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DevFlow Android setup

This guide covers how to configure Android devices and emulators for DevFlow Blazor WebView debugging using Chrome DevTools Protocol.

Important

DevFlow is experimental and will change between releases.

Prerequisites

  • ADB (Android Debug Bridge): Included with Android SDK Platform Tools. Ensure adb is available on your system PATH.
  • ChromeDriver: Must match the Chrome version installed on the target device or emulator. Download from ChromeDriver downloads.

Enable USB debugging

To enable USB debugging on a physical Android device:

  1. Open Settings > About phone.
  2. Tap Build number seven times to enable Developer Options.
  3. Go back to Settings > Developer Options.
  4. Enable USB Debugging.
  5. Connect the device to your development machine via USB and authorize the connection when prompted.

Enable WebView debugging

The Android WebView must be configured to allow debugging. Choose one of the following options:

Option 1: In MainActivity.cs

Add the following to your MainActivity.cs:

#if DEBUG
Android.Webkit.WebView.SetWebContentsDebuggingEnabled(true);
#endif

Option 2: Via BlazorWebViewHandler mapper

Configure the handler in your MauiProgram.cs:

#if DEBUG && ANDROID
Microsoft.Maui.Handlers.BlazorWebViewHandler.Mapper.AppendToMapping(
    "WebViewDebugging", (handler, view) =>
    {
        Android.Webkit.WebView.SetWebContentsDebuggingEnabled(true);
    });
#endif

ADB port forwarding

Android emulators run in an isolated network. Use adb reverse to forward ports from the emulator to the host machine:

# Forward the broker port
adb reverse tcp:19223 tcp:19223

# Forward the agent port (replace {port} with the assigned port)
adb reverse tcp:{port} tcp:{port}

Note

Run these commands each time the emulator restarts. For physical devices connected via USB, the same adb reverse commands apply.

Troubleshooting

Issue Possible cause Resolution
No debuggable WebView found WebView debugging is not enabled Ensure SetWebContentsDebuggingEnabled(true) is called before the WebView loads. Verify the #if DEBUG directive is active for your build configuration.
ChromeDriver version mismatch ChromeDriver version doesn't match device Chrome version Check the Chrome version on the device (Settings > Apps > Chrome) and download the matching ChromeDriver.
Multiple devices connected ADB can't determine which device to target Use adb devices to list connected devices, then specify the target with adb -s <device-serial> reverse ....
ADB not found Platform tools not installed or not on PATH Install Android SDK Platform Tools and add the directory to your system PATH.

See also

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