delivered through signed Sparkle releases hosted on Cloudflare. License values are stored in the macOS Keychain, and the app permits up to seven days offline after a successful verification. Optional launch at login uses the standard macOS Login Items mechanism rather than installing a separate background service.

Sim Screener costs $19 as a one-time Mac app license. The purchase includes the full frame catalog, screenshot framing, and all recording export formats, with the final tax shown by Lemon Squeezy at checkout. There is no subscription or free tier, so it makes the most sense for people who produce Simulator captures often enough to value an automatic folder workflow. Buyers should confirm that their Mac runs macOS 14 or later and that their target Simulator devices are represented in the bundled catalog. Within those limits, the product replaces a repetitive compositing task with a quiet utility that stays close to the development loop and keeps source captures local.