All you need to know about Android debugging

Android Debugging, an essential aspect of Android application development. As budding developers and tech enthusiasts, you’re about to embark on a journey into the intricate world of troubleshooting and perfecting Android apps. Debugging is not just a skill, but an art that combines analytical thinking, technical knowledge, and attention to detail. It plays a pivotal role in the app development lifecycle, ensuring that the final product is robust, user-friendly, and free from defects.

In today’s discussion, we’ll delve into the nuances of Android debugging, exploring its definition, methodologies, and common issues encountered in this domain. We’ll understand why debugging is crucial for delivering a great customer experience and app stability, which are the cornerstones of successful Android applications.

We’ll also examine the various methods and tools available for debugging, such as Logcat, Breakpoints, ADB, DDMS, Android Profiler, testing strategies, code reviews, and monitoring tools. These methods are not just theoretical concepts but practical tools that will empower you to identify and resolve issues effectively.

Moreover, we’ll discuss the most common errors in Android development using Java, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, and SQLite. Understanding these errors is vital for preventing and resolving potential issues in your development process. We will also touch upon security errors, which are becoming increasingly important in today’s digital landscape.

So, let’s gear up to dive deep into the world of Android debugging, enhance our understanding, and sharpen our problem-solving skills in the realm of Android application development.

What is Android debugging?

Android debugging is the process of finding and troubleshooting problems within any android application. There are various techniques and tools to help locate and fix problems in the applications. These issues could occur because of application crashes, logic problems, broken UI or unexpected behavior. Debugging can happen locally while building the app, within the coding environments or during QA when bugs are reported or in live environment issues where customers report problems. Android debugging usually requires debugging tools, setting breakpoints, logging or using some monitoring tool. Great customer experience and app stability both contribute to the success of Android applications. To ensure the same, having good android debugging capabilities and tools is a must for all Android developers.

What are the various methods of Android debugging?

The most common methods to debug the Android application are as follows:

• Logcat: Logcat shows all log messages which are generated in the android application. The logs can be filtered by tag, level, and other criteria to focus on specific issues There are multiple log levels that are provided off the shelf to print messages using logcat . These include methods like Log.d(), Log.e(), and Log.i()

Example : Here is an example of how to implement these log levels in your Android application.

• Breakpoints: One can set breakpoints in the code while debugging locally in environments like Android Studio. When the app reaches the breakpoint, the workflow stops execution and then the developer can step into or jump through the code to go line by line and see the values of various variables etc. in real time. One can put in conditional breakpoints as well to debug applications.
• ADB(Android Debug Bridge): ADB is a powerful inbuilt tool to help developers via command line tool. It allows access to the device file system and view logs etc.
• DDMS (Dalvik Debug Monitor Service): This is a tool which lets the users take screenshots, track network traffic etc and it is part of the ADB Suite.
• Android Profiler: To understand local memory and CPU issues most IDE’s like Android Studio provide a profiler. Android Profiler also helps to debug these issues faster.
• Testing: Thorough UT and QA bugs help you understand issues and debug code level problems before they hit production.
• Code reviews: For difficult bugs, a thorough code review also helps in understanding code issues or bugs better.
• Monitoring tools: In Production environments where the above tools don’t operate, and issues become difficult to reproduce in local environments, constant crash tracking, logs, monitoring of real time problems of the users can help in debugging production bugs.

What are the most common issues in Android?

Java/Kotlin, Flutter and React Native are the most commonly used Android development languages or frameworks for Android application development. SQLite is the most common DB in Android. To understand code related issues in Android one needs to be familiar with the above languages and frameworks. One also needs to have a good understanding of the Android development environment and tools that are provided. To be able to gain expertise in Production level debugging, one needs to start using good monitoring and debugging tools.

Let us start by listing down some of the most common errors developers come across in the popular languages and frameworks.

Java and Kotlin (Android development):

1. ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: This problem arises when attempting to retrieve an array element using an index that falls outside the valid bounds.
2. IllegalStateException: Commonly encountered when an operation is performed on an object in an invalid state.
3. ConcurrentModificationException: Occurs when an object is modified concurrently by multiple threads without proper synchronization.
4. NoClassDefFoundError: Happens when a class that was available during compilation is missing during runtime.
5. InflateException: Arises when inflating XML layouts, typically due to incorrect XML markup or missing resources.

