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Mobile use is available in Firebender v0.13.3+ and requires the Android plugin to be installed (available in Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA)

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Example: Mobile Use Demo

Mobile use is a specialized subagent that allows Firebender to interact with Android devices and emulators, test your applications, and read logcat output—all in an isolated context that doesn’t interfere with your main agent’s workflow.

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How It Works

Mobile use operates as a subagent that runs in complete isolation from your main agent:
  1. Isolated Context: All mobile-related tasks run in a separate subagent, keeping your main agent’s context clean
  2. Device Interaction: Control Android devices and emulators through automation tools
  3. Application Testing: Test your applications by performing UI interactions and gestures
  4. Logcat Access: Read and analyze Android system logs for debugging
  5. Codebase Navigation: Access read-only codebase tools to understand your project structure
Mobile use keeps all mobile-related context isolated in a subagent, so your main agent can continue working on other tasks without being cluttered by device interactions and logcat output.

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Enabling Mobile Use

Mobile use can be enabled in two ways:

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Toggle Button

  1. Open the Firebender chat in Android Studio or IntelliJ IDEA
  2. Look for the phone icon button in the control panel
  3. Click the button to toggle mobile use on/off
Mobile use toggle button in control panel When enabled, the phone icon turns blue. When disabled, it appears gray.

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Keyboard Shortcut

  • Mac: Press ⌘M (Cmd + M)
  • Windows/Linux: Press Ctrl+M
The mobile use toggle persists for the entire chat session. All messages in that chat will use the mobile use subagent when enabled.

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Requirements

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IDE Support

Mobile use is available in Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA. The feature requires the Android plugin to be installed and active.

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Model Support

Mobile use is only supported with the following models:
  • Claude 4 (all variants)
  • GPT-5 models

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What Mobile Use Can Do

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Device Interaction

The mobile use subagent can:
  • Control Android devices and emulators
  • Perform UI interactions (taps, swipes, gestures)
  • Take screenshots and inspect device state
  • Query device capabilities and information

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Application Testing

  • Execute test scenarios on devices
  • Interact with your app’s UI elements
  • Verify app behavior and functionality
  • Test different user flows

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Logcat Reading

  • Read Android system logs for debugging
  • Filter logs by package name, tag, or content
  • Monitor app behavior during testing
  • Investigate crashes, errors, and warnings

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Codebase Navigation

The subagent has read-only access to:
  • read_file: Read project files to understand implementation
  • list_dir: Browse project directory structure
  • grep_search: Search for patterns in code files
  • file_search: Find files by name or path
  • go_to_definition: Navigate to symbol definitions

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Terminal Commands

  • Execute adb commands for device management
  • Run build scripts and test commands
  • Perform device setup and configuration

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Example Use Cases

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Debugging App Crashes

Query: "My app crashes when I tap the login button. Can you check the logcat and see what's happening?"

→ Mobile use subagent reads logcat
→ Filters logs for your app package
→ Identifies the crash cause
→ Reports back to main agent with findings

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Testing User Flows

Query: "Test the checkout flow in my app. Navigate to the cart, add an item, and complete the purchase."

→ Mobile use subagent interacts with device
→ Performs UI interactions
→ Tests the complete flow
→ Reports results back to main agent

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Device State Inspection

Query: "Take a screenshot of my app and tell me what's currently displayed on the device."

→ Mobile use subagent captures screenshot
→ Analyzes device state
→ Reports current UI state to main agent

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Technical Details

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Subagent Isolation

The mobile use subagent runs completely independently:
  • Has its own context window
  • Doesn’t share conversation history with the main agent
  • Uses specialized tools for mobile automation
  • All mobile-related operations are isolated

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Available Tools

The mobile use subagent has access to:
  • Mobile automation tools (via MCP): Device control, UI interaction, screenshots
  • Read-only codebase tools: File reading, directory listing, search
  • Terminal commands: ADB operations, build scripts
  • Logcat reading: Android system log access
The mobile use subagent can read your codebase to understand context, but it cannot modify files. All code changes must go through the main agent.