Use Logcat, the debugger, Layout Inspector, Network Inspector, and Database Inspector in Android Studio to see runtime problems before they turn into guesswork.
Key takeaways
- Filter Logcat aggressively so the messages you need are visible before the bug scrolls away.
- Use the debugger for runtime state, not just for stopping execution at one line and staring at it.
- Use Layout Inspector snapshots and 3D mode when the real problem is visual structure, not code syntax.
- Use Network Inspector and Database Inspector to debug app behavior from the transport layer down to stored data.
- Android Studio debugging gets faster when each tool answers a different question instead of all of them becoming generic troubleshooting windows.
Start with focused Logcat views
Logcat is most effective when it stops being a firehose. Android Studio supports query-based filtering and split windows because useful log reading is usually about reducing noise until one execution path becomes obvious.