Flutter (Dart Language):

1. UnimplementedError: Occurs when a function is called that has not been implemented yet.
2. PlatformException: Often seen when handling platform-specific errors, such as accessing device features.
3. AssertionError: Typically happens when an assertion fails, indicating an unexpected condition.
4. NavigatorException: Occurs when there are issues with navigation and routing within a Flutter app.
5. FlutterError: A general-purpose error class used for various issues in Flutter.

React Native (JavaScript/TypeScript):

1. Undefined is not an Object: Commonly encountered when trying to access properties or methods on undefined objects.
2. Red Box Errors: React Native displays red box errors for unhandled exceptions or other runtime issues in JavaScript code.
3. ReferenceError: Occurs when trying to access an undeclared variable.
4. Require Cycle: Arises when there’s a circular dependency in modules, leading to issues during bundling.
5. SyntaxError: Typically seen when there are syntax errors in JavaScript or TypeScript code.

SQLite Database Errors:

1. SQLiteConstraintException: Occurs when there is a violation of a constraint (e.g., unique key or foreign key) in SQLite databases.
2. SQLiteReadOnlyDatabaseException: Happens when attempting to perform a write operation on a read-only database.
3. SQLiteDatabaseLockedException: Occurs when multiple threads or processes attempt to access an SQLite database concurrently.
4. SQLiteDiskIOException: This error is raised when there are issues with input/output operations on the database file.
5. SQLException: A general exception class for various SQLite-related errors.

Security Errors:

1. Injection Attacks: Such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS), where untrusted data is improperly handled, leading to security vulnerabilities.
2. Authentication Failures: Errors due to weak or insecure authentication mechanisms, like plain text passwords or insufficient password policies.
3. Insecure Data Storage: Errors related to the improper storage of sensitive data, which may be accessible to unauthorized parties.
4. Lack of Encryption: Occurs when data transmission or storage lacks proper encryption, making it susceptible to eavesdropping or breaches.
5. Inadequate Authorization: Security errors can arise from insufficient checks on user permissions and privileges, allowing unauthorized access to resources.

Remember that error prevention, proper handling, and security practices are essential in all development environments to mitigate these and other potential issues.

How do we debug and fix these most common Android errors?

Here are some real world examples of commonly occurring errors and how to fix them in Java/Kotlin.

Fixing most common Java/Kotlin errors

NullPointerException:

Error Example (Java):

    

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 String text = null;int length = text.length(); // This will throw a NullPointerException

Debugging & Fix (Java):

    

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String text = null;if (text != null) {int length = text.length();}

Error Example (Kotlin):

    

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val text: String? = nullval length = text.length // This will throw a NullPointerException

Debugging & Fix (Kotlin):

    

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val text: String? = nullval length = text?.length // Use the safe call operator to handle null

ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException:

Error Example (Java):

    

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String text = null;if (text != null) {int length = text.length();}

Debugging & Fix (Java):

    

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int[] numbers = {1, 2, 3};int index = 3;if (index >= 0 && index < numbers.length) {int value = numbers[index];}

Error Example (Kotlin):

    

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val numbers = intArrayOf(1, 2, 3)val value = numbers[3] // This will throw an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException

Debugging & Fix (Kotlin):

    

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val numbers = intArrayOf(1, 2, 3)val index = 3if (index >= 0 && index < numbers.size) {val value = numbers[index]}

IllegalStateException:

Error Example (Java/Kotlin):

    

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fun performOperation() {if (someCondition) {throw IllegalStateException("Illegal state for this operation")}// Rest of the code}

Debugging & Fix (Java/Kotlin):

    

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fun performOperation() {if (someCondition) {throw IllegalStateException("Illegal state for this operation")}// Rest of the code}

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ConcurrentModificationException:

Error Example (Java):

    

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List<String> list = new ArrayList<>();for (String item : list) {list.add("New Item"); // This can throw ConcurrentModificationException}

Debugging & Fix (Java):

    

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List<String> list = new ArrayList<>();Iterator<String> iterator = list.iterator();while (iterator.hasNext()) {String item = iterator.next();list.add("New Item"); // Use the iterator to avoid modification during iteration}

