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Version: 1.0.0

Android ANR Detection & Monitoring

Automatic Detection: This feature is automatically activated for both debug and release builds.

Type: 25 | Severity: Fatal
Type: 24 | Severity: Fatal

Automatically detect and monitor ANR (Application Not Responding) issues in your Android applications. The Appxiom SDK provides comprehensive ANR tracking to identify main thread blocks and UI freezes before they impact your users.

Overview​

ANR (Application Not Responding) issues occur when your Android app's main thread is blocked for too long, causing the system to display the dreaded "App Not Responding" dialog. The Appxiom SDK automatically detects these situations and provides detailed diagnostics to help you resolve them quickly.

What Gets Detected​

  • UI Freezes: Unresponsive user interface situations
  • Actual ANR Events: When users see the "App Not Responding" dialog
  • Force Close Events: When users force-close the app due to ANR

Key Features​

Automatic Detection​

  • Zero Configuration: Activates automatically with basic SDK integration
  • Build Variants: Available in both debug and release builds
  • Real-time Monitoring: Continuous background monitoring of main thread performance
  • Threshold Detection: Intelligent detection of problematic thread blocking

How ANR Detection Works​

The SDK monitors your app's main thread performance using advanced algorithms:

  1. Thread Monitoring: Continuously tracks main thread responsiveness
  2. Threshold Analysis: Identifies when thread blocking exceeds safe limits
  3. Stack Trace Capture: Records exact code location causing the block
  4. Context Preservation: Captures app state and memory usage during ANR events using Activity trail and reports to Appxiom dashboard
  5. User Action Detection: Identifies if users force-close the app due to ANR and creates a separate report to Appxiom dashboard

Integration Requirements​

ANR detection works automatically once you complete the basic SDK integration. No additional code or configuration is required.

// No additional code needed - automatic ANR detection
// Just ensure basic Appxiom SDK integration is complete

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: What types of pre-ANR conditions does Appxiom detect?​

A: Appxiom automatically catches situations that commonly lead to ANR issues, including:

  • Long-running loops executing on the main thread
  • Synchronous network operations that block the UI thread
  • Heavy file I/O operations performed without background threading
  • Database operations executed directly on the main thread without proper background handling
  • Complex computations that exceed safe main thread execution time
  • Bitmap processing and other memory-intensive operations on the UI thread
  • And more scenarios that can lead to unresponsive UI states.

Q: What information is included in an ANR detection report?​

A: When Appxiom detects an ANR, the comprehensive report includes:

Stack Trace Information:

  • Exact Code Location: Pinpoints the specific line of code causing the thread block
  • Method Call Chain: Complete stack trace showing the sequence of method calls leading to the ANR
  • Thread Information: Detailed information about which threads are blocked and their current state

Context Information:

  • Activity Trail: Complete sequence of user actions and app events leading up to the ANR occurrence
  • Memory State: Available device memory percentage leading to the ANR
  • Device Information: Hardware specifications, Android version, and device-specific details
  • App State: Current activity, fragment states, and application lifecycle information

Q: What are the best practices for preventing ANR issues in Android apps?​

A: Follow these essential threading guidelines to prevent ANR issues:

Main Thread Management:

  1. Keep Main Thread Light: Reserve the main thread exclusively for UI operations and user interactions

  2. Use Background Threads: Move all heavy operations (network calls, database queries, file operations) to worker threads

  3. Implement Async Patterns: Utilize modern asynchronous programming patterns such as:

    • Kotlin Coroutines with lifecycleScope and viewModelScope
    • RxJava for reactive programming
    • Callback-based operations for Java
    • CompletableFuture for asynchronous Java operations

  4. Avoid Synchronous Operations: Transform blocking operations into asynchronous alternatives wherever possible

Q: How can I monitor and test for potential ANR issues during development?​

A: Implement these testing strategies:

Development Testing:

  • Use Debug Builds: ANR detection in Appxiom is fully active in both debug and production (release) mode for real-time feedback
  • Simulate Heavy Operations: Test your app with large datasets and complex operations
  • Monitor Performance: Appxiom does comprehensive analysis and provides detailed reports on dashboard
  • Test Across Devices: Different hardware configurations may reveal different ANR patterns using some form of automated testing.