Real Device Access API

Move beyond framework constraints to full device control

Real Device Access API, the industry's only modern programmable mobile cloud, supported on both public and private real devices, gives developers deep, device-level control to accelerate AI-driven workflows and unlock use cases standard frameworks can't reach. By bypassing framework constraints, teams eliminate the drain of in-house device testing, reclaim innovation time, and improve release velocity.

Experience unmatched extensibility and flexibility with Real Device Cloud as part of Sauce Labs AURA platform, where Real Device Access API, combined with Sauce Labs' IDE plugins and Sauce Labs hosted MCP integration completes the developer experience end to end: from writing and testing code in your IDE, getting direct device control, to an AI agent running tests on real devices, without leaving the tools they already work in.

Get an AI-ready foundation designed for modern mobile apps

Framework Freedom: The Real Device Access API provides direct, unmediated access to Sauce Labs real devices—decoupling device control from any single automation framework or testing philosophy.

Unmatched Device Control: Get local-device precision with cloud-scale security. Execute raw adb and xcrun commands, modify system states mid-session, and use custom drivers (WDA/UIA2) on private devices.

Maximized Efficiency: Achieve persistent high-performance sessions. [Up to 24 hours on private devices]. Eliminate the reboot and reacquisition overhead by using session caching to run sequential tests without constant resets. Ideal for soak tests, long-running workflows, continuous validation, and monitoring.

Enhanced Observability: Don't just see that a test failed—see why. Access live WebSocket streams of system logs, network traffic, and high-fidelity video and reduce MTTR with real-time visibility into exact failure causes.

Ultimate Versatility: Whether you're integrating custom gaming drivers, specialized accessibility tools, or forked versions of WDA, this API offers the "local lab feel" at a global cloud scale on real devices.

Future-Ready for AI: Architecture built for autonomous AI workflows and agents. Low-latency video and visual control surfaces enable Agentic AI workflows across different mobile devices and OSes. The MCP-ready architecture allows AI agents to treat devices as native tools.

Debug From Your IDE: Pull a live Sauce Labs device into VS Code, Cursor or IntelliJ with the Sauce Labs IDE plugin. The device screen, logs, vitals and shell sit next to the test code that failed, so engineers reproduce, fix and re-run without leaving the editor.

Choose What Meets Your Business Needs

Public devices: Best for broad OS/device coverage: functional, regression, and manual testing across many configurations.

Private devices: Best for dedicated device needs: security-sensitive, long-running, or high-control workflows.

Core Capabilities and Controls

Comprehensive File Management: Directly manage files on test devices using simple API commands.

• Push Data: Push configuration files, user profiles, or datasets to the device before a test (e.g., POST /rdc/v2/sessions/<id>/device/pushFile).
• Retrieve Logs/Assets: Pull log files, diagnostic files, crash reports, or data generated by your application for external validation.

Test Results & Artifacts: Bracket any workflows to automatically capture and report test artifacts.

• Automatic Artifact Capture: Capture video, device logs, network traffic (HAR), screenshots, and Appium logs automatically, no separate storage to build or host.
• Unified Test Results & Insights: Results land on the same Test Results page, Builds, and Insights dashboards your Appium, Espresso, and XCUITest jobs already use, nothing new to learn.

Performance Metric Monitoring: Gain direct visibility into core performance metrics by measuring the exact duration and success of app installations and launches.

• Track Installation Time: Measure the exact duration of app installation to detect regressions caused by increased application file size.
• Measure Launch Speed: Monitor the time it takes for your app to launch.
• Detect Launch Crashes: Immediately identify builds that fail to launch successfully by checking the API response.

Granular Session Management: Full control over creating, retrieving, and deleting sessions with configurable lengths up to 24 hours.

• Custom Cleanup Control: Configure session cleanup to specify which services to start, which assets (logs, video) to retain, and which apps to uninstall.
• Device Reboot: Allows rebooting the device (for private devices only) when deleting a session using "restartDevice": true.

Features Exclusive to Private Devices:

• Device Reboot
• Unrestricted ADB shell
• Custom Appium (Android)
• Custom WDA (iOS)
• Local Device Tunnel (ADB Connect, usbmuxd)
• Session Duration: Up to 24 Hours vs 1 Hour on Public Devices

Unlock Advanced Mobile Use Cases

• Precision Performance Benchmarking
• Natural Language Test Execution (MCP)
• Synthetic Monitoring Production Loops
• Proprietary / Custom Driver Execution
• Destructive Root Detection and Malware Testing
• Self-Healing Autonomous Agents
• Soak Testing for Continuous Usage