Appium MCP: clear_element doesn't work on WebView text fields
Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened Jan 31, 2026 by dawnpatrol04 Closed Mar 1, 2026
Issue
The clear_element tool in the Appium MCP server doesn't clear text from WebView text fields (e.g., in Plaid Link SDK).
Steps to Reproduce
- Open an app with a WebView containing text input fields (e.g., Plaid Link)
- Type text into a text field
- Call
clear_elementon the text field - Text remains in the field
Expected Behavior
Text should be cleared from the field.
Actual Behavior
clear_element returns "Cleared" but the text remains in the WebView input field.
Environment
- iOS Simulator (iPhone 16 Pro)
- WebView: Plaid Link SDK sandbox login form
- Element type: XCUIElementTypeTextField inside XCUIElementTypeWebView
Possible Fix
For WebView text fields, may need to:
- Select all text first (triple-click or Cmd+A)
- Then send delete/backspace
- Or use JavaScript injection to clear the value
The native element.clear() Appium command doesn't work reliably on WebView inputs.
This issue has 2 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