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

  1. Open an app with a WebView containing text input fields (e.g., Plaid Link)
  2. Type text into a text field
  3. Call clear_element on the text field
  4. 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:

  1. Select all text first (triple-click or Cmd+A)
  2. Then send delete/backspace
  3. Or use JavaScript injection to clear the value

The native element.clear() Appium command doesn't work reliably on WebView inputs.

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