Trigger: Logcat Message

The Logcat Message trigger fires when specified content appears in the device's Logcat output. Logcat is a device-wide logging mechanism that records key system events, app messages, and errors. This trigger requires special permissions that must be granted via ADB on non-rooted devices.

Options

Component: The component/tag name to filter log messages by. Use "*" to match all components. Supports wildcards and magic text.

Text to Match: The text pattern to search for in log messages. Supports wildcards and magic text.

Ignore Case: When enabled, the text matching is case-insensitive.

Log Buffers: Configure which log buffers to monitor (in MacroDroid Settings):
- Main - Main application logs
- System - System messages
- Crash - Crash reports
- Kernel - Kernel messages (if available)
- Radio - Radio/telephony logs
- Events - System event logs

Requirements

This trigger requires the READ_LOGS permission, which must be granted via one of the following methods:

Method 1: ADB (Non-rooted devices) 1. Install the ADB tool on a computer 2. Enable USB Debugging on your device 3. Connect the device via USB 4. Run: adb shell pm grant com.arlosoft.macrodroid android.permission.READ_LOGS

Method 2: Root On rooted devices, MacroDroid will attempt to grant the permission automatically.

Android 14+ Additional Setup Additional configuration may be required on Android 14 and above. Consult the MacroDroid forum for specific instructions.

Examples

Example 1: Detect App Crash

Triggers

Logcat Message - [*] FATAL EXCEPTION

Actions

Popup Message - An app has crashed!
Vibrate - 500ms

Detects when any app crashes and shows a notification.

Example 2: Monitor Specific App Messages

Triggers

Logcat Message - [MyApp] Connection established

Actions

Set Variable - app_connected = true

Monitors for a specific log message from a particular app.

Magic Text

When this trigger fires, the following magic text values are available:

Full logcat line content - {logcat_line}

Notes

The trigger clears the logcat buffer when it starts monitoring to prevent triggering on old messages.
Log messages are processed in real-time as they appear.
Wildcards (*) can be used in both component and text fields.
The trigger uses a coroutine-based approach for efficient background processing.
On rooted devices, the trigger can access logcat output with elevated privileges.
Diagnostic mode can be enabled in the code for troubleshooting (logs every 100 lines processed).

Performance Considerations

Monitoring logcat can consume battery and processing resources.
Use specific component filters when possible to reduce processing overhead.
Consider the volume of log messages your filter might match.

See Also