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Quickstart

Get PhoneClaw up and running with your first automation in just a few minutes.

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Prerequisites

You’ll need an Android device with developer mode enabled. PhoneClaw does not require root access.
Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Android device (recommended: Moto G Play, $30 at Walmart)
  • Computer with Android Studio installed
  • PhoneClaw source code from GitHub
  • Moondream auth token (for vision features)

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Quick setup

1

Enable developer mode

On your Android device:
  1. Go to Settings > About Phone
  2. Tap Build Number 7 times
  3. Go back to Settings > Developer Options
  4. Enable USB Debugging
The exact menu location varies by manufacturer, but the process is similar across all Android devices.
2

Build the APK

On your computer with Android Studio:
  1. Open the PhoneClaw repository in Android Studio
  2. Click Build > Generate Bundles or APKs > Generate APKs
  3. Wait for the build to complete
  4. Find the APK in app/build/outputs/apk/debug/
# Or build from command line
cd phoneclaw
./gradlew assembleDebug
3

Install on device

Transfer the APK to your Android device:Option A: USB Transfer
adb install app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
Option B: Manual Transfer
  1. Copy the APK to your device via USB or cloud storage
  2. Open the APK file on your device
  3. Click Install when prompted
  4. Allow installation from unknown sources if requested
4

Configure Moondream token

Before building, add your Moondream auth token:Create or edit local.properties in the project root:
local.properties
MOONDREAM_AUTH=YOUR_TOKEN_HERE
Or add to ~/.gradle/gradle.properties:
~/.gradle/gradle.properties
MOONDREAM_AUTH=YOUR_TOKEN_HERE
Get your Moondream token from moondream.ai. This is required for vision-assisted element detection.
5

Enable accessibility service

On your Android device after installing:
  1. Open PhoneClaw app
  2. Grant all requested permissions
  3. Go to Settings > Accessibility
  4. Find PhoneClaw in the list
  5. Enable the accessibility service
The accessibility service is required for PhoneClaw to interact with other apps. Without it, automations won’t work.

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Your first automation

Now let’s create your first automation using voice commands:
1

Open PhoneClaw

Launch the PhoneClaw app on your device. You should see the main interface with a microphone button.
2

Tap to speak

Tap the microphone button and say:
“Open Twitter and click the blue post button every hour”
PhoneClaw will:
  • Generate a ClawScript for this automation
  • Schedule it to run hourly
  • Output the script file for editing
3

Watch it run

The automation will execute immediately. You’ll see:
  • PhoneClaw opening Twitter
  • Finding the post button using vision
  • Clicking it
  • Scheduling the next run
Voice feedback will confirm each step. You can view the generated ClawScript in the app interface.

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Understanding the generated script

Here’s what PhoneClaw generated for the Twitter automation: 
// Launch Twitter
launchTwitter();
delay(5000);

// Use vision to find and click the post button
magicClicker("Blue post button");
delay(2000);

// Schedule to run every hour
schedule("twitter-post", "0 * * * *");

speakText("Twitter automation scheduled");

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Key ClawScript functions used:

  • launchTwitter() - Opens the Twitter app
  • delay(ms) - Waits for the specified milliseconds
  • magicClicker(description) - Finds and taps UI elements by description
  • schedule(task, cronExpression) - Sets up recurring automation
  • speakText(text) - Provides audio feedback

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Try more automations

Now that you’ve run your first automation, try these voice commands:

Screenshot and share

“Take a screenshot and send it via email every morning at 9am”

Social media posting

“Upload the latest video from my gallery to TikTok”

Form filling

“Fill out the signup form with my email and password”

Cross-app workflow

“Check email, extract the code, and paste it into the verification field”

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Editing scripts manually

You can also write ClawScript manually for more control: 
// Example: Instagram automation
speakText("Starting Instagram upload");

launchInstagram();
delay(5000);

// Click the creation tab
clickElementByViewId("com.instagram.android:id/creation_tab");
delay(3000);

// Select first media item
magicClicker("First photo in gallery");
delay(2000);

// Click Next
magicClicker("Next button");
delay(3000);

// Type caption
magicClicker("Write a caption");
delay(1000);
simulateTypeInFirstEditableField("Check out my latest post! #automation");

// Share
magicClicker("Share button");
delay(5000);

speakText("Posted to Instagram successfully");

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Next steps

ClawScript API

Learn all available helper functions

Example Scripts

Browse pre-built automation examples

Scheduling

Master cron expressions for recurring tasks

Vision Features

Deep dive into magicClicker and magicScraper

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Troubleshooting

If automations aren’t executing:
  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > PhoneClaw
  2. Disable and re-enable the service
  3. Restart the PhoneClaw app
  4. Check if other accessibility services are conflicting
If magicClicker or magicScraper fail:
  1. Verify your Moondream token is correct in local.properties
  2. Rebuild the APK after adding the token
  3. Check device internet connectivity
  4. Try more specific descriptions (e.g., “Blue submit button in bottom right” vs “Submit”)
Common fixes:
  1. Clear app data: Settings > Apps > PhoneClaw > Clear Data
  2. Reinstall the APK
  3. Check Android version compatibility (requires Android 8.0+)
  4. Review logcat output for specific errors
If cron jobs aren’t executing:
  1. Verify the cron expression is valid
  2. Check if battery optimization is disabled for PhoneClaw
  3. Ensure the device isn’t in Doze mode
  4. Review the scheduled tasks list in the app

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Get help

Stuck? Join the community: