get_ui_hierarchy
Retrieve Android screen XML hierarchy to locate elements, read text, or find resource IDs for UI interaction.
Instructions
Returns the current Android screen as an XML UI hierarchy.
Use this when you need to locate element coordinates, read text, or find resource IDs to interact with. Do not call this after every action — only call it when you actually need to read screen content. To check if the screen changed after an action, use snapshot_ui before the action and detect_ui_change after.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| device_serial | No | Android device serial (e.g. 'emulator-5554' or '192.168.1.10:5555'). Omit only when a single device is connected. If the tool returns a multi-device error: STOP. Present the device list to the user verbatim and wait for their explicit choice. Do NOT retry with a guessed or inferred serial — this is a hard requirement. Once the user provides a serial, use it for every subsequent call in this session. To switch devices mid-session, ask the user first. |