Appium Inspector lets you view a mobile app’s screenshot alongside its element hierarchy, search for UI elements, and interact with a running Appium session. To use the standalone desktop app, install Inspector, start an Appium server with the correct platform driver, connect a device or simulator, enter session details and capabilities, then start the session. The exact capabilities and available controls depend on the driver and platform.
What Appium Inspector does
Appium Inspector is a graphical client for Appium. Its main workflow pairs a screenshot of the app with the app’s source, so you can select or search for elements, examine available attributes, and interact with the app through supported controls and commands.
Inspector is not the Appium server in the standalone-app workflow: the server runs separately, and Inspector connects to it to create or manage a session. The project offers both a standalone desktop application and an Appium server plugin. The plugin is an alternate, server-integrated web interface; follow the repository’s current instructions for installing it.
A screenshot and an element attribute can help you identify a locator, but they do not guarantee that the locator will remain stable. Attributes and available interactions depend on the app, current screen, platform, and active driver.
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What you need before starting
- Inspector: the standalone app for macOS, Windows, or Linux, or the server plugin if that better fits your setup.
- An Appium server and platform driver: install and configure the driver for the platform you intend to inspect.
- A reachable target: a device, emulator, or simulator available to the server and compatible with your configuration.
- Session details: the server endpoint, platform and driver information, target-device identity, and the app path or application identifier appropriate to your setup.
Appium’s ecosystem tools documentation points to Inspector and its current installation and requirements information. Android and iOS sessions have different setup requirements: do not copy a capability set from one platform to the other without checking the relevant driver documentation.
Install Inspector and choose an access route
- Open the official Appium Inspector releases page and choose the current distribution for your operating system. Check the current requirements before installing; they can change between releases.
- Install and launch the desktop application, or use the repository’s instructions to install the Inspector server plugin if you want its web-based interface integrated with your Appium server.
- For a desktop session, install and start Appium separately, with the appropriate platform driver available to it.
The two routes differ in deployment model: the desktop app runs locally, while the plugin is integrated with the Appium server. The project documents both formats but does not establish that one provides superior inspection capabilities. Avoid the old inspector.appiumpro.com address: the Appium project says it is no longer associated with the Appium team.
Rank #2
- SUPERIOR COMFORT — Unlike traditional circular ear buds, the design of EarPods is defined by the geometry of the ear. Which makes them more comfortable for more people than any other ear bud–style headphones.
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- BUILT-IN REMOTE — EarPods with USB-C plug also include a built-in remote that lets you adjust the volume, control the playback of music and video, and answer or end calls with a pinch of the cord.
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Connect to a device and start a session
- Start Appium. Use the server endpoint and base path that your server is actually configured to accept. The port, host, and path must match what you enter in Inspector.
- Open the session setup in Inspector. Enter the server connection details, including any path or port required by your server configuration.
- Set the platform and driver. Provide the platform name and, where required, its version, and choose the automation driver that is installed and appropriate for the target.
- Identify the target and app. Supply the device or simulator identifier and the app path or application identifier required by your platform and driver.
- Enter the driver-specific capabilities. Use the current Inspector requirements and documentation for the relevant driver. The available material establishes the session-building workflow, but not a complete, universally applicable Android or iOS capability recipe; values depend on your server, driver, OS, and target.
- Start the session. If creation succeeds, Inspector connects to the session and displays the app view and source. If it fails, use the server log and the troubleshooting section below rather than guessing at capabilities.
Inspector’s session header documentation describes the session controls and their driver or platform qualifications. Check it alongside the relevant driver documentation for exact values and current support.
Inspect the screen and find an element locator
- Navigate the app to the screen containing the element you need to automate.
- Use the screenshot and source panes together: identify the visible control, then select or search the corresponding element in the hierarchy.
- Review the attributes Inspector exposes for that element. The useful attributes vary by app, platform, driver, and screen.
- Choose a locator based on the evidence available in your session, then verify it by using it in your automation and checking that it identifies the intended element.
- Use Inspector’s supported interaction controls to explore the app or confirm an element’s behavior. A successful visual selection alone does not prove that a locator is unique or durable across app changes.
Inspector can display the screenshot and source, search for elements, interact with the app, and issue supported Appium commands. What it can expose is bounded by the active session and driver; treat the hierarchy as a view of the current app state, not as a promise of a permanent locator.
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Use system controls and the Commands tab
System buttons and extra controls are not identical across Android, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Inspector’s header documentation describes platform and driver-specific controls, including Android back, home, and app-switcher actions and iOS-family buttons. It also documents a display switcher that requires UiAutomator2 6.6.0 or later on Android 11 or later. These are version-sensitive requirements, so confirm the current documentation before relying on a control.
The Commands tab obtains commands from the active driver and plugins, but the tab issues commands through WebdriverIO. Its list is therefore limited by the commands WebdriverIO supports; a driver command that is not defined there may not work in this tab. If a command is missing, check that the right driver and plugin are active, whether the client supports the command, and whether it can be invoked through another Appium client. See the Commands tab documentation.
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Choose between the desktop app and plugin
| Route | Deployment model | When it may fit |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone desktop app | Local desktop application that connects to a separately running Appium server. | When you want Inspector as a desktop client and can run or reach the server from that environment. |
| Appium server plugin | Web-based interface integrated with the Appium server. | When a server-integrated interface better matches your existing Appium environment. |
The project documents these two routes, but does not provide a complete feature-by-feature comparison. Choose based on deployment and maintenance fit, and consult the current repository instructions for plugin installation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot connection and inspection problems
| Symptom | What to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Inspector cannot reach the server | Confirm Appium is running and that Inspector’s host, port, and base path match the server endpoint. | Correct the endpoint details and retry the session. |
| Session creation fails | Check that the intended driver is installed and selected, the device or simulator is available, and the capabilities match the platform and driver. | Read the Appium server log for the session creation error; correct the driver, target, or capability issue it identifies. |
| A control is unavailable | Check whether that control is supported for the active driver, operating system, device, and driver version. | Compare the session with Inspector’s current header documentation and the driver’s requirements. |
| A command is absent or fails in the Commands tab | The active driver and plugins determine available commands, and the tab is constrained by WebdriverIO support. | Verify the active driver and plugin, check client support, or try the operation through another Appium client. |
| The displayed element or locator is not useful | Attributes reflect the current app, screen, platform, and driver; a visible element may not have the same useful attributes on another screen or build. | Inspect the current source, test candidate locators in your automation, and confirm that the selected element is the intended one. |
If the same behavior reproduces with another Appium client, the Appium project recommends reporting it to the main Appium repository. If it occurs only in Inspector, report it to the Inspector repository at https://github.com/appium/appium-inspector.
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ScreenshotNeo captures public web pages; it does not inspect a native mobile app’s Appium element hierarchy or replace an Appium session. For a web page that you want to capture separately, one GET request can return an image or PDF. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and responses identify page verdict and billing status in headers. An MCP server provides the tools take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for AI agents. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Appium Inspector the same thing as the Appium server?
No. In the standalone-app workflow, Inspector is the client and connects to a separately running Appium server.
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Can I use Appium Inspector to inspect a website screenshot API response?
No. Inspector is for Appium sessions and mobile-app UI inspection; a screenshot API captures web pages and does not expose a native app’s Appium element hierarchy.
Where should I report an Inspector issue?
If it also occurs through another Appium client, report it to the main Appium repository; if it only occurs in Inspector, use the Inspector repository.
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