Having trouble with device recognition for app testing
I’m trying to debug my Android application on a Sony Xperia Miro phone but it won’t appear as an available device in my development environment. The phone connects perfectly fine for regular tasks like file transfers, media sync, and storage access. I can also run my apps without issues on the built-in simulator.
The strange part is that other Android phones from different manufacturers work immediately when I plug them in for testing. Just this particular Sony model seems to have connection problems for development purposes.
Has anyone faced similar device detection issues with Sony smartphones? What steps should I take to make my phone visible for app debugging?
I experienced the same frustration with my Sony Xperia. It turns out that Sony devices require specific USB drivers for development purposes, which aren’t included with generic ones. I recommend downloading either Sony’s PC Companion or Xperia Companion to install the necessary ADB drivers. Also, ensure that USB debugging is enabled in the developer options, and set the USB connection mode to MTP or PTP rather than just charging. Following these steps resolved the issue for me, making the device detectable in my IDE right away. It’s a bit annoying that this extra step is needed, especially when other brands don’t have this requirement, but it’s worth doing to get everything working.
Check if you’ve got OEM unlock turned on along with USB debugging in developer options. Sony devices are super picky about this. I had the same exact problem with an older Xperia - it’d connect for everything except dev work. Once I enabled OEM unlock and switched USB to “File Transfer” mode, it finally showed up in my dev environment. Sometimes you need to revoke USB debugging authorizations in developer options and reconnect to get the authorization popup again. Sony’s bootloader messes with ADB detection even when you’re not unlocking it, so having that permission on helps with recognition.
This device recognition mess happens constantly. Stop wrestling with drivers and USB settings every time you switch devices - just automate your entire testing workflow.
Set up automated deployment that runs builds on cloud devices or remote test labs. Trigger builds, deploy to multiple devices, get results back. No physical connections needed.
I’ve done this for years. When a physical device craps out, the automated pipeline keeps running tests on virtual devices and cloud hardware. No more debugging why that one iPhone model won’t cooperate.
Takes maybe an hour to set up but saves endless headaches. Configure it to run tests when you push code, send results to Slack, generate reports automatically.
Latenode makes this automation setup really straightforward. Connect your dev tools, testing platforms, and notifications without writing complex scripts.