modbender Mobile Appium Test
Android UI automation testing using Appium with USB-connected real devices.
Prerequisites
Required tools (must be installed):
- ADB (Android Debug Bridge) - part of Android SDK
- Appium Server (v2.x recommended)
- Appium Doctor (
npm install -g @appium/doctor)
Verify installation:
adb version
appium --version
appium doctor
Quick Reference
Device Connection
| Goal | Command |
|---|---|
| List connected devices | adb devices |
| Get device info | adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release |
| Restart ADB server | adb kill-server && adb start-server |
| USB debug authorization | Check phone for authorization prompt |
Appium Server
| Goal | Command |
|---|---|
| Start Appium | appium --address 127.0.0.1 --port 4723 |
| Start with relaxed security | appium --relaxed-security |
| Check Appium status | curl http://127.0.0.1:4723/status |
Common Appium Operations
| Goal | Endpoint/Action |
|---|---|
| Start session | POST /session with capabilities |
| Find element | POST /session/{id}/element |
| Click element | POST /session/{id}/element/{id}/click |
| Send keys | POST /session/{id}/element/{id}/value |
| Take screenshot | GET /session/{id}/screenshot |
| Get page source | GET /session/{id}/source |
| Quit session | DELETE /session/{id} |
Typical Workflow
1. Verify Device Connection
adb devices
Ensure device shows device status (not unauthorized or offline).
2. Start Appium Server
appium --address 127.0.0.1 --port 4723 --relaxed-security
3. Run Test
Use desired capabilities for USB device:
{
"platformName": "Android",
"deviceName": "device",
"udid": "<device-udid>",
"app": "/path/to/app.apk",
"automationName": "UiAutomator2",
"noReset": true
}
4. Common Test Scenarios
- Install app:
adb install app.apk - Launch app: Appium
appActivitycapability - Find element by ID:
find_element("id", "com.example:id/button") - Find element by text:
find_element("xpath", "//*[@text='Submit']") - Swipe: Appium touch action
- Get logs:
adb logcat
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
device not found |
USB connection issue | Check adb devices, restart ADB server |
unauthorized |
USB debug not authorized | Unlock phone, authorize the computer |
no such element |
Element not found | Use find_elements with wait, check page source |
session not created |
Capability mismatch | Verify UDID, platform version, app path |
Notes
- Always use
UdIDfromadb devicesfor real device testing - Use
UiAutomator2as automation engine for Android noReset: truepreserves app state between sessions- For WiFi debugging:
adb tcpip 5555thenadb connect <IP>:5555