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dev-emulator

Run and test Android apps from a script. No Android Studio, no phone, no setup.

dev-emulator gives AI agents and developers a simple scripting interface to a real Android emulator. Install an APK, tap the screen, find UI elements, take screenshots, read logs — all from a heredoc. The Android SDK, emulator, and virtual device are bootstrapped automatically on first use.

Works on macOS and Linux. Supports Apple Silicon (arm64) and Intel/AMD (x86_64).

Node.js License Version PRs Welcome Platform Android

npm · Report Bug · Request Feature

Installation

npm install -g dev-emulator

On install, dev-emulator automatically copies the android-agent skill into any AI coding tool it finds:

  • Claude Code → ~/.claude/skills/android-agent/skill.md
  • Codex CLI → ~/.codex/skills/android-agent/SKILL.md
  • Gemini CLI → ~/.gemini/config/plugins/android/skills/android-agent/SKILL.md

If no AI tool is installed yet, a lightweight daily check is scheduled — it installs the skill automatically once a tool appears, then removes itself. The skill is also re-synced on every dev-emulator run, so reinstalling Claude/Codex/Gemini never leaves you without it.

On first run, if the Android SDK is not found, dev-emulator:

  1. Runs preflight checks (Node 18+, unzip available, Java present)
  2. Downloads Android command-line tools
  3. Installs platform-tools (adb, ~10 MB) and checks if a device is already connected
  4. If a device is found — starts immediately, skips the large image download
  5. If no device — scans existing system images and picks the best one for your machine, or installs a fresh one

Every subsequent run is instant.

Requirements: Node.js 18+, macOS or Linux.

Usage

Pipe a script via heredoc:

dev-emulator <<'EOF'
const d = await device.get();
await d.install("/path/to/app.apk");
await d.launch("com.example.app", ".MainActivity");
await d.sleep(8000);
const shot = await d.screenshot("home.png");
console.log(JSON.stringify({ screenshot: shot }));
EOF

Run dev-emulator with no input to see the full API reference.

API

device.get(name?)

Returns a Device instance. Checks for a running ADB device first — if one is connected, it's used immediately with no SDK setup. Only bootstraps the SDK when no device is found.

const d = await device.get(); // optional name for caching multiple devices

Device methods

Method Description
d.install(apkPath) Install an APK (re-installs if already present)
d.launch(pkg, activity) Start an activity, e.g. launch("com.example", ".MainActivity")
d.stop(pkg) Force-stop an app
d.tap(x, y) Tap at device pixel coordinates
d.swipe(x1, y1, x2, y2, ms?) Swipe gesture over optional duration in ms
d.key(keycode) Send a keyevent, e.g. "KEYCODE_BACK" or 4
d.type(text) Type text (spaces auto-encoded)
d.screenshot(name?) Capture a PNG — returns the local file path
d.size() Screen dimensions { w, h } in device pixels
d.shell(...args) Run an adb shell command, returns stdout
d.logcat(filter?, {lines?}) Recent logcat lines (default 200), optionally filtered
d.clearLogcat() Clear the logcat ring buffer
d.getUI() UIAutomator dump → [{text, contentDesc, bounds}]
d.findAndTap(text) Find element by text/desc and tap its center
d.waitForElement(text, {timeout?, interval?}) Poll until element appears, then return it
d.isCrashed(pkg) Check for app crash → { crashed, error? }
d.notifications() Dump active notifications (raw dumpsys output)
d.isInstalled(pkg) Returns true if a package is installed
d.home() Press home
d.back() Press back
d.wake() Wake the screen
d.openNotifications() Pull down the notification shade
d.sleep(ms) Wait milliseconds

Note: getUI(), findAndTap(), and waitForElement() use Android UIAutomator and work on native apps only. WebView content (HTML rendered inside an app) is not visible to UIAutomator. For WebView apps, use screenshot() + visual inspection to find coordinates, then tap(x, y).

Examples

Install, launch, and screenshot

dev-emulator <<'EOF'
const d = await device.get();
await d.install("/Users/me/app/app-debug.apk");
await d.launch("com.example.app", ".MainActivity");
await d.sleep(8000);
const shot = await d.screenshot("launch.png");
console.log(JSON.stringify({ screenshot: shot }));
EOF

Find and tap a button by name (native apps)

dev-emulator <<'EOF'
const d = await device.get();
await d.launch("com.example.app", ".MainActivity");
await d.sleep(4000);

// Find "Sign In" button and tap it — no coordinates needed
await d.findAndTap("Sign In");
await d.sleep(3000);

const shot = await d.screenshot("after_signin.png");
console.log(JSON.stringify({ screenshot: shot }));
EOF