Error Example (Kotlin):

    

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val list = mutableListOf<String>()for (item in list) {list.add("New Item") // This can throw ConcurrentModificationException}

Debugging & Fix (Kotlin):

    

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val list = mutableListOf<String>()val iterator = list.iterator()while (iterator.hasNext()) {val item = iterator.next()list.add("New Item") // Use the iterator to avoid modification during iteration}

NoClassDefFoundError:

Error Example (Java/Kotlin):

This error typically occurs when a class that was available during compilation is missing during runtime. Debugging and fixing may involve ensuring that the required class or library is included in your project.
These examples demonstrate debugging and potential fixes for the errors mentioned. The exact debugging process and fix will depend on the context of your code and the specific error you encounter.

Fixing most common Flutter Errors

UnimplementedError:

Error Example:

    

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void unimplementedFunction() {throw UnimplementedError();}

Fix:

Implement the missing functionality or method to resolve the error.

    

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void implementedFunction() {// Implement the function}

PlatformException:

Error Example:

    

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try {// Code that interacts with platform-specific features} on PlatformException catch (e) {// Handle the platform-specific error}

Fix:

Ensure that you have proper error handling in place for platform-specific features. Check if the error message provides information about the specific issue and take appropriate actions to handle it.

AssertionError:

Error Example:
dart

    

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assert(someCondition, 'Assertion failed: This condition is not met.');

Fix:

Review the assertion and the condition. Ensure that the condition is met, or update the assertion to reflect the expected condition.

    

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assert(anotherCondition, 'Assertion failed: This condition is not met.');

NavigatorException:

Error Example:

    

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void navigateToPage(BuildContext context) {Navigator.of(context).pushNamed('/nonexistentRoute');}

Fix:

Check that the named route you are trying to navigate to exists in your app’s route configuration. Ensure that the route name is spelled correctly.

    

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void navigateToPage(BuildContext context) {Navigator.of(context).pushNamed('/existingRoute');}

FlutterError:

Error Example:

    

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throw FlutterError('This is a custom Flutter error.');

Fix:

Customize the error message to provide more specific information about the issue, and implement the necessary handling or corrective actions.

    

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throw FlutterError('An error occurred: The data could not be retrieved.');

Fixing most common React Native Errors

Undefined is not an Object:

Error Example:

    

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const obj = null;const value = obj.someProperty; // This will throw an "Undefined is not an Object" error

Fix:

Check if the object is defined before accessing its properties to avoid the error.

    

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const obj = null;const value = obj ? obj.someProperty : null;

Red Box Errors:

Error Example:

When you encounter unhandled exceptions or other runtime issues in your JavaScript code, React Native will display a red box error with details.

Fix:

Review the red box error message to identify the root cause of the issue and then fix the underlying problem in your code. Proper error handling and validation can help prevent these errors.

ReferenceError:

Error Example:

    

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const result = someFunction(); // someFunction is not defined

Fix:

Ensure that the variable or function you are trying to use is declared and in scope. Correct the spelling or make sure the module or function is imported correctly.

    

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import { someFunction } from './someModule'; // Import the function from the correct moduleconst result = someFunction();

Require Cycle:

Error Example:

Require cycles occur when there’s a circular dependency between modules, leading to issues during bundling. For example, Module A depends on Module B, and Module B depends on Module A.
Fix:

Identify the circular dependency and reorganize your code to break the cycle. Consider restructuring the code to reduce interdependence between modules.

SyntaxError:

Error Example:

    

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const invalidJavaScript = someFunction()

Fix:

Review the code for syntax errors, such as missing semicolons, unmatched parentheses, or incorrect variable assignments. Correct the syntax errors to resolve the issue.

    

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const validJavaScript = someFunction(); // Add a semicolon to complete the code

What are the key steps to do Android debugging?

Android debugging is different for local issues and for production issues.

Debugging an Android application in a local environment

For local android debugging there are multiple ways to debug as discussed earlier. We will deep dive into some of these methods for a step by step instruction on how to debug the android application.

Method 1: Debugging with Logs

Debugging with logs involves adding log messages to your code to track the flow and values of your application. Here’s a step-by-step guide with an example:

Step 1: Set Up Your Development Environment

Ensure you have Android Studio installed and an emulator or physical Android device connected.

