Troubleshooting

Below, we list some of the most common problems when working with physical devices.

Cable connectivity issues

There might be an issue with your cable, there are several reasons for it. Please check each point to see if it resolves your issue.

  • The cable is not properly plugged in - Please check if your cable is plugged in correctly, both on your phone and for your laptop.

  • Connected through a hub - Normally there shouldn't be any problem with using a hub to connect your device. But in some cases it might lead to issues. For example, you may have ignored a system pop-up to allow the hub to be used. Unfortunately, we can't trigger this action for you, but you can try connecting your phone directly to see if the problem persists.

  • Incompatible cables - Even though all cables look the same they might behave differently depending on the cable you're using. If you're using a non-OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cable it may not support data transfer. Try using a different cable and see if the problem persists.

Conflicting software

Other applications (e.g., iTunes for iOS devices or Android file transfer software) may conflict with your software and interrupt the connection. Please check if any of these apps are open, if so try closing and see if the issue persists.

General connectivity issues

The Abra Test Runner communicates with a remote back-end to store and show results in the dashboard. Where most data is communicated through the desktop some bits and pieces are send from the app itself, to ensure a fast and smooth experience for all. We've received reports from a small part of our user base that had to enable additional permissions for this to work. In order to check if this might apply for you, on your iPhone go to the app sepcific settings for the Abra Test runner and check if the settings for "mobile data" and / or "wifi data" are enabled.

Errors when running your first test

We want to make your first experience with Abra Desktop as smooth as can be. Parts of our toolchain require the use and setup of tools that are normally only required for developers. After setting up our tools based on the documentation it is likely you don't have to interact with the tools manually that often.

That being said, especially when the device you want to use for testing has never been used for development you might get some errors / unexpected results. One of the causes is that Apple executes some automated setup for your device the first time you interact with the interal used tools. Unfortunately we can not manually track the progress and / or determine if it is already completed.

So if it is your first time running tests on the connected phone and you get an error, we recommend to let your device rest for a few minutes. After you've given it some time please restart Abra Desktop and try running a test again.

Failed to load Android device(s)

This issue will occur when the connected android device is not authorized for debugging. It typically happens when connecting the device for the first time and might pop up occasionally. If this is your first time connecting your Android device, a pop-up should appear asking for your permission. Allow access by clicking the appropriate button; we suggest also selecting the "always allow" option.

If you do not receive this pop-up on your phone, you can manually trigger it by following these steps:

  1. Go the settings on your Android device

  2. Find "Developer options"

  3. In this menu there should be a switch to "revoke usb debugging authorizations", simply toggle it on and off and you should see the pop-up.

  4. In some cases, you may need to reconnect your device by unplugging and plugging the cable back in.

The app "APP NAME" is not installed on device "DEVICE NAME"

Samsung devices by default come with an app called Secure Folder. Due to how this app works it might conflict with some of the commands Abra Desktop relies on to communicate with Android devices. Currently we can't work around this and if you're not using the secure folder we recommend uninstall this app. Instructions on how to uninstall the app can be found on the official website.

Power issues

Check the battery status of your mobile phone. Sometimes the operating system might limit the possibilities when your phone is in low power mode. Charge your phone, turn off low power mode, and check if the issue persists.