Wait for a screen to load, then act

dev-emulator <<'EOF'
const d = await device.get();
await d.launch("com.example.app", ".MainActivity");

// Wait up to 15s for "Dashboard" to appear
const el = await d.waitForElement("Dashboard", { timeout: 15000 });
console.log(JSON.stringify({ found: "Dashboard", at: el.bounds }));

await d.tap(el.bounds.cx, el.bounds.cy);
await d.sleep(2000);

const shot = await d.screenshot("dashboard.png");
console.log(JSON.stringify({ screenshot: shot }));
EOF

Check for crash after launch

dev-emulator <<'EOF'
const d = await device.get();
await d.clearLogcat();
await d.launch("com.example.app", ".MainActivity");
await d.sleep(5000);

const result = await d.isCrashed("com.example.app");
if (result.crashed) {
  console.log(JSON.stringify({ crashed: true, error: result.error }));
} else {
  const shot = await d.screenshot("running.png");
  console.log(JSON.stringify({ crashed: false, screenshot: shot }));
}
EOF

Tap a button and verify (WebView or unknown coordinates)

dev-emulator <<'EOF'
const d = await device.get();
await d.launch("com.example.app", ".MainActivity");
await d.sleep(8000);

const { w, h } = await d.size();
await d.tap(w * 0.5, h * 0.8); // tap at 50% width, 80% height
await d.sleep(2000);

const shot = await d.screenshot("after_tap.png");
console.log(JSON.stringify({ screenshot: shot }));
EOF

Check media notification after audio plays

dev-emulator <<'EOF'
const d = await device.get();
await d.launch("com.example.app", ".MainActivity");
await d.sleep(10000);

await d.openNotifications();
await d.sleep(1000);

const shot = await d.screenshot("notification.png");
console.log(JSON.stringify({ screenshot: shot }));
EOF

Login to an app, then automate

dev-emulator <<'EOF'
const d = await device.get();

const installed = await d.isInstalled("com.example.app");
if (!installed) await d.install("/path/to/app.apk");

await d.launch("com.example.app", ".MainActivity");
await d.sleep(5000);

// For native apps: find fields by name
await d.findAndTap("Email");
await d.type("user@example.com");
await d.findAndTap("Password");
await d.type("yourpassword");
await d.findAndTap("Sign In");
await d.sleep(5000);

const shot = await d.screenshot("home_after_login.png");
console.log(JSON.stringify({ screenshot: shot }));
EOF

Tip for AI agent users: You don't need to write scripts yourself. Just describe the goal — "log into the app and check the dashboard" — and Claude (or Codex/Gemini) will write and run the script, screenshot each step, and verify the result.

Read logcat for debugging

dev-emulator <<'EOF'
const d = await device.get();
await d.clearLogcat();
await d.launch("com.example.app", ".MainActivity");
await d.sleep(8000);

const logs = await d.logcat("MyApp", { lines: 500 }); // filter by tag, last 500 lines
console.log(logs);
EOF

How it works

  1. device.get() checks for a running ADB device first — if one is connected (any emulator or physical device), it's used immediately.
  2. If no device is connected, it checks ANDROID_HOME, ANDROID_SDK_ROOT, and default SDK paths.
  3. If no SDK is found, it downloads command-line tools, installs adb, checks for a device again.
  4. If still no device, installs the full emulator + Android 14 system image and creates a Pixel_7a_dev_emulator AVD.
  5. Boots the AVD headlessly (no window, software GPU) and waits for sys.boot_completed=1.
  6. Your script runs against the live device via ADB.

Screenshots are saved to $TMPDIR/dev-emulator/ and can be read back with any file tool.

Default emulator profile

Property Value
Device Pixel 7a
API Level 34 (Android 14)
Architecture x86_64
Screen 1080 × 2400
GPU swiftshader (software, no host GPU required)

AI coding tool integration

When dev-emulator is installed, the android-agent skill is automatically copied into every supported AI coding tool on your machine. The skill gives the AI full knowledge of the ADB command set, coordinate scaling rules, the complete dev-emulator API, and common gotchas (WebView limitations, notification shade swipe distances, JS bridge timing).

Supported tools:

  • Claude Code — ~/.claude/skills/android-agent/skill.md
  • Codex CLI — ~/.codex/skills/android-agent/SKILL.md
  • Gemini CLI — ~/.gemini/config/plugins/android/skills/android-agent/SKILL.md

The skill is also re-synced on every dev-emulator run, so reinstalling Claude/Codex/Gemini never leaves you without it.

License

MIT © goyaljai

About

Android emulator automation for AI agents and developers. Zero setup, scriptable, headless.

Topics

adbai-agentandroidapkautomationclaudeemulatorheadlessnodejstesting

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