Step 2: Open Your Android Project

Open your Android project in Android Studio.

Step 3: Add Log Messages

In your Java or Kotlin source file, add log messages using the Log class. For example:

    

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import android.util.Log;public class MyActivity extends AppCompatActivity {private static final String TAG = "MyActivity";@Overrideprotected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);setContentView(R.layout.activity_my);Log.d(TAG, "onCreate method called.");int result = addNumbers(5, 3);Log.i(TAG, "Result: " + result);}private int addNumbers(int a, int b) {Log.d(TAG, "addNumbers method called with parameters: a=" + a + ", b=" + b);int sum = a + b;Log.d(TAG, "addNumbers method result: " + sum);return sum;}}

Step 4: Run Your App and View Logs

Click the green “Run” button (or press Shift + F10) to run your app.

To view log messages, open the “Logcat” tab at the bottom of Android Studio. You can filter log messages by selecting your app’s package name (in this case, “com.example.myapp”) and the log level (e.g., “Debug” or “Info”).

Method 2: Debugging with Breakpoints

Debugging with breakpoints allows you to pause the execution of your code and inspect variables. Here’s a step-by-step guide with an example:

Step 1: Set Up Your Development Environment

Ensure you have Android Studio installed and an emulator or physical Android device connected.

Step 2: Open Your Android Project

Open your Android project in Android Studio.

Step 3: Set Breakpoints

In your Java or Kotlin source file, click on the left margin next to the line number where you want to place a breakpoint. A red dot will appear, indicating the breakpoint.

Step 4: Start Debugging

Click the green “Debug” button (or press Shift + F9) to start debugging. Android Studio will launch your app in debug mode.

Step 5: Debug Your App

Your app will run, and when it reaches the line with the breakpoint, it will pause. You can inspect variables, step through the code, and see the call stack in the “Debug” window.

Method 3: Debugging with ADB (Android Debug Bridge)

Debugging with ADB allows you to interact with the device and execute debugging commands. Here’s a step-by-step guide with an example:

Step 1: Set Up ADB

Ensure you have Android SDK and ADB installed. You can install it through Android Studio’s SDK Manager or download the SDK separately.

Step 2: Connect Your Device or Emulator

Establish a connection with an actual Android device or initiate an emulator.

Step 3: Launch ADB

Open a command prompt or terminal.

Navigate to the location of the ADB executable.

Step 4: Debug Your App

Use ADB commands to interact with your app. For example, you can view logs using adb logcat:

    

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adb logcat

This will display logs from your app and system logs.

Debugging an Android application in production environment

In a production environment, it gets really tough to understand what the user was doing or where the problem occurred as there are limited ways to do so. Crashes are easier to debug with the help of Crashlytics/Firebase. When it comes to finding logical issues or debug customer reported problems it gets really difficult to debug the application unlike in the local environment. Some examples could be application slowing down or data is incorrect or buttons not working or some functionality of the app is not working as expected. Let us take a few examples and find out how to debug production level bugs.

Method 1: Debugging crashes with Firebase

Firebase Crashlytics is the go to tool for almost every Android developer to detect and fix crashes and exceptions. It gives detailed reports and insights into what went wrong. And also integrates with tools like slack for alerting. This helps developers stay on top of any crash or exception in their apps and fix them proactively.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how Firebase Crashlytics to help detect and debug a crash in a Java-based sample e-commerce mobile application. The crash is simulated in the SIgnUp button click.

• Integrate Firebase Crashlytics: First, make sure you have Firebase integrated into your Android project. Follow Firebase’s official documentation to set up Firebase in your app.
• Add Firebase Crashlytics: After integrating Firebase, enable Crashlytics in your app by adding the following line to your app’s build.gradle file:
  gradle

    

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implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-crashlytics:17.5.0'

• Initialize Crashlytics: In your app’s code (e.g., in your Application class), initialize Firebase Crashlytics:

    

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import com.google.firebase.crashlytics.FirebaseCrashlytics;public class MyApplication extends Application {@Overridepublic void onCreate() {super.onCreate();FirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance().setCrashlyticsCollectionEnabled(true);}}

