mobium trace
This tool on every surface: CLI · MCP · Python · JavaScript · Go · Java · .NET
Record a session as a trace, in Vibium's record format
trace start begins; every call on the device is then a step, with the
screen after it and the map's elements drawn over it. trace stop -o t.zip
saves a zip in Vibium's record format, which player.vibium.dev opens.
trace alone says whether one is running.
Text typed into a field is not recorded, only its length. On a real phone the screenshots are its owner's screen: --no-screenshots keeps none.
Each step's screenshot and map are taken after the call, and every call waits for them: on a Pixel 8 Pro, two taps took 5.1 s traced against 1.4 s without. When timing is what is being shown — a race — trace with --no-screenshots --no-maps, which cost nothing measurable, and record the screen instead.
Usage
mobium trace [start | stop] [flags]
Flags
| Flag | Type | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
--name | string | The trace's title, on start | |
--no-maps | bool | Draw no map over each screenshot, on start | |
--no-screenshots | bool | Keep no screenshot of each step, on start | |
--output -o | string | Where to save the trace on stop (default: ./trace- |
And the global flags.
Examples
Start tracing the session
mobium trace start --name "sign in"
Stop, and save the trace
mobium trace stop -o sign-in.zip
More, from mobium trace --help
mobium trace start --name "sign in"
mobium tap "label=Login Demo"
mobium fill testid=username mobium
mobium trace stop -o sign-in.zip
# open sign-in.zip at https://player.vibium.dev
No screenshot: what it keeps is a zip in Vibium's record format, which opens in Vibium's player at player.vibium.dev: every step, and the screen after each with the map drawn over it.
The tool
trace calls app_trace; its arguments and what every client calls it are there.