BrowserStack’s documented Detox cloud workflow runs React Native UI tests on real Android devices: build the app and Detox test-client APK, upload both, configure the BrowserStack Detox package and cloud session, then run the test configuration. BrowserStack currently labels Detox support beta, so check its current guide before adopting a package version or configuration.
What you need before you start
- A React Native Android project configured for Detox, plus Android build tooling that can run the project’s Gradle tasks.
- A BrowserStack Username and Access Key. Keep the key in a secret store or environment variables; do not commit it.
- The Android app-under-test artifact and the generated Detox app-client artifact. They are separate uploads and both IDs are needed in the cloud configuration.
- If the app depends on a development server or backend that is private to your network, BrowserStack Local configured as a secure tunnel.
The instructions below cover the documented Android cloud path. BrowserStack’s general App Automate device catalogue includes iOS and Android, but that is not evidence of Detox cloud execution on iOS. Confirm current platform support with BrowserStack before planning an iOS cloud run. Its Detox overview describes testing native and hybrid apps on real Android phones and tablets: Detox overview.
Choose the BrowserStack Detox package
For Detox 20.51.3 and later, BrowserStack’s guide specifies this dependency in package.json:
"detox": "npm:@browserstack/[email protected]"For earlier Detox versions, the guide documents this package path:
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"detox": "npm:@avinashbharti97/detox@^20.26.3"BrowserStack says it continues to support older Detox versions with their previous configurations, while new patches and updates go to @browserstack/detox. The package and configuration are version-sensitive. After changing the dependency, the guide advises removing node_modules and package-lock.json, then reinstalling dependencies. If the app build fails after switching packages, it suggests trying the original Detox version; treat that as a troubleshooting option, not a guaranteed fix. Follow the current getting-started guide for the exact compatible configuration.
Bundle and build the Android app and test client
Bundle the React Native app
For the guide’s Metro-based example, create the Android assets directory and place the production JavaScript bundle and resources there. Adapt the command if your project uses another bundler or entry file:
mkdir -p android/app/src/main/assets
npx react-native bundle --platform android --dev false --entry-file index.js
--bundle-output android/app/src/main/assets/index.android.bundle
--assets-dest android/app/src/main/resAllow the loopback request used by Detox
BrowserStack’s Android build guidance says Detox makes unencrypted requests to the loopback interface. Configure the app’s network_security_config.xml to permit cleartext traffic for 127.0.0.1 under the appropriate domain configuration. This is an app-level Android network-security setting; it is separate from the secure BrowserStack Local tunnel used to reach private development services.
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Build both APKs
From the Android project directory, run the tasks shown in BrowserStack’s guide:
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./gradlew assembleAndroidTestThe first task builds the app under test. The second produces the Android test client APK, which contains the Detox test suite and is analogous to an Espresso test-suite APK. Confirm the generated paths for your project before uploading; the examples below use common Gradle output locations.
Upload the app and app client
Upload each artifact to its own BrowserStack endpoint. The API accepts APK or AAB uploads using multipart file or a publicly accessible url; these examples upload local APK files. Set credentials in the shell first, preferably from your CI secret store:
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export BROWSERSTACK_USERNAME="your-username"
export BROWSERSTACK_ACCESS_KEY="your-access-key"
curl -u "$BROWSERSTACK_USERNAME:$BROWSERSTACK_ACCESS_KEY"
-X POST "https://api-cloud.browserstack.com/app-automate/detox/v2/android/app"
-F "file=@android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk"
curl -u "$BROWSERSTACK_USERNAME:$BROWSERSTACK_ACCESS_KEY"
-X POST "https://api-cloud.browserstack.com/app-automate/detox/v2/android/app-client"
-F "file=@android/app/build/outputs/apk/androidTest/debug/app-debug-androidTest.apk"The app upload response includes an app_url; the client upload response includes an app_client_url. Each contains a bs:// identifier. Use the identifier from the current matching build pair in your Detox configuration. Both upload APIs document a custom_id option if you want a stable reference across build uploads. BrowserStack’s API documentation says uploaded app and app-client builds expire after 30 days, so refresh stale identifiers rather than treating them as permanent:
Configure and run the cloud Detox test
Use BrowserStack’s current sample configuration shape for your installed package version. The configuration needs both uploaded bs:// IDs, an Android cloud device, BrowserStack authentication, and session metadata. The documented cloud Detox server is wss://detox.browserstack.com/init. Because this schema and package compatibility can change, copy the current configuration fields from the official guide rather than transplanting an older example.
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detox test -c android.cloud.debug --loglevel traceBrowserStack says test results and debugging details appear in the App Automate dashboard. Its Detox session API can retrieve logs when you have the session ID, which is available from CLI output or the dashboard. The guide also describes collecting logs and screenshots for failures in CI; enable that artifact collection and debug logging in your pipeline if you need failure evidence outside an interactive run.
Connect a locally hosted app or backend
Uploading the Android binaries does not by itself make a private development server or backend reachable from a BrowserStack device. BrowserStack directs users testing local apps to establish BrowserStack Local first. Its Local binary uses secure WebSockets (WSS), and the tunnel is a separate networking prerequisite from permitting Detox’s loopback request inside the Android app. See the current Detox Local Testing guide for setup and tunnel options; the precise Local configuration is not established by the getting-started workflow described here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common failures
- Dependency installation or app build breaks after changing Detox: verify the package version against the current BrowserStack guide, remove
node_modulesandpackage-lock.json, reinstall, and retry. If integration still breaks, BrowserStack suggests trying the original Detox version with its corresponding setup. - Cloud session cannot find the app or test client: check that the app and app-client IDs are copied from their respective upload responses, both refer to the intended build, and neither upload has aged past its 30-day expiry.
- Tests cannot reach a local API or development site: create and connect the BrowserStack Local tunnel before running the test; a successful binary upload is not a substitute for network access.
- Loopback or cleartext networking fails during app startup: check the Android network security configuration permits the required loopback domain as described by BrowserStack, then rebuild and re-upload the app artifact.
- Failure is hard to diagnose: use the dashboard’s session debugging details, run with
--loglevel trace, and retrieve logs through the documented session API using the session ID.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a website screenshot rather than a Detox mobile-app test, ScreenshotNeo provides a one-request screenshot API. It is a different tool for browser-page capture, not a replacement for running Detox tests on Android devices.
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Example cURL request (see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation):
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does BrowserStack’s Detox workflow run on iOS cloud devices?
The documented cloud Detox workflow covered here is Android-focused. BrowserStack’s broader iOS device catalogue does not establish Detox cloud support for iOS.
Can I use the uploaded BrowserStack build identifiers indefinitely?
No. The Android app and app-client upload API documentation says those uploads expire after 30 days.
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