Phone Use

Phone Use With OpenPocket

Use the plugin-provided openpocket-phone MCP server for Android work. Do not use desktop computer-use automation to operate an emulator window unless the MCP server is unavailable and the user explicitly accepts that fallback.

OpenPocket is Android-first. This plugin does not control iOS Simulator or iPhone targets.

Start Every Task

1. Confirm the target belongs to the user or is authorized for testing.
2. Call target_status before taking any action.
3. If the configured target is an emulator and no booted emulator is online, call start_emulator when starting it will not disrupt other local work.
4. If multiple devices are online, ask which serial to use and pass that deviceId to every subsequent tool.
5. Never bypass Android trust prompts, lock screens, account prompts, or OS security controls.

Interaction Loop

1. Read state with ui_snapshot, visible_text, or current_app.
2. Open apps with open_app when only the label is known, or launch_app when the package name is exact.
3. Locate controls with find_text and prefer tap_text or tap_element over raw coordinates.
4. After navigation, launch, search, or scrolling, use wait_for_text instead of repeatedly polling screenshots.
5. Use screenshot when visual layout, imagery, canvas content, or uncertain text extraction matters.
6. Read the metadata returned by screenshot or ui_snapshot, including currentApp, deviceId, uiElements, visibleTextLines, secureSurfaceDetected, capture metrics, and screen dimensions.
7. Use type_text only after the intended input field is focused.
8. Use key_event for BACK, HOME, ENTER, SEARCH, and similar Android keys.
9. Use swipe, drag, and long_press_drag for gestures.
10. Use adb_shell only for narrow Android inspection or deterministic setup. Avoid broad or destructive commands.
11. Re-read the screen after every state-changing action and stop when the user goal is complete or the state becomes ambiguous.

Tool Guide

• target_status: configured target type, online devices, booted devices, and resolved device.
• ui_snapshot: default text-only UI state with element metadata.
• visible_text: lightweight visible and accessibility text extraction.
• find_text: locate elements by text, content description, resource ID, or class.
• tap_text: tap a labeled control without coordinates.
• wait_for_text: wait for a known screen state.
• screenshot: visual evidence plus current app, text, elements, and capture metadata.
• open_app: discover and open an app by label or package.
• list_apps: list launchable app labels and package names.
• adb_shell: narrow Android inspection only.

Sensitive Boundaries

Pause for explicit user confirmation before:

• submitting a purchase or payment
• sending a message, post, like, follow, bid, or other irreversible social action
• changing account, security, privacy, or payment settings
• entering a password, OTP, 2FA code, recovery code, card detail, government ID, or private health or finance data
• using camera, microphone, photos, contacts, files, location, biometric, NFC, or SMS capabilities

If OpenPocket Human Auth is configured and the user asks for an approval-driven flow, prefer the OpenPocket human-auth path. Otherwise ask the user to provide the required data or approve the action in chat.

If a secure surface produces a black or incomplete screenshot, use returned UI metadata only. Do not infer hidden sensitive content.

Recovery

If tools are missing immediately after installation or update, restart the client and open a new task. Plugin-provided MCP tools are loaded per client task and an existing task may retain the previous tool surface.

Run node plugins/openpocket-phone/scripts/doctor.mjs from an OpenPocket checkout to validate both host bundles. If a UI element disappears, capture a fresh snapshot before trying again. If a physical device is unavailable, ask the user to authorize USB debugging or Wi-Fi ADB first.