Claw Use Android — Phone Control for AI Agents

Give your AI agent eyes, hands, and a voice on a real Android phone.

claw-use-android is an Android app + CLI (cua) that exposes HTTP endpoints for full phone control. No ADB, no root, no PC.

Setup

# Install the APK on your Android phone, enable Accessibility Service
# Then register the device:
cua add redmi 192.168.0.105 \x3Ctoken>
cua ping

New in v2.0.0: Unified API

Three new endpoints replace the scattered old endpoints for AI agent workflows:

GET /screen — Semantic UI Tree

Returns elements with stable integer ref IDs, semantic zone, and role annotations.

cua screen              # full semantic UI tree (JSON)
cua screen -c           # compact: only interactive/text elements

Response:

{
  "package": "com.android.settings",
  "elements": [
    {"ref": 1, "text": "设置", "zone": "header"},
    {"ref": 2, "text": "搜索", "zone": "header", "role": "button", "click": true},
    {"ref": 3, "text": "WLAN", "zone": "content"}
  ]
}

GET /snapshot — JPEG Screenshot

Returns a base64-encoded JPEG screenshot.

cua snapshot              # save screenshot, print path
cua snapshot 50 720 out.jpg  # quality, maxWidth, output

POST /act — Unified Action Endpoint

All operations through a single entry point, using ref IDs from /screen.

cua act '{"click": 3}'              # click ref 3
cua act '{"click": "OK"}'           # click by text (fallback)
cua act '{"click": [1, 2, 3]}'      # click refs in sequence
cua act '{"tap": {"x": 540, "y": 960}}'
cua act '{"type": "hello"}'          # type into focused field
cua act '{"type": {"ref": 3, "text": "hello"}}'  # focus ref then type
cua act '{"swipe": "up"}'            # directional swipe
cua act '{"scroll": "down"}'         # scroll nearest scrollable
cua act '{"back": true}'
cua act '{"home": true}'
cua act '{"recents": true}'
cua act '{"longpress": 3}'           # long press ref
cua act '{"launch": "com.duolingo"}'

# Multiple actions in one request:
cua act '{"home": true, "back": true}'

Agent Workflow Pattern (screen → act loop)

# 1. Observe
cua screen -c          # get refs
# 2. Act
cua act '{"click": 5}' # click ref 5
# 3. Observe again
cua screen -c          # see result

Flow-First Principle

执行手机操作前，先读 flows.md（与本文件同目录）。

• 如果有匹配的 flow → 直接用 /flow 或批量脚本执行，跳过逐步推理
• 如果 flow 中有 {"screen":true} 断点 → 在该步读屏后由 agent 决策，然后继续
• 如果没有匹配 flow → 走 screen→act 循环，完成后沉淀新 flow 到 flows.md
• 如果 flow 执行失败（超时、元素未找到等）→ 回退到 screen→act 循环继续完成任务，事后修正 flows.md

主动沉淀（必须执行）： 完成任何多步操作后，立即审视刚才的步骤序列。如果发现可复用的模式（哪怕只是部分步骤），当场追加到 flows.md。不要等用户提醒。沉淀是 agent 的责任，不是用户的。

这样做的好处：

1. 快：/flow 在设备端 100ms 轮询执行，不经过 LLM
2. 省 token：一个 flow 替代 5-10 轮 agent 推理
3. 可积累：每次新场景都沉淀，agent 越用越快

Legacy CLI Reference (cua)

All legacy endpoints remain supported alongside the new unified API.

Device Management

cua add \x3Cname> \x3Cip> \x3Ctoken>    # register device with alias
cua devices                     # list all (with live status)
cua use \x3Cname>                  # switch default device
cua rm \x3Cname>                   # remove device
cua -d \x3Cname> \x3Ccommand>         # target specific device
cua discover                    # scan LAN for devices (192.168.x.x:7333)

Perception — read the phone

cua screen              # full UI tree (JSON)
cua screen -c           # compact: only interactive/text elements
cua screenshot          # save screenshot, print path
cua screenshot 50 720 out.jpg  # quality, maxWidth, output
cua notifications       # list all notifications
cua status              # health dashboard
cua info                # device model, screen size, permissions

Action — control the phone

cua tap \x3Cx> \x3Cy>         # tap coordinates
cua click \x3Ctext>        # tap element by visible text
cua longpress \x3Cx> \x3Cy>   # long press
cua swipe up|down|left|right
cua scroll up|down|left|right
cua type "text"         # type text (CJK supported)
cua back                # system back
cua home                # go home
cua launch \x3Cpackage>    # launch app
cua launch              # list all apps
cua open \x3Curl>          # open URL
cua call \x3Cnumber>       # phone call
cua intent '\x3Cjson>'     # fire Android Intent

Audio

cua tts "hello"         # speak through phone speaker
cua say "你好"          # alias

Device I/O (v1.7.0+)

cua clipboard           # read clipboard
cua clipboard "text"    # write to clipboard
cua camera [front|back] [quality] [output.jpg]  # take photo
cua volume              # read all volumes
cua volume media 10     # set media volume
cua volume media up     # adjust volume
cua battery             # battery status
cua wifi                # WiFi info
cua location            # GPS/network location
cua vibrate [ms]        # vibrate (default 200ms)
cua contacts [search]   # list/search contacts
cua sms list [limit]    # read SMS
cua sms send \x3Cnumber> \x3Cmessage>  # send SMS
cua file list [path]    # list directory
cua file read \x3Cpath>    # read file
cua file write \x3Cpath> \x3Ccontent>  # write file
cua file delete \x3Cpath>  # delete file

Device State

cua wake                # wake screen
cua lock / cua unlock   # lock/unlock (PIN required)
cua config pin 123456   # remember lock screen PIN for auto-unlock
cua config pattern 256398  # EXPERIMENTAL: pattern unlock (not yet verified)

Flow Engine — phone-side scripted automation

cua flow '{
  "steps": [
    {"wait": "继续安装", "then": "tap", "timeout": 10000},
    {"wait": "继续更新", "then": "tap", "timeout": 10000},
    {"wait": "完成",     "then": "tap", "timeout": 60000, "optional": true}
  ]
}'

Flow runs entirely on the phone with zero LLM calls. The device polls its accessibility tree at 100ms intervals and reacts instantly when the target element appears.

Step fields:

• wait — text to find (case-insensitive partial match)
• waitId — resource ID to find
• waitDesc — content description to find
• waitGone — wait for text to DISAPPEAR
• then — action: tap, click, longpress, back, home, none
• timeout — per-step timeout in ms (default 10000)
• optional — if true, timeout doesn't fail the flow
• pauseMs — pause after action before next step (default 500)

Click with Retry

# Atomic find-and-tap: retries until element appears
curl -X POST /click -d '{"text":"继续安装","retry":3,"retryMs":2000}'

Device Onboarding (New Device Setup)

Complete recipe for adding a new Android device from zero to fully operational.

Prerequisites (human must do once)

1. Install APK on the device (download from GitHub Releases or LAN HTTP)
2. Enable Accessibility Service: Settings → Accessibility → Claw Use → ON
3. Note the auth token from the app notification or main screen

Step 1: Discover & Register

# Scan LAN for devices
cua discover

# Register with a friendly name
cua add \x3Cname> \x3Cip> \x3Ctoken>

# Verify connectivity
cua -d \x3Cname> ping
cua -d \x3Cname> info

Step 2: Configure Auto-Unlock

# PIN unlock (recommended — proven reliable via a11y button tapping)
cua -d \x3Cname> config pin \x3CPIN>

# Verify: lock then unlock
cua -d \x3Cname> lock
sleep 3
cua -d \x3Cname> unlock
# Should show {"unlocked":true}

Important: Only PIN unlock is verified to work. Pattern unlock is experimental and unreliable — the accessibility gesture dispatch doesn't consistently hit the correct grid coordinates across different devices and screen sizes. If the device uses pattern lock, change it to PIN.

Step 3: MIUI/HyperOS Permissions (automated)

cua -d \x3Cname> setup-perms

This automates granting all 9 app permissions on MIUI devices: 位置, 相机, 麦克风, 照片和视频, 音乐和音频, 短信, 电话, 联系人, 日历

The command navigates through Settings → Apps → Claw Use → Permissions and clicks through each permission grant dialog.

If setup-perms fails (common on tablets with dual-pane layout), grant manually:

1. Open Settings → Apps → Manage Apps → search "Claw Use"
2. Tap "App permissions" (应用权限)
3. Enable each permission: prefer "始终允许" > "仅在使用中允许" > "允许"

Step 4: Background Survival (MIUI)

These settings prevent MIUI from killing the service:

# Navigate to app settings
cua -d \x3Cname> intent '{"action":"android.settings.APPLICATION_DETAILS_SETTINGS","uri":"package:com.clawuse.android"}'

Then via a11y or manually ensure:

• 自启动 (Autostart): ON
• 省电策略 (Battery saver): 无限制 (No restrictions)
• 通知 (Notifications): 允许 (Allow)
• WLAN联网 (WiFi access): ON (if available)

Step 5: Verify Everything

cua -d \x3Cname> status    # check a11y health, uptime, request count
cua -d \x3Cname> screen -c # verify a11y tree works
cua -d \x3Cname> screenshot 50 720 /tmp/verify.jpg  # verify screenshot

# Test auto-unlock end-to-end
cua -d \x3Cname> lock
sleep 3
cua -d \x3Cname> screen -c  # should auto-unlock then return tree

Known Device-Specific Issues

MIUI Tablets (Xiaomi Pad 5, etc.):

• Settings uses dual-pane layout — left panel items NOT visible in a11y tree
• Must navigate through full Settings → Apps path instead of direct Intent
• APPLICATION_DETAILS_SETTINGS intent opens app LIST, not specific app
• setup-perms may need manual fallback for tablet layout

MIUI Phones (Redmi K60 Ultra, etc.):

• ICP 备案 dialog may appear during APK install — click "继续安装"
• "仍然下载" confirmation in Chrome for HTTP downloads
• Chrome downloads don't auto-open APK — go to Downloads → tap the file icon (left side)

General Android:

• Notification Listener requires manual enable: Settings → 通知 → 设备和应用通知 → Claw Use
• takeScreenshot() returns black image on lock screen (Android security)
• Lock screen a11y tree requires flagRetrieveInteractiveWindows (added in v1.6.2)

Self-Update (OTA via LAN)

Update a device to a new APK version without ADB:

# Serve APK on LAN (from the machine with the APK)
cd /path/to/apk && python3 -m http.server 9090 &

# On the device, open browser to download
cua -d \x3Cname> intent '{"action":"android.intent.action.VIEW","uri":"http://\x3Clan-ip>:9090/app.apk"}'

# Or via browser navigation for MIUI browser:
cua -d \x3Cname> click "浏览器"
cua -d \x3Cname> click "搜索或输入网址"
cua -d \x3Cname> type "http://\x3Clan-ip>:9090/app.apk"
# ... then handle download + install prompts

# MIUI install flow (after APK opens in installer)
cua -d \x3Cname> flow '{
  "steps": [
    {"wait": "继续安装", "then": "tap", "timeout": 15000},
    {"wait": "已了解此应用未经安全检测", "then": "tap", "timeout": 10000, "optional": true},
    {"wait": "继续更新", "then": "tap", "timeout": 15000}
  ]
}'

# Verify new version after service restart (~30s)
sleep 30
cua -d \x3Cname> ping

UpdateReceiver: The app listens for MY_PACKAGE_REPLACED broadcast and auto-restarts the service after update. No manual intervention needed after install completes.

Workflow Patterns

Navigate and interact (v2.0+ recommended)

cua act '{"launch": "org.telegram.messenger"}'
cua screen -c
cua act '{"click": "Search Chats"}'
cua act '{"type": "John"}'
cua act '{"click": "John"}'

Navigate and interact (legacy)

cua launch org.telegram.messenger
cua screen -c
cua click "Search Chats"
cua type "John"
cua click "John"

Visual + semantic perception

cua screen -c                          # what elements exist (structured, with refs)
cua snapshot 50 720 /tmp/look.jpg      # what it looks like (visual)

Prefer screen -c over snapshot for decision-making. Structured a11y data is faster to process, has exact coordinates, and provides ref IDs for /act. Use snapshot only when visual context matters (images, colors, layout).

Handle locked device

Automatic — any command auto-unlocks if PIN is configured. No special handling needed.

MIUI APK Install (via /flow)

cua flow '{
  "steps": [
    {"wait": "继续安装", "then": "tap", "timeout": 15000},
    {"wait": "已了解此应用未经安全检测", "then": "tap", "timeout": 10000, "optional": true},
    {"wait": "继续更新", "then": "tap", "timeout": 10000}
  ]
}'

Multi-device

cua add phone1 192.168.0.101 \x3Ctoken>
cua add tablet 192.168.0.102 \x3Ctoken>
cua -d phone1 say "hello from phone 1"
cua -d tablet screenshot

Operational Lessons

DO

• Use click by text instead of tap by coordinates whenever text is visible
• Use screen -c as the primary perception tool — compact filters noise
• Use /flow for multi-step mechanical sequences — saves tokens, 100x faster than LLM-per-step
• Use intent deep links for app navigation (e.g., https://t.me/c/{id}/{topic}/{msg})
• Use PIN unlock — proven 100% reliable via a11y button tapping

DON'T

• Don't use screenshot coordinates for tapping — screenshot?maxWidth=720 is scaled, screen bounds are actual pixels
• Don't try pattern unlock — coordinates vary by device/OS, no reliable way to locate the grid
• Don't rely on tap when click can work — text-based is resolution-independent
• Don't manually navigate app UIs when deep links exist — error-prone and slow
• Don't rapid-fire requests — allow 0.5-1s between actions for UI to settle

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Android Device                  │
│                                              │
│  :http process          main process         │
│  ┌──────────────┐      ┌──────────────────┐ │
│  │ BridgeService│ HTTP │ AccessibilityBridge│ │
│  │ NanoHTTPD    │─────→│ A11yInternalServer│ │
│  │ 0.0.0.0:7333│proxy │ 127.0.0.1:7334   │ │
│  └──────────────┘      └──────────────────┘ │
│    ↑ auth+CORS           ↑ a11y service      │
│    ↑ auto-unlock         ↑ gesture dispatch  │
│    ↑ config/status       ↑ tree traversal    │
└────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘
         ↑ HTTP
    ┌────────────┐
    │  Agent/CLI │  cua commands / curl
    └────────────┘

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