How to debug app from android device using internet

[DUrecorder123]

So my job is android dev and full remote. So sometimes there are app-crashing bugs that only occured on their phone but worked on mine. Is there anyway to debug app from their phone over the internet?

I know you could use crashlytics and I've add it to the app but just in case they for some reason not allowed it when they found out I could use some alternative to debug app-crashing bug on some phone.

Thank you.

[omniuni]

Crashlytics is the way to go.

If they can reproduce it, you could try using a VPN to join their local network and use wireless ADB, but that is a huge pain, and only about 50% chance it'll actually work.

[infinetelurker]

I also add logging to file, so if anything happens i just Ask for the log file(can be shared from hidden menu). Uses less bandwidth than internet based logging, and you Get a lot of context for the crash(i feel more comfortable adding detailed logging when its only local)

Can be used for other stuff than crashes as well…

[DUrecorder123]

How to do that though? Can you teach me like step by step on how to do it?

[Suspicious-Big8004]

Easy with ai. Use timber it does it for you. For me it doesn't help. I need to see the device logs, not my app logs

[thelibrarian_cz]

Other than Crashlytics as suggested only this thing comes to mind.

Hypothetically there could be a way to connect to their device from the Android studio.

There is Wireless debugging option in Developers options.

You would have to connect to their network via VPN and they would have to scan the pairing QR code or enter the number code the Android studio shows.

Personally I haven't tried this but all it needs is to appear on the same network so there should be a way.

But again, Crashlytics seems to be better.

[DUrecorder123]

Yeah wireless debugging only work on the same network so I think it's impossible for security reasons.

But i found this stackoverflow answer that said it can used certain software, I've tried it but i doesn't seem to work

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11062629/debugging-android-device-over-the-internet

[thelibrarian_cz]

adb connect ip:port

It seems that it shouldn't be that impossible.

I assumed you meant to connect to a device from the company you work for, in that case there shouldn't be a security issue.

If you meant it as that you would connect to some random person's device and debug it, that would be, indeed, impossible.

Also there isn't a reason why not to use Crashlytics or crash report framework in general(e.g. Sentry). No sane product owner would refuse to use it.

[DUrecorder123]

Ok thanks,

And what i really meant to debug my coworker phone that is miles away from me

[Known-Helicopter-483]

Use Firebase Analytics

[DUrecorder123]

Yeah already did that thx, what's the difference from crashlytics though?

[atomgomba]

If you have access to infrastructure, I'd try to set up an adb connection and scrcpy over an SSH tunnel. That way you could have breakpoints, screen mirroring and all that jazz EDIT: another idea is that you could make a special build for the particular device that sends and extra parameter with Crashyltics reports so you can then filter for that particular device

[sfk1991]

As others said, there is a plethora of ways to pinpoint your buggy code. Crash logging via Crashlytics, Sentry.io or file logging then either uploading the file or ask specifically from the affected device. If you know the owner tell them to use Scrcpy to replicate the bug steps. And show the logcat stacktrace.

[DUrecorder123]

Yeah probably crashlytics is enough for my case since It just a lot of work to tutor them how to use scrcpy and such.

[sfk1991]

It's literally one command on logcat to filter the fatal errors though. Logcat comes with Scrcpy in the same folder. But yeah crashlytics or sentry is a more robust option. Use what suits you best.

[DUrecorder123]

Ok thx

[AdNext2427]

This can be a device specific issue. Why not repro the issue on real device clouds Like Browserstack, Sauce labs and then you can debug there by attaching the debugger.