Android Watch Logs

Overview

Streams logs from a USB-connected Android device in real-time using adb logcat, filtering to show only the app's explicit log messages (those with [APP] prefix).

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user:

• Asks to "watch Android logs"
• Wants to "see what the Android app is doing"
• Says "monitor the Android device"
• Asks to "stream logcat"
• Wants to debug or see real-time Android app behavior
• Says "show me the Android logs"

Prerequisites

• Android device connected via USB
• USB debugging enabled
• ADB installed (brew install android-platform-tools)
• Device authorized for debugging
• App must be running on device to see logs

Option 1: Use Screen Capture App (Recommended)

The Android screen capture app has an integrated console:

cd miso/platforms/android/development/screen-capture/imp
./android_screencap.sh

Click the green ">" button to open the live log console.

Option 2: Terminal Streaming

Stream logs directly in terminal:

# Clear buffer and stream filtered logs
adb logcat -c && adb logcat -v brief | grep "\[APP\]"

Option 3: Claude Reading Logs

Claude can read recent logs with:

adb logcat -v brief -d | grep "\[APP\]" | tail -30

Log Format

The app's Logger class prefixes messages with [APP]:

I/MisoLogger(12345): [APP] [PostView] COMPOSE 14 'Dinner' expanded=false
I/MisoLogger(12345): [APP] [IMAGE_LOAD] COMPLETE 14 'Dinner' size=112KB time=261ms

Adding Logs in Code

Use the app's Logger class in Kotlin:

Logger.info("[MyFeature] Something happened")
Logger.debug("[MyFeature] Debug info: $value")
Logger.error("[MyFeature] Error: ${e.message}")

Or directly with Android Log (add [APP] prefix):

Log.i("MisoLogger", "[APP] My message")

Common Issues

No logs appearing:

• Ensure the app is running on the device
• Check that logs use [APP] prefix
• Verify adb is working: adb devices
• Try clearing log buffer: adb logcat -c

adb not found:

• Install: brew install android-platform-tools

Device unauthorized:

• Accept RSA key prompt on device
• Replug device and try again

Notes

• The [APP] prefix filters out thousands of system messages
• Screen capture app console auto-scrolls to latest logs
• Use -d flag to dump logs without blocking (for scripts)