• Force a Crash (for Demonstration): To demonstrate how Firebase Crashlytics works, you can manually force a crash or exception in your code. For example, you can add a button click listener that intentionally causes a crash:

    

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import android.os.Bundle;import android.view.View;import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;import com.google.firebase.crashlytics.FirebaseCrashlytics;public class SignUpActivity extends AppCompatActivity {@Overrideprotected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);setContentVxiew(R.layout.activity_sign_up);findViewById(R.id.crashButton).setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {@Overridepublic void onClick(View v) {// Simulate a crashFirebaseCrashlytics.getInstance().log("Crash button clicked.");throw new RuntimeException("This is a crash!");}});}}

• Trigger the Crash and View the Report:
• Run the app, navigate to the SignUpActivity, and click the button you added to simulate a crash.
• The app will crash, and Firebase Crashlytics will capture the crash report.
• Open the Firebase Console, navigate to your project, and select “Crashlytics” to view the crash report.

Review the Crash Report:

• In the Crashlytics dashboard, you will see the crash report for the exception you triggered.
• The report includes information about the device, the error message, stack trace, and even breadcrumbs (log messages).
• You can analyze this information to understand the cause of the crash.

Fix the Issue:

• Analyze the crash report to identify the root cause of the crash. Once you understand the issue, fix it in your app’s code. Test the fixed app to ensure the crash no longer occurs.

Verify Resolution:

• Monitor Firebase Crashlytics for new crashes.
• After resolving the issue, you should see a reduction in crashes related to the problem you fixed.

Firebase Crashlytics simplifies the process of detecting and debugging crashes in Android applications. By integrating it into your app and using it to analyze crash reports, you can quickly identify and resolve issues, ensuring a smoother user experience for your mobile application.

Method 2: Debugging Errors with Remote logging and Configuration

Once an error has been reported in production, but is not captured by firebase, one of the common techniques used by mobile developers is to configure and get additional logs to understand the issue. Remote logging configurations can be changed to enable more detailed logs.

Implementing remote debugging configuration in Android involves using a remote configuration service to control various aspects of your app, such as log levels, feature flags, and other settings, without requiring a new app release.

Firebase Remote Config is a popular choice for implementing remote configuration in Android apps. Here’s a step-by-step guide with an example of how to use Firebase Remote Config for remote debugging configuration:

Step 1: Set up Firebase Project

• If you haven’t already, create a Firebase project in the Firebase Console (https://console.firebase.google.com/).
• Add your Android app to the Firebase project and follow the setup instructions to integrate Firebase SDK in your app.

Step 2: Add Firebase Remote Config Dependency

In your app’s build.gradle file, add the Firebase Remote Config dependency:

    

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implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-config:22.0.0'

Sync your project to fetch the new dependency.

Step 3: Initialize Firebase Remote Config

In your app’s code (usually in the onCreate method of your Application class or the main activity), initialize Firebase Remote Config:

java

    

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import android.app.Application;import com.google.firebase.FirebaseApp;import com.google.firebase.remoteconfig.FirebaseRemoteConfig;import com.google.firebase.remoteconfig.FirebaseRemoteConfigSettings;public class MyApplication extends Application {@Overridepublic void onCreate() {super.onCreate();FirebaseApp.initializeApp(this);// Initialize Firebase Remote ConfigFirebaseRemoteConfig mFirebaseRemoteConfig = FirebaseRemoteConfig.getInstance();// Set developer mode for faster fetching (remove in production)FirebaseRemoteConfigSettings configSettings = new FirebaseRemoteConfigSettings.Builder().setMinimumFetchIntervalInSeconds(0).build();mFirebaseRemoteConfig.setConfigSettingsAsync(configSettings);// Define default valuesmFirebaseRemoteConfig.setDefaultsAsync(R.xml.remote_config_defaults);}}

In the code above, we initialize Firebase Remote Config and set developer mode for faster fetching. In production, you should remove the developer mode settings and set a reasonable fetch interval.

Step 4: Create Remote Config Defaults

Create a resource XML file (e.g., res/xml/remote_config_defaults.xml) to define default values for your remote configuration parameters. For example:

    

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<defaultsMap><entry><key>log_level</key><value>info</value></entry></defaultsMap>

This XML file sets a default value for a parameter named “log_level.”

Step 5: Fetch Remote Config Values

Now, you can fetch remote config values in your app:

    

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FirebaseRemoteConfig mFirebaseRemoteConfig = FirebaseRemoteConfig.getInstance();mFirebaseRemoteConfig.fetchAndActivate().addOnCompleteListener(this, task -> {if (task.isSuccessful()) {// Fetch and activate succeededString logLevel = mFirebaseRemoteConfig.getString("log_level");// Use the fetched log level configurationswitch (logLevel) {case "debug":// Enable debugging logsbreak;case "info":// Use default info-level logsbreak;case "error":// Enable error-level logsbreak;default:// Handle other cases or use a default log level}} else {// Fetch and activate failed}});

In this code, we fetch the “log_level” parameter from Firebase Remote Config and adjust your app’s logging level accordingly.

Step 6: Update Configuration Remotely

You can update the configuration remotely using the Firebase Console. In the Firebase Console, go to Remote Config and add or modify parameters. Make sure your app is fetching the configuration periodically.

This example demonstrates how to use Firebase Remote Config for remote debugging configuration, but you can extend it to control various aspects of your app without the need for app updates.

Method 3: Debugging errors with Zipy

Zipy is an advanced, web and android debugging tool which can help you debug all your production issues live in minutes. Zipy not only captures crash, ANR and exception data but also uncovers many details like clickstream data, network logs, custom logging with various levels, user’s environment details and session recording tool - all in one. 

To enable Android SDK in your Java/Kotlin/Flutter/React Native code, check this page or reach out to support@zipy.ai 

Here is how Zipy will allow you to capture these details.

What are some of the best practices for Android debugging effectively and quickly?

Some of the key practices which will ensure quick and efficient android debugging are as follows.

1. Use logs effectively and efficiently: Using Log class, and correct log levels in the android applications for workflows and variables, helps in debugging faster.
2. Deep understanding of tools: Having a good working knowledge of various android debugging tools within the studio, using firebase effectively and integrating tools like Zipy can help you debug much faster.
3. Correct breakpoints: While debugging locally, knowing where to apply breakpoints is very critical to debugging. Understanding user flow, applying watch and monitoring is the key to good debugging.
4. Version control: Maintaining clean versions of the code, knowing which errors occurred in which version is critical to having a good code base and reducing debugging time.

What are the advanced android debugging techniques?

For advanced debugging techniques, there are both inbuilt and third party tools in Android which can be a big help for mobile developers.

Android profiler:

This tool is integrated into Android Studip and provides real time performance of CPU, network, memory data. Much like devtools in Chrome this helps you debug any performance related problems.

How to start doing Android Profiling for android debugging.

Step1. Open the Profiler

Step 2. Select the device

Step 3. Start Profiling

Systrace:

Systrace gives you system level information like CPU, system events and shows how the application is impacting the system. It is a command-line tool.

Network profiler:

Network Profiler help you debug android apps by allowing you to monitor all network activity of the application This includes all network request response, payload data.

Memory profiler

Memory profiler helps you analyze memory usage with information on heap allocation , memory allocation racking and allows you to debug memory leaks and understand memory consumption when the app is running.

Third party tools for android debugging:

• GPU debugger: Android Studio’s GPU Debugger allows you to capture and analyze GPU render data. It helps you identify rendering issues, such as overdraw, and optimize the rendering performance of your app.
• Hierarchy viewer: Hierarchy Viewer is a standalone tool that allows you to inspect the layout hierarchy of your app’s UI. It helps you identify layout performance issues, such as nested layouts or inefficient view hierarchies.
• Layout inspector: Layout Inspector, integrated into Android Studio, provides a visual representation of your app’s UI layout. It allows you to inspect the layout structure and properties, making it easier to debug UI-related issues.
• Firebase performance monitoring: Firebase Performance Monitoring is a cloud-based tool that provides insights into the performance of your app on real devices. It helps you monitor app startup times, network requests, and custom performance traces.
• LeakCanary: LeakCanary is a third-party library for detecting memory leaks in Android apps. It automatically identifies memory leaks and provides detailed reports to help you resolve them.
• Stetho: Stetho is a debugging bridge for Android apps developed by Facebook. It allows you to inspect network requests, databases, and the view hierarchy of your app using the Chrome Developer Tools.
• ReTrace: ReTrace is a tool that helps you deobfuscate ProGuard or R8-obfuscated stack traces, making it easier to understand crash reports and exceptions in obfuscated code.
• Charles proxy: Charles Proxy is a third-party tool that acts as a proxy for monitoring and intercepting network requests made by your app. It is particularly useful for debugging network-related issues.
• Zipy: Zipy is a single platform that helps you monitor all user issues in production and an environment for Android applications. WIth session replay tool, network logs, custom logs, click stream data, crash and ANR’s, one can get the complete picture of user issues in Zipy.

How do you do Android debugging with Zipy?

Zipy helps you debug issues which the customers may be facing in the application. This includes crashes, errors, network problems, logical issues or UX problems. Zipy helps in debugging with the following features it provides on the platform.

1. User sessions
2. Exception logs 
3. Crash logs 
4. ANR logs 
5. Custom logs 
6. Network logs 
7. Clickstream logs 

What is the future of Android debugging?

As of 2023, Android captures the market by 69.44% and a lot of effort will go in evolving the OS further. As a result of which Android debugging will remain relevant and will need advancements in technology and tools. Here are some trends and developments that are likely to shape the future of Android debugging:

Enhanced profiling and tracing tools:

Android Studio and third-party tools will continue to improve their profiling and tracing capabilities. This includes more detailed and real-time insights into CPU, memory, network, and GPU performance.

Machine learning-powered debugging:

Machine learning and AI will be used to help in identifying and suggesting solutions for common Android issues, making debugging more efficient.

Cloud-based debugging and monitoring:

Cloud-based debugging and monitoring solutions will become more prevalent, allowing developers to gather and analyze performance data from real-world user scenarios.

Remote debugging and collaboration:

Remote debugging tools will enable developers to debug Android apps on physical devices located in different geographical locations, facilitating collaboration and issue resolution.

Continuous integration and continuous debugging:

Debugging will be seamlessly integrated into the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, allowing for automated testing and debugging of app releases.

Optimized gebugging workflows:

Improved tooling and workflows will streamline the debugging process, reducing the time required to identify and fix issues.

Cross-platform debugging:

With the growth of cross-platform development frameworks like Flutter and React Native, debugging tools will need to adapt to provide seamless debugging experiences across multiple platforms.

Enhanced security debugging:

As security becomes an even more critical concern, debugging tools will incorporate features to identify and resolve security vulnerabilities in Android applications.

Real-time monitoring and alerts:

Debugging tools will provide real-time monitoring and alerting capabilities to detect and address performance issues as they occur in production environments.

Augmented and virtual reality debugging:

As AR and VR applications become more prevalent, debugging tools will need to adapt to cater to the unique challenges of these immersive experiences.

Privacy-focused debugging:

Privacy regulations and concerns will lead to debugging tools that can help developers ensure the security and privacy of user data in Android apps.

Community and open-source debugging solutions:

Open-source debugging tools and community-driven resources will continue to play a significant role in the Android debugging ecosystem.

The future of Android debugging will likely be shaped by a combination of technological advancements and the evolving needs of Android developers. Debugging will remain a critical part of the app development process, and as the Android ecosystem grows and becomes more diverse, debugging tools and practices will adapt to meet the challenges of the ever-changing landscape.

Conclusion

From 2008 to 2023, Android has come a long way in terms of the OS growth, applications built and total number of devices which run on Android today. From Java apps to Kotlin to react native and flutter apps, the frameworks and languages have also evolved significantly. The tools which help to debug Android applications have also developed — quite a few being supported in the Android development environments and many third party applications which help in advance debugging in production environments.

While Android Profiler, ADB, Firebase, Instabug, Bigsnag are all great examples of android debugging platforms, there are still many gaps in detecting and solving production bugs. One of the primary reasons is that the customer base of Android applications is huge and there are thousands of device and OS combinations that exist. Most of the Android App debugging is reactive.

We need more advanced tooling, powered with AI, to proactively solve for Android applications as these frameworks and devices continue to grow with the increase in Android adoption. Zipy is one such platform which will help you debug your production issues proactively, quickly and smartly. For more information,try Zipy Android SDK.