One way to set an app for debugging on Android, particularly for debugging its startup process, is by configuring it to wait for a debugger to attach via the Developer Options in your device's Settings.
Setting up your app to wait for a debugger is a crucial step when you need to inspect the initial execution flow and state of your application right from its launch. This prevents the app from starting normally until a debugging tool (like Android Studio) connects to it.
Steps to Set an App to Wait for a Debugger
You can easily configure an app to wait for a debugger using the built-in Developer Options on your Android device.
Here are the steps:
- Open Settings: Navigate to the main "Settings" application on your Android device.
- Access Developer Options: Scroll down and tap on "Developer options".
- Note: If you don't see "Developer options", you need to enable them first by going to Settings > About phone > Build number and tapping "Build number" seven times.
- Find Debugging Section: Look for the debugging-related settings within the Developer options menu.
- Select Debug App: Tap on the "Select debug app" option.
- Choose Your App: A list of installed applications will appear. Select the specific app you wish to debug from this list.
- Enable "Wait for debugger": After selecting your app, locate and click on the "Wait for debugger" setting.
By enabling "Wait for debugger" for your selected app, the next time you attempt to launch that application, it will pause immediately after creation and display a message indicating that it is waiting for a debugger to attach before it can proceed.
Here is a summary in a table format for clarity:
| Step | Action | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Settings | Go to your device's main Settings. |
| 2 | Access Developer Options | Find and tap "Developer options". |
| 3 | Select Debug App | Tap on the "Select debug app" option. |
| 4 | Choose App | Select your target app from the list. |
| 5 | Enable Wait for Debugger | Tap "Wait for debugger" after selecting the app. |
Once these steps are completed, you can then connect your development environment (like Android Studio) to your device and attach the debugger to the waiting process of your application to begin debugging its startup phase.
