Mobile Recorder Overview

The ACCELQ Mobile Recorder is where you develop test automation for native and hybrid mobile applications on iOS and Android. It mirrors a real device, emulator, or simulator directly inside your ACCELQ workspace, next to the Logic Editor. You build automation by working with the mirrored device screen: hover over an element, right-click, and choose the command you want, and ACCELQ writes the automation statement. The same environment plays your logic back on the connected device as you build, so every step is verified on real mobile hardware the moment you create it.

If mobile is your application type, this suite of articles is your complete path. It covers everything from connecting your first device to cross-platform iOS and Android portability, and it points you to the shared Recorder articles at the right moments, in the right order.

What You Can Do with the Mobile Recorder

• Build mobile test logic without code. Record steps by right-clicking elements on the mirrored device screen and choosing from the command library: taps, text entry, swipes, verifications, waits, and gestures. Or invoke your project's reusable Actions to compose flows from building blocks you already have.
• Work with real devices and emulators. Connect physical iOS and Android devices over USB, or use emulators and simulators on the Agent machine. Switch devices and applications at any time from the recorder header.
• Control the device from the recorder. A floating toolbar gives you orientation changes, hardware Back and Home, GPS location emulation, and more. With the recorder ON, these are captured as automation steps; with it OFF, you use them freely to set up state.
• Identify elements reliably. Choose Smart Locators, which combine multiple attributes with AI-infused neighborhood analysis for resilience, or XPath when you need hierarchy-based precision. Switch strategies at any point during recording.
• Automate hybrid apps. ACCELQ detects WebView regions automatically and lets you capture their content as native elements or as web elements, whichever identifies them best.
• Write once, run on both platforms. Element Instances let a single logical element carry separate iOS and Android definitions, so the same logic runs on both. ACCELQ guides you through mapping the second platform during playback.
• Validate and troubleshoot as you build. Auto Playback executes each statement on the device as you complete it. Play back any portion of the logic, watch it run on the mirrored screen, and troubleshoot with the device right in front of you.
• Extend flows to the web. Switch to the Web Recorder in the same panel to build end-to-end flows spanning mobile app and desktop browser.

Your Reading Path

Read in this order for a complete grounding:

1. Getting Started with the Recorder
2. Devices and Applications
3. Recording Fundamentals
4. Smart Locators and XPath
5. Playback and Validation
6. Views, Elements, and Identification

And when your testing calls for them:

• WebViews in Hybrid Apps for apps with embedded web content
• Cross-Platform Portability: iOS and Android for running the same logic on both platforms
• Advanced Configuration and Troubleshooting for Custom Mobile Driver Profiles, cloud device providers, and common issues
• Multi-Modal Automation for flows that combine mobile and web steps

Prerequisites

If the Agent is not running when you open the Mobile Recorder, you will see the prompt "Record/Playback requires a locally running Agent", with a Start Agent button, a refresh link, and installation instructions. If the Agent is running but no devices are detected, the landing screen indicates this; connect a device and proceed.

Opening the Mobile Recorder and Connecting a Device

The Mobile Recorder opens from within the Logic Editor, whether you have opened an Action directly or a Scenario in Design Studio. In the Recorder panel's icon rail, click the Phone icon. With the Agent running and devices available, the landing screen shows how many devices are connected and a Select Device button.

Click Select Device, choose your device and the application to test, and the recorder connects and mirrors the device screen. The header then shows the active device and application throughout your session.

For the connection details, device toolbar, and switching devices or apps mid-session, continue to Devices and Applications. For the full interface tour, see Getting Started with the Recorder.