Testing the Android user interface

--- name: androiduiverification description: Automated end-to-end UI testing and verification on an Android Emulator using ADB. risk: safe source: community date_added: "2026-02-28" --- # Android UI Verification Skill This skill provides a systematic approach to testing React Native applications on an Android emulator using ADB commands. It allows for autonomous interaction, state verification, and visual regression checking. ## When to Use - Verifying UI changes in React Native or Native Android apps. - Autonomous debugging of layout issues or interaction bugs. - Ensuring feature functionality when manual testing is too slow. - Capturing automated screenshots for PR documentation. ## 🛠 Prerequisites - Android Emulator running. - adb installed and in PATH. - Application in debug mode for logcat access. ## 🚀 Workflow ### 1. Device Calibration Before interacting, always verify the screen resolution to ensure tap coordinates are accurate. ``bash adb shell wm size ` *Note: Layouts are often scaled. Use the physical size returned as the base for coordinate calculations.* ### 2. UI Inspection (State Discovery) Use the uiautomator dump to find the exact bounds of UI elements (buttons, inputs). `bash adb shell uiautomator dump /sdcard/view.xml && adb pull /sdcard/view.xml ./artifacts/view.xml ` Search the view.xml for text, content-desc, or resource-id. The bounds attribute [x1,y1][x2,y2] defines the clickable area. ### 3. Interaction Commands - **Tap**: adb shell input tap <x> <y> (Use the center of the element bounds). - **Swipe**: adb shell input swipe <x1> <y1> <x2> <y2> <duration_ms> (Used for scrolling). - **Text Input**: adb shell input text "<message>" (Note: Limited support for special characters). - **Key Events**: adb shell input keyevent <code_id> (e.g., 66 for Enter). ### 4. Verification & Reporting #### Visual Verification Capture a screenshot after interaction to confirm UI changes. `bash adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png && adb pull /sdcard/screen.png ./artifacts/test_result.png ` #### Analytical Verification Monitor the JS console logs in real-time to detect errors or log successes. `bash adb logcat -d | grep "ReactNativeJS" | tail -n 20 ` #### Cleanup Always store generated files in the artifacts/ folder to satisfy project organization rules. ## 💡 Best Practices - **Wait for Animations**: Always add a short sleep (e.g., 1-2s) between interaction and verification. - **Center Taps**: Calculate the arithmetic mean of [x1,y1][x2,y2] for the most reliable tap target. - **Log Markers**: Use distinct log messages in the code (e.g., ✅ Action Successful) to make grep verification easy. - **Fail Fast**: If a uiautomator dump` fails or doesn't find the expected text, stop and troubleshoot rather than blind-tapping. ## Limitations - Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above. - Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review. - Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.