What is Studio?
Studio in one paragraph
Section titled “Studio in one paragraph”Orbittest Studio is a Windows desktop app for Android QA engineers and mobile developers. It connects to Android devices over USB and puts everything mobile testing needs into one window: a live mirror of the device screen, a UI hierarchy inspector, a logcat viewer with real filters, a code editor with a test runner, and HTML reports with screenshots and video evidence. You write JavaScript tests with the orbittest/mobile API, run them against a real device with one click, and review the results without leaving the app.
The problem it solves
Section titled “The problem it solves”Picture debugging one failing Android test the usual way. You have a terminal running the test, a second terminal tailing logcat, the phone in your hand to watch the screen, Android Studio open just for its layout inspector, an editor with the test code, and a file explorer digging through report folders. Six surfaces for one bug.
Studio collapses that into one workspace. The mirror shows the device while the test runs. The inspector tells you why a tap missed. Logcat is filtered to your app’s package right next to the console output. The report with the failure video is one panel away. None of it requires alt-tabbing or memorizing adb commands.
How Studio relates to OrbitTest
Section titled “How Studio relates to OrbitTest”Studio is not a separate testing system. Tests written in Studio are standard OrbitTest mobile test files, the same orbittest/mobile API documented on the Mobile Test API page. Studio adds the visual layer: device management, mirroring, inspection, logs, editing, and run orchestration.
That separation matters practically: a test authored in Studio runs unchanged from the command line or CI, and your test project is a normal folder of JavaScript files. The desktop app is a workbench, not a lock-in.
| You need | Use |
|---|---|
| Browser test automation, CI runs | OrbitTest CLI |
| Android tests in CI | OrbitTest CLI + @orbittest/mobile |
| Daily Android QA: authoring, debugging, device work | Orbittest Studio |
| Both web and Android in one project | OrbitTest CLI, with Studio for the mobile workflow |
What you need to run it
Section titled “What you need to run it”| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 or later, 64-bit |
| Android device | Android 8.0 (API 26) or later recommended |
| ADB | Bundled with Android Studio, or standalone platform-tools |
| USB | A data cable, with USB debugging enabled on the device |
| Optional | ffmpeg, enables WebM preview generation in test reports |
Installation, including the Companion app that Studio installs on the phone, is covered step by step on the Studio Installation page.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Is Studio available for macOS or Linux?
Section titled “Is Studio available for macOS or Linux?”Not currently. Studio ships for Windows 10/11 64-bit. The OrbitTest CLI and mobile provider run anywhere Node.js runs, so non-Windows teams can still automate Android from the command line.
Does Studio cost anything?
Section titled “Does Studio cost anything?”No. It is free to download from the official GitHub releases page, under the MIT License.
Do I need Android Studio installed?
Section titled “Do I need Android Studio installed?”No. You need ADB, which you can get as standalone platform-tools. If you already have Android Studio, its bundled ADB works fine.
Related pages
Section titled “Related pages”- Features — A tour of Studio: OrbiStream live mirror, UI Inspector, logcat filters, the test runner with evidence reports, and the built-in IDE.
- Installation — Install Orbittest Studio on Windows, enable USB debugging on Android, and deploy the Companion app, step by step.
- Quick Start — From new project to first passing mobile test: connect a device, write a smoke test, run it, and review the video evidence.
- Mobile Testing — Android automation with ADB and UIAutomator through @orbittest/mobile: setup, configuration, hybrid tests, and evidence.