CodeReviewer runs Android test suites on real phones you own. This guide walks you through turning a phone into a test device. It takes about five minutes per phone and you only do it once; after that, the agent updates itself.
What you need
- An Android phone you can dedicate to testing. The agent can read the screen and tap on your behalf, which is what runs your tests, so don’t use someone’s personal phone.
- The phone connected to Wi-Fi with internet access. It connects outward to your workspace, so you don’t need to open any inbound ports.
- Admin access to your CodeReviewer workspace.
You don’t need to root the phone, connect it to a computer or enable developer tools.
Step 1: install the CodeReviewer Agent
- In CodeReviewer, go to Settings → Devices.
- Scan the agent download QR code with the phone’s camera, or open the install link shown there in the phone’s browser.
- Open the downloaded file. Android asks whether your browser may install unknown apps. Allow it (Settings opens; flip the toggle and go back), then tap Install.
If Google Play Protect warns you, tap More details → Install anyway. If Play Protect keeps blocking the install, open the Play Store, tap your profile, then Play Protect → settings, and temporarily turn off Scan apps with Play Protect. You can turn it back on once the agent is set up.
Step 2: finish the agent’s checklist
Open CodeReviewer Agent. It checks its own requirements and shows a Fix button for anything missing:
- Accessibility: on. This is how the agent reads the screen and taps, types and scrolls during a test, using standard Android accessibility features instead of root. Android asks you to grant it explicitly.
- Notifications: allowed. So the agent can keep running and let you know about updates.
- Battery: unrestricted. So Android doesn’t put the agent to sleep between test runs.
On vivo, OPPO and Xiaomi phones, also allow Autostart and background pop-up windows when the checklist points you there. Without them, replays can’t relaunch the app under test.
Step 3: pair it with your workspace
- Back in Settings → Devices, click Add device.
- CodeReviewer shows a pairing QR code. In the agent app, tap Scan QR and point the phone at it.
- Within a few seconds the phone appears in your device list as online.
The pairing code is shown only once. If you lose it before scanning, revoke the device and add it again. Can’t scan? The same screen lists the values so you can type them in by hand.
Step 4: install your app once
The first time a suite runs your app on a new phone, Android shows its own Install confirmation for your app. Android deliberately protects that button from automation, so tap Install by hand once. Every replay after that reuses the installed app and runs unattended.
If a suite needs a completely fresh install on every run, you can turn that on per suite. Just remember that each fresh install needs that one tap.
You’re ready
Create or open an Android test suite, upload your app build and pick the device. CodeReviewer authors tests on the phone and replays them on a schedule or on demand. Each run keeps the steps it took and where it failed.
Tips for a reliable test bench
- Keep phones on power and Wi-Fi. A phone on a charger on a shelf is ideal.
- Name devices clearly, for example “Galaxy A54, Android 14”, so suite owners can pick the right one.
- Cover what your users carry. One phone from each of your top two or three manufacturers catches most device-specific bugs.
- Revoke retired phones in Settings → Devices. A revoked phone can no longer connect.