A standalone Android app for capturing Android Auto protocol debug logs during real-world sessions with production head units. Built for the open-android-auto community.
- Captures filtered logcat output while Android Auto is running
- Uses Shizuku for persistent log access — works even after AA takes foreground focus
- Three capture modes for different use cases
- Runs as a foreground service with notification controls
- Event markers let you annotate what you were doing at specific times
- Exports captures as
.zip(log + JSON metadata) via Android share sheet
AA Capture uses Shizuku to read system logs with shell-level permissions. This is necessary because Android 13+ revokes logcat access from background apps when another app (like Android Auto) takes focus.
Install Shizuku from the Play Store.
Open Shizuku and start the service. The easiest method is wireless ADB:
# On your computer, with the phone connected via USB:
adb tcpip 5555
adb connect <phone-ip>:5555
# Then in the Shizuku app, tap "Start via Wireless ADB"Shizuku needs to be restarted after each phone reboot. See Shizuku's guide for other start methods.
Build from source or grab an APK from Releases.
Open AA Capture — it will prompt you to grant Shizuku permission. Tap Allow. This only needs to be done once per Shizuku restart.
- Open AA Capture
- Select a capture mode
- Add optional session notes (e.g., "2025 Tucson Hybrid, wireless AA")
- Tap Start Capture
- Connect to Android Auto and use features normally
- Use the Mark Event notification button when switching activities
- Tap Stop in the notification when done
- Share the capture via the history list
| Mode | What It Captures | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|
| AA Protocol (standard) | Session, sensors, radio, navigation, car control, media | Unlimited |
| AA Protocol (full) | All of the above plus audio and video channels | Unlimited |
| Everything | ALL system logs — produces massive files | 10 seconds |
For most captures, AA Protocol (standard) is what you want. Use full if you're debugging audio/video issues. Everything is a last resort for hunting down unknown log tags.
Each capture produces two files:
aa-capture_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.log— raw logcat outputaa-capture_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.json— session metadata
The JSON sidecar contains device info, AA version, selected capture mode, session notes, timestamps, and event markers.
./gradlew assembleDebugAPK output: app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
Captures from different car manufacturers are extremely valuable for protocol research. If you capture data from a car, please share it with the community via the open-android-auto project.
GPLv3 — see LICENSE.