Start debugging using virtualUSB desktop application

Learn how to start debugging using the virtualUSB desktop app so you can debug devices from anywhere.

You can also start a debug session using the virtualUSB command-line interface tool.

Before you start

You’ll need to complete the following:

Start a virtualUSB session

Launch the virtualUSB desktop app.

A context to launching virtualUSB

Search for a device using the search bar and filter.

A context to search for a device

Select Connect to start a virtualUSB session using the selected device.

A context to connect a device

Once connected:

  • The device status changes to Retained. This status persists for 24 hours unless the device is disconnected sooner.

  • The Connection Status column displays the value Connected.

A Connected device in virtualUSB

Repeat this step to connect to additional devices.

Check connected devices

  • Android

  • iOS/iPadOS

Open Android Studio.

In Android Studio, select Device Manager from the run configurations dropdown menu:

The Device Manager option in Android Studio

Select the Physical tab to see the list of connected devices:

The list of physical device in Android Studio

On MacOS, iOS devices connected via virtualUSB are accessible in Xcode:

The list of devices in Xcode

iOS/iPadOS devices cannot be seen in Finder but can still be accessed by Xcode normally.

Observe mobile screen in a virtualUSB session

To observe what is happening on the device screen while connected to a device via virtualUSB:

  1. Sign in to the Kobiton Portal.

  2. Find the device and launch a manual session with a virtualUSB connected device.

Copy the device UDID from virtualUSB and paste it in the search bar of the Kobiton Portal Device List.

Manual sessions will end after staying idle for a certain period of time. To prevent an accidental session end:

  1. Open the Manual Session Settings while in the manual session.

    The Manual Session Setting shortcut in a manual session

  2. Uncheck Quit session after staying idle for 10 minutes in the pop-up.

    The Quit session after staying idle for 10 minutes option disabled in manual settings

  3. Select Apply.

Disconnect a device

To disconnect and release a device back to the team, go to virtualUSB and choose Disconnect under the Action column:

The disconnect button next to a connected device in virtualUSB

Confirm the action by selecting Disconnect in the pop-up.

Save log

To save a log of activities in virtualUSB, select the Save Logs icon:

The save logs shortcut in virtualUSB

In the next dialog, choose a time period from the dropdown list and click Save. A zip archive containing all the logs in the selected period will be downloaded.

The time period dropdown in the save logs pop-up

Considerations

  • Admins are able to cancel a device retained for virtualUSB. Once cancelled, the device will be released, meaning that device is no longer connected with user’s workstation. However, the user will see the Connection status as Error and the button stays at Disconnect. To re-connect to this device, the user needs to disconnect and then connect again.

  • After clicking the Connect button, users may occasionally see the connection status change to Offline or Error before showing Connected.

  • If a user right-clicks on any part of the virtualUSB app and selects Reload, the user will be directed back to the login page and must sign in again.

  • Device connection status is not synced across machines when a user logs in to virtualUSB on different machines simultaneously.

  • When a device is connected via virtualUSB, and you restart the device:

    • The virtualUSB connection will be re-established.

    • The device status will be back to Retained until timed out.

  • The connection status of the devices may not sync between virtualUSB with UI and virtualUSB command-line interface (CLI). It is recommended to use only 1 interface of virtualUSB when connecting and disconnecting devices on 1 machine.

  • In the zip file exported using the save log feature, the created and modified date time of some of the files and folders are displayed incorrectly as January 1, 1980 at 12:00 AM.

  • iOS 17 and above devices are not supported.

  • iOS device support for virtualUSB on Windows is not available.