Jetpack Compose Testing Cheat Sheet

Master finders, matchers, assertions, and test rules for clean UI automation. #JetpackComposeDev

Finders

Find and target UI nodes in the Compose semantics tree.

Examples (single-line comment explains each):

// Find by visible text
onNodeWithText("Login")

// Find by test tag
onNodeWithTag("ProfileCard")

// Find by accessibility/content description
onNodeWithContentDescription("Menu")

// Find all nodes with that text (collection)
onAllNodesWithText("Item")

// Root of the semantics tree
onRoot()

Matchers

Check node properties before interaction.

// Exact text match
hasText("Submit")

// Node is clickable
hasClickAction()

// Node is visible on screen
isDisplayed()

// Node is enabled (not disabled)
isEnabled()

// Node is selected (e.g., toggle)
isSelected()

// Accessibility text match
hasContentDescription("Avatar")

Hierarchical & Selectors

Navigate parent / child / sibling relations and filter nodes.

// Match a node whose parent has the given text
hasParent(hasText("Container"))

// Match nodes that have a child with click action
hasAnyChild(hasClickAction())

// Move to the parent node for further operations
onParent()

// Get all children of current node
onChildren()

// Select a sibling node
onSibling()

// Filter nodes by another matcher
filter { matcher -> ... }

Assertions

Verify the expected UI state before or after actions.

// Ensure node exists in the tree
assertExists()

// Ensure node is actually visible on screen
assertIsDisplayed()

// Ensure node is enabled
assertIsEnabled()

// Ensure node is hidden / not currently visible
assertIsNotDisplayed()

// Exact text assertion
assertTextEquals("Welcome")

// Assert node exposes a click action
assertHasClickAction()

Bounds & Collections

Layout checks and multi-node assