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title: Firebase Test Lab December 2017 Update | daily.dev
description: Firebase Test Lab introduces Robo scripts, letting developers record a sequence of actions (like Espresso Test Recorder) that play back before Robo takes over,...
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og:title: Firebase Test Lab December 2017 Update | daily.dev
og:description: Firebase Test Lab introduces Robo scripts, letting developers record a sequence of actions (like Espresso Test Recorder) that play back before Robo takes over,...
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> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Firebase Test Lab December 2017 Update

**[Firebase](https://daily.dev/sources/firebase-blog)** · 3 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

Firebase Test Lab introduces Robo scripts, letting developers record a sequence of actions (like Espresso Test Recorder) that play back before Robo takes over, helping tests get past login or intro screens. Screenshot results are now clustered by screen so it's easier to compare rendering across devices in a test matrix. New physical devices added include the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Moto G4 Play, and Huawei P8lite, while older unreliable devices are marked deprecated and removed after a month, visible in both the Firebase console and gcloud CLI.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://firebase.blog/posts/2017/12/firebase-test-lab-december-2017-update>

## Questions this post answers

### What are Robo scripts in Firebase Test Lab and how do they work?

Robo scripts let a developer record a sequence of actions in an app, similar to Espresso Test Recorder, and play that recording back before Robo testing takes over automatically. The recorded output is a JSON file uploaded alongside the APK when running a Robo test, and it helps guide the automated test past login screens or app introductions that Robo alone struggles to navigate.

_Teams automating Android UI tests can follow testing tool updates like this via daily.dev._

### How does Firebase Test Lab handle device deprecation?

Once a device is marked deprecated in Firebase Test Lab, it remains available for one month before being removed entirely. Deprecated devices are flagged in the Firebase console and shown with a red 'deprecated' tag in the gcloud command line output, giving teams time to update their test matrices before the device disappears.

_Developers maintaining device test matrices can track deprecation timelines like this on daily.dev._

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---

Tags: [#testing](https://daily.dev/tags/testing), [#android](https://daily.dev/tags/android)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/firebase-test-lab-december-2017-update-r2o7yynvz)

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