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Android app testing on real phones
In short: Testing an Android app on real phones catches problems emulators miss, such as makers' changes to Android and real performance. BenchFleet turns the phones on your desk into a test lab you run from your computer, by hand or, on Pro, with workflows that repeat the checks on every phone after each build. It is free for 3 phones.
Emulators catch a lot, but your customers use real phones from different makers, with different Android versions, screens and networks. BenchFleet, an app that runs on your own computer and controls your Android phones, turns the test phones on your desk into a test lab you run from your computer: test by hand when you need to, let workflows repeat the checks on every phone after each build, and let AI agents explore the app.
Free for up to 3 phones, with no account. Pro adds workflows, schedules and AI for up to 25 phones from £12 a month + VAT.
A test lab in an afternoon
Plug your test phones into a powered USB hub, or pair them over Wi-Fi. Each one appears on the Fleet page with its screen and its health: battery, temperature, storage and connection, with problems in red. Put the phones in groups, by hand or by rule, and pin the ones you use most. Connecting phones shows each way, and controlling many Android phones from one PC shows the Fleet page in more detail. Moving a lab from STF or DeviceFarmer? See the OpenSTF and DeviceFarmer comparison.
Because the phones are yours, they are never busy with someone else's tests, and there are no device minutes to run out of: a plan covers them however often you test.
Testing by hand, without the cable shuffle
Click a phone and test with your mouse and keyboard. Install the new build from the phone's Apps tab, paste test data from your clipboard, read logcat while you go, and keep screenshots and screen recordings in the Library for your bug report. When you release the phone, automation may carry on.
Record a test once, run it on every phone Pro
- Record or build. Do the test once on a phone and the recorder turns your taps and typing into steps, or build it from steps such as Open app, Click element, Type and Wait for an element, with conditions, loops and retries.
- Steps that find things. Each step finds screen elements by their text and role first, and falls back to text and image recognition on the screen.
- YAML in version control. Every workflow is also a readable file you can review, keep with your code and validate.
- Dry run first. See what would happen without touching the phones, then run the test on one phone, a group or every phone that matches a filter.
Run on every build Pro
Start a test by hand, on a schedule or from your CI pipeline through a signed webhook. Each run keeps a timeline with screenshots, and alert rules can tell you on the desktop, by email or by webhook when a run fails. When you change a test, publish the new version to a few phones first and roll it back if it fails.
Moving off Firebase Test Lab, which Google shuts down on 30 September 2027? See what moves to your own phones in Firebase Test Lab alternative.
See why a run failed
Open a failed run and replay it step by step: each step shows the screen the phone had at that moment. When an app update moves things around, the Repairs page proposes fixes, with AI on paid plans, and you test a fix before it is used.
Exploratory testing with AI Pro
Give an AI task a goal, such as "open every screen in the settings and report anything that looks broken", and let it work through your app on one phone or many. It uses your own model, stays in the apps you allow, never types into password fields and stops at CAPTCHAs and sign-in checks. You read every step in its transcript afterwards.
Testing with AI agents such as Claude Code or Codex Pro
The agent you already use for your code can test the build on your phones too. Connect Claude Code, Codex or any MCP client to BenchFleet and it can read each screen and its interface, tap, type, open your app, read logcat and run the workflows you published, on the phones you choose. It cannot install apps or run shell commands: you install the build yourself, on one phone from its Apps tab or on a whole group at once. Typing a saved test password waits for your approval, and every call is in the audit log, so you can see exactly what it did. See the Android MCP server for the tools and the setup.
What it costs
Testing by hand works on every plan: Free shows and controls 3 phones at a time, with no account. Automated runs, schedules, AI and alerts need Pro, at £12 a month + VAT for up to 25 phones, or Team, at £20 per seat a month + VAT, for a shared lab with no limit on phones. AI usage is never included: you use your own model key or a model on your computer.
Paying for a cloud device farm today? See how BenchFleet compares as a BrowserStack alternative.
Questions
Why test on real phones instead of emulators?
Emulators are quick for early checks, but real phones show what your customers get, with each maker's own version of Android, real performance, cameras, sensors, SIM cards and networks. BenchFleet lets you use the phones on your desk for testing by hand and for automated runs.
Do I need to write code to automate tests?
No. Record a test by doing it once on a phone, or build it from steps in the visual editor. Every workflow is also a readable YAML file you can keep in version control.
Which Android versions does it work with?
Android 8 or newer works best. Phones connect by USB debugging or, on Android 11 and newer, by Wireless debugging.
Can I start test runs from CI?
Yes, with Pro or Team. Workflows can be started from signed webhooks, for example from your CI pipeline, and each run keeps a timeline with screenshots.
How many phones can I test on?
The app has no limit on phones. Testing by hand works on every plan, with 3 phones at a time on Free. Automated runs need Pro, for up to 25 phones, or Team, with no limit.
Does BenchFleet test iPhone apps?
No, BenchFleet works with Android phones only.
Start with the Free plan
Free for up to 3 phones, with no account. Pro adds workflows, schedules and AI for up to 25 phones from £12 a month + VAT.
- A full refund within 14 days of your first payment
- Starts in Local mode, with no telemetry or analytics
- Made by WOODCOMMERCE LTD, a company registered in the UK