Bringing a brilliant Android app to market is your chance to expand outreach to a broader customer base and show off your design skills. However, there’s very little wiggle room for error. Once you’re live, keeping on top of maintenance and debugging is essential.
We've got you covered if you want to know the best Android debugging tools for 2025. Our deep dive tells you all you need to know - from what it is to the best tools to try out.
So, let’s start at the very bug-ginning.
What is Android debugging?
Android debugging and the tools used to perform it are key stages in the app development process and beyond.
They assist developers in their quest to identify and fix coding errors at various stages of application creation. They help with things like:
- analyzing code
- understanding the execution flow
- resolving issues.
All this, so that the app always performs smoothly and complies with changes to tech company rules.
Quite a few different debugging tools can be used to perform various tests and simulations. Some identify lines of code that haven’t been properly executed. Others have functions that allow developers to view how apps behave on different operating systems or devices.
What are the key considerations for you and your team if you’re searching for a reliable Android debugging tool? Let’s wander through these now.
How to choose Android debugging tools
When choosing the best Android debugging tool, it’s a good idea to have a checklist of things to consider; think about any or all of the following:
What is your debug target?
Which area needs the most assistance? Is it the UI or network, or do you want to analyze app behaviour? Discovering this will help you decide on a debugging tool.
What’s your team's knowledge like?
Always choose the best Android debugging tool based on the team's skills and knowledge. Think about where they excel and what they may need help with.
Can your tool integrate simply?
Seamless integration and compatibility with workflow are other key considerations when choosing the right tool. It must also fit in with all existing dev tools.
What’s your budget?
Money matters, and the tool chosen will depend on how much budget there is. There are always free Android debugging tools to try, and there are even open-source options. Paid tools will have subscription options and a range of advanced features.
Is it scalable?
If you think you’ll need to scale up at some point, invest in tools that can grow with the app and its design complexity.
Once this has been considered, it’s time to examine the key features that are most helpful in the best Android debugging tools.
Key features to look for in Android debugging tools
Great-quality Android debugging tools have many features that best suit different functions. Here, we’ll go through them so it’s easy to understand which tool to choose.
- Capability to debug remotely: A great tool for working on web, native, or hybrid apps. It allows developers to connect a mobile device to a computer, using browser developer tools to modify different aspects of apps.
- Ability to pause the execution of app code: Two specific features, Breakpoints and Watchpoints, are essential features in Android debugging tools. They allow you to pause the execution of app code at specific points so it can be analysed in more detail.
- What emulators and simulators are available? These are two vital features that replicate the behaviour of Android devices on a computer. They help with testing app functionality and how responsive it is.
- Good crash reporting: Brilliant for analysing data regarding your app’s performance, errors, and user behaviour. It also ensures that the app is high-quality and always usable.
- Great logging tools: These will show messages, events, or data relevant to how the app is working at any given point. When debugging, they assist with the tracking of the flow, state, and output of your app’s code, network, and UI.
- Reliable testing: Android debugging tools also support testing and automation. These are features that help you run and verify the capabilities and features of your app while also helping with security issues.
That’s our rundown of the key features. Now, let's focus on the range of available Android debugging tools.
10 best Android debugging tools
If you’re ready to choose the best Android debugging tool, we’ve compiled a list of ten best options. There’s something here for every team’s needs.
Android Studio
The best-known tool is the official IDE for Android development. It offers a great suite of debugging tools specially tailored for app development and is designed to streamline and debug with various features and plugins.
Pros:
- Free to use and has comprehensive debugging tools
- As expected, it’s perfect for integration with Android development workflows.
Cons:
- As it’s heavy on resources, it can slow down low-spec machines.
- For complicated debugs, devs will need advanced knowledge and skills
Zipy
A great tool for monitoring app performance and metrics, it can identify and debug performance bottlenecks in real-time, making it ideal for hybrid, mobile, and web apps.
Pros:
- It is super easy to integrate with a range of popular development frameworks.
- It is great to assist with how responsive an app is.
Cons:
- There’s a free version to use, but it's limited compared to the paid plan.
Selendroid
Selendroid is an open-source model for Android apps, sometimes known as Selenium for Android. One of its key features is its ability to test Android UI elements, so it’s great for many different types of apps.
Pros:
- It’s free to use
- Can undertake automated UI testing and debugging.
Cons:
- Users might need a degree of experience to set up and write test scripts
- As it’s free, it’s perhaps not quite as feature-heavy as other tools.
Smartlook
A great behaviour analytics tool, it can provide insights into how users interact with mobile and web apps. Developers and product teams can analyse user actions through session recordings and heatmaps, helping identify UX issues and optimise app performance.
Pros:
- Has a brilliant free plan for new users
- Super to track user behaviour around conversion and sales.
Cons:
- It primarily focuses on qualitative analytics rather than traditional debugging.
- With this in mind, users might need additional debugging tools to get the most from it.
UXCam
A mobile app analytics platform focusing on user behaviour insights and experience optimization. It’ll identify UX bottlenecks and improve overall app performance, offering detailed insights into user engagement.
Pros:
- A great tool if devs want to focus on optimizing user experience.
- Will give insights into user pain points.
Cons:
- Not the best if code-level debugging is required.
New Relic
An APM (application performance monitoring) tool that’ll give users insights into how an app performs, a key feature is that real-time performance can be tracked so developers can assess response time, error rate, and resource consumption.
Pros:
- There’s a great range of advanced features to monitor and optimize complex apps
Cons:
- Not great for teams on a tighter budget as it’s costly to run.
- Users might find it’s not as easy to learn as other tools.
Instabug
A complex bug reporting and feedback management tool for Android apps. Users can report bugs in-app and provide detailed info to development teams, such as screenshots. There’s also a crash report feature.
Pros:
- Streamlines reporting processes
- Easy user feedback.
Cons:
- A pricey tool for teams who are running a tight ship.
Eclipse
A Java IDE to streamline effective working with software is best suited to teams developing software from scratch, as all its processes are standardized.
Pros
- Robust features for easy optimisation of apps.
- Automated error reporting makes it easy to see potential issues.
Cons
- No longer supported by Google.
Bugsee
A bug and crash reporting tool compatible with Android and iOS. Users can report bugs and errors in a matter of seconds.
Pros
- Users only need one click of a button to report.
- The developer dashboard is comprehensive and intuitive to use.
Cons
- The free plan has limitations
- The user interface can take a while to get used to.
ACRA
ACRA is an open-source library that can be used as an Android debug app. It’s targeted at Android app developers and allows them to collect data from apps when they crash or produce errors.
Devs can configure how crash reports are uploaded. They can configure the contents of the crash reports and add custom traces.
Pros
- It’s a meticulous program if detailed information about crashes is needed.
- Can provide feedback to users about crashes.
Cons
- It may prove tricky to use when the instant run is enabled, so the best advice is to disable it before reporting errors.
For top notch product development solutions, Tapptitude is your go-to
When deciding on a product launch, there’s so much to consider. It isn’t just about building a successful app, though; of course, that matters more than ever these days. It’s great to have a company on board that can provide a range of intuitive solutions, whether assisting with the initial ideas and development or completing and signing off on the final designs.
That’s where the team at Tapptitude can help. Want to develop stellar solutions for product launches? We’re your go-to. Start the conversation with us today, and we’ll bring all your creative ideas to life. The end result is that you get the best product possible, and we’ve helped you make it a reality.
Talk to the Tapptitude team today. We're here for all your product development needs.
FAQs on Android debugging tools
What are Android debugging tools?
They are tools that help developers identify and fix bugs and performance errors in Android apps. They can also help developers analyse code, understand execution flow, and resolve issues.
How does a team choose the right Android debugging tool?
When choosing the best Android debugging tools for 2025, many factors must be considered. These include the team budget, the type of app being built, the level of support required, and team knowledge and experience.
What are some best practices for Android debugging?
When initiating debugging for Android, here’s what to consider:
- Make sure logs are used effectively and efficiently
- Ensure the team has a great working knowledge of all the different kinds of Android debugging tools
- Keep track of breakpoints and watchpoints.
- Maintain efforts to understand user flow.
- Keep up to date with clean versions of code.
Tapptitude
Tapptitude is a mobile app development company specialized in providing high-quality mobile app development services, and a top-rated app company on Clutch.
