app_type

This tool on every surface: CLI · MCP · Python · JavaScript · Go · Java · .NET

Type text into a specific element, after what it already holds; app_fill replaces it instead. The element is located on the device, so the text goes where you aimed it rather than wherever focus happens to be, and quotes, spaces and non-ASCII survive intact. Pass an empty string to clear the field. Not on Android's uiautomator dump driver, which declines text entry rather than enter it wrong.

Changes the device, the app or the session: readOnlyHint is false.

Arguments

Name	Type	Required	What it is
device	string		Device serial to target, e.g. "emulator-5554". Omit when only one device is running.
driver	string: uiautomator2, uiautomator, wda		Driver to use: "uiautomator2" (default for Android; fast, installs a server APK on first use), "uiautomator" (Android, installs nothing, slower, cannot type), or "wda" (WebDriverAgent: iOS simulators and iPhones).
target	string	yes	A ref from app_map ("@e3") or a locator ("testid=search").
text	string	yes	The text to enter. An empty string clears the field.

Examples

Each is the arguments of a tools/call request; the first is shown whole.

Type after what a field holds

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "app_type",
    "arguments": {
      "target": "testid=email",
      "text": "hello@example.com"
    }
  }
}

On a device

Before	After

mobium type testid=username mobium on an Android 15 emulator