Device Clouds

    Use a device cloud or farm when an agent needs to drive a hosted mobile device without an interactive login. Pick the provider whose account and devices you use:

    • BrowserStack: Android and iOS App Automate sessions over WebDriver.
    • AWS Device Farm: Android and iOS remote-access sessions through AWS.
    • TestMu AI: Android emulator, iOS simulator, and real-device sessions over WebDriver.
    • Limrun: direct iOS simulator and Android emulator instances.

    Compare providers

    BrowserStackAWS Device FarmTestMu AILimrun
    DevicesAndroid and iOS real devicesAndroid and iOS real devicesAndroid emulators and iOS simulators by default; real devices with --provider-device-type realAndroid emulators and iOS simulators
    Ships asBuilt inBuilt in; needs the AWS CLIThe @agent-device/testmu pluginBuilt in
    CredentialsBROWSERSTACK_USERNAME, BROWSERSTACK_ACCESS_KEYThe AWS CLI credential chain, such as AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, AWS_SESSION_TOKEN, AWS_REGIONLT_USERNAME, LT_ACCESS_KEYLIMRUN_API_KEY (optional LIMRUN_REGION), or LIM_*_INSTANCE_* for an existing instance
    Device allocated onopenopenopenFirst device command, such as install or open
    App source--provider-app: bs:// reference, HTTP(S) URL, or local path--aws-app-arn upload ARN; no install after allocation--provider-app: lt:// reference, HTTP(S) URL, or local pathinstall <id> <path-or-url>, or open <asset-name> for an uploaded asset
    Artifacts after closeVideo, Appium and device logs, dashboard and public linksVideo and log files, once AWS finalizes themVideo, Appium, device, network, and command logs, screenshots, dashboard linkNone
    Port reverseNo; use BrowserStack LocalNoNoAndroid over ADB; not on iOS

    Shared workflow

    Every provider runs through the local agent-device daemon. connect checks your credentials and configuration, then saves non-secret connection state; it does not allocate a device. BrowserStack, AWS Device Farm, and TestMu AI allocate a hosted session on open. Limrun allocates an instance on the first device command, such as install or open.

    Every provider follows the same steps:

    1. Put provider credentials in CI secrets or another non-interactive credential source.
    2. Run agent-device connect <provider> with the provider selectors.
    3. Follow the printed next command to install or open the app.
    4. Run normal device commands, then agent-device close and agent-device disconnect.

    Each provider accepts only its own provider flags (--provider-* and --aws-*). A flag the provider does not use fails with INVALID_ARGS naming the flag, whether you pass it to connect, client.leases.allocate(), or a remote-config profile, so no setting is silently dropped.

    The generated remote profiles are safe to store as non-secret configuration. They can include app IDs, ARNs, device names, OS versions, and labels, but never provider API keys, access keys, or AWS secret keys.

    Use a provider only through MCP

    Run agent-device connect <provider> in the same effective state directory before you start agent-device mcp. MCP exposes device commands such as open, snapshot, close, and artifacts, but not provider connect or disconnect.

    Change credentials while the daemon runs

    A running daemon keeps the BrowserStack, TestMu AI, and Limrun credentials it started with. If your shell holds different ones, the first command that allocates a device, such as open, refuses before it creates a session. Run agent-device daemon stop with the same --state-dir, then rerun the command. A shell that sets none of the provider's variables uses the daemon's credentials.

    AWS Device Farm reads the AWS CLI credential chain instead, so this check does not apply to it.

    Fill text on hosted WebDriver sessions

    On BrowserStack, AWS Device Farm, and TestMu AI, fill checks that the field received focus before it sends keys. If it cannot confirm focus, it fails without typing. Use snapshot -i to confirm the target. If the driver cannot report focus at all, use press <target> followed by type <text>, which sends text without confirming where it lands.

    Retrieve artifacts after close

    After close, run agent-device artifacts --json to check for the artifacts your provider makes available (see Compare providers). To look up an earlier session, pass its provider session ID:

    agent-device artifacts <provider-session-id> --provider <provider> --json

    Providers finalize video and log URLs after the session ends. If the lookup reports artifacts as pending right after close, retry it a little later.

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