A Firebase Test Lab alternative on phones you own

In short: Google is shutting Firebase Test Lab down on 30 September 2027 and points teams to its Developer Device Platform on Google Cloud. If you would rather test Android apps on phones you own, BenchFleet puts them on one screen on your computer, with recorded workflows, schedules and step-by-step replays. Pro costs £12 a month + VAT.

Firebase Test Lab runs tests on phones in Google's data centres. When it closes, one option is to move to Google's successor; another is to test on Android phones you own. BenchFleet is the second: a desktop app that puts your phones on one screen, runs your tests on every phone after each build and keeps every run to replay.

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.

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What Google has announced

Google's own notice says that Firebase Test Lab is deprecated and will be fully shut down on 30 September 2027, and that teams can migrate to the Developer Device Platform on Google Cloud (Google's migration guide, seen on 16 October 2026). Until then Test Lab keeps working, so there is time to choose.

What moves to BenchFleet, and what doesn't

What you use Test Lab for	On BenchFleet
Robo tests that explore the app without a script	No; an AI task can explore an app on Pro and Team, with your own model
Espresso or other instrumentation suites	No, not yet
Checks you could describe as steps: open the app, sign in, buy, check a screen	Yes: record them once as a workflow, or build them in the visual editor
Running on many phones at once	Yes, on all your phones, a group or one phone
Results with screenshots	Yes: every run has a timeline with screenshots and can be replayed step by step
Starting runs from CI	Yes, through a signed webhook; a CI command with JUnit reports is not published yet
Many phone models you don't own	No: BenchFleet works on the phones you have
iPhones	No

Testing on your own phones

Connect the phones you already test with, by USB cable or Wireless debugging. Each one appears on the Fleet page with its screen and its health.
Record your main flows as workflows. Steps find screen elements by their text and role first, and fall back to text and image recognition on the screen.
Run them after each build, from the app, on a schedule or from your CI pipeline through a signed webhook.
Open a failed run and replay it step by step, with the screen at each step.

The phones stay on your desk or your network, so they are never busy with someone else's tests and there are no device minutes to run out of. Pro costs £12 a month + VAT for up to 25 phones. More in Android app testing on real phones, and the same comparison for paid device clouds in BrowserStack alternative.

Questions

When does Firebase Test Lab shut down?

Google has deprecated Firebase Test Lab and will shut it down fully on 30 September 2027. Its notice points teams to the Developer Device Platform on Google Cloud.

Can BenchFleet run my Robo or instrumentation tests?

No. BenchFleet runs its own workflows, which you build in a visual editor, write as YAML or record by doing the task once on a phone. Robo tests and Espresso instrumentation suites do not run on it.

Can my CI pipeline start tests on BenchFleet?

Yes, on Pro and Team. A CI pipeline starts workflows through a signed webhook, and each run keeps a timeline with screenshots. A CI command with JUnit reports is not published yet.

Does it work with iPhones?

No, BenchFleet works with Android phones only. Teams that also ship for iPhone usually keep a cloud service for iOS.

Where do my app builds and screenshots go?

They stay on your computer. BenchFleet starts in Local mode, where nothing leaves your computer and your network, and it sends no telemetry.

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