/android_ui_verification

name: android_ui_verification
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

Select the authorized emulator serial with `adb devices -l`; pass `-s SERIAL` to every command when multiple devices exist. Before interacting, inspect current display geometry and UI bounds to ensure tap coordinates are accurate.

adb shell wm size

*Note: Size overrides, density, rotation and insets affect input coordinates. Prefer fresh UI bounds on the actual selected display rather than deriving coordinates solely from physical size.*

2. UI Inspection (State Discovery)

Use the `uiautomator` dump to find the exact bounds of UI elements (buttons, inputs).

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.

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.

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 State**: Poll for the expected UI state with a bounded timeout; a fixed delay alone is not 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.

Bundled helper example

From this skill’s directory, after selecting the authorized emulator, run `ANDROID_SERIAL=emulator-5554 bash scripts/verify_ui.sh login-screen`. Replace the example serial with the verified device. The inert, non-executable helper captures `artifacts/view.xml`, `artifacts/login-screen.png` and recent JS logs; it does not assert that the login flow passed. Inspect the captured state against the expected UI and keep artifacts private when they contain personal data.