# Ha Android Logging Errors

> Home Assistant Android logging and error handling. Use when writing catch blocks, logging with Timber, handling exceptions or fallbacks, using FailFast, or reviewing for silent failures and leaked user data.

- Skill: `home-assistant/ha-android-logging-errors` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add home-assistant/ha-android-logging-errors`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/home-assistant/ha-android-logging-errors/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: home-assistant (https://skillmd.com/u/home-assistant)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/home-assistant/ha-android-logging-errors

---


# HA Android Logging and Errors

Use this skill when adding logging, catching exceptions, or defining fallback behavior.

## Timber

All logging goes through Timber (`import timber.log.Timber`). Timber logs are enabled automatically in debug builds and use the class name as tag.

- No periods at the end of log messages.
- Never leak user information in release logs — wrap user data with `sensitive()` instead of manual `BuildConfig.DEBUG` checks. Entity IDs are not sensitive and help debugging; URLs and anything server- or user-identifying are sensitive.
- Error logs follow the shape `Timber.e(e, "Failed to <do what> for <contextual id>")` — include the identifiers needed to debug.
- If building a log message requires heavy logic, only compute it when necessary. Don't log normal, expected behavior, and don't repeat a message already logged nearby.

```kotlin
Timber.e(exception, "Failed to load user dashboard for userId=$userId")
// sensitive() hides user data in release logs
Timber.d("User logged in: userId=${sensitive(user.id)}")
```

## Exceptions

- Never silently ignore an exception — always log it with Timber, including enough context to troubleshoot.
- Catch the most precise exception type, not `catch (e: Exception)`.
- Never catch `kotlin.coroutines.cancellation.CancellationException` — let it propagate to cancel coroutines properly. A broad `catch (e: Exception)` in a suspend function silently catches it too; when a broad catch is unavoidable, rethrow cancellation first:

```kotlin
try {
    riskyOperation()
} catch (e: CancellationException) {
    throw e
} catch (e: IOException) {
    Timber.e(e, "Failed to update sensors")
}
```
- Thrown exceptions need meaningful messages and explicit types instead of generic ones.
- Don't use `check()`/`require()` for conditions whose exception is then caught and ignored upstream — the message never reaches the logs. Log the problem where it's detected and return early (or surface an error state to the user) instead.

## FailFast

Use the `FailFast` API from `:common` for offensive programming: it crashes debug builds so issues surface early, and falls back gracefully in production.

```kotlin
val value = FailFast.failOnCatch(
    message = { "Couldn't get ExternalThirdParty value, current state: ${ExternalThirdPartyJavaAPI.state()}" },
    fallback = "fallbackValue",
) { riskyOperation() }
```

In unit tests, a project-wide listener rethrows FailFast failures as test failures — see the `ha-android-testing` skill.

Prefer catching problems at build time over runtime: lean on the Kotlin compiler (exhaustive `when` over sealed types) and consider a custom lint rule in `:lint` when a check can't be expressed at compile time.

## Strict Mode

Strict Mode violations can be ignored with `io.homeassistant.companion.android.common.util.IgnoreViolationRules`, injected in the Application class.

## Debugging Aids

- Filter LogCat by tag: Timber uses the class name as tag by default.
- Debug network requests with OkHttp logging interceptors in debug builds.
- Inspect the Room database with Android Studio's App Inspection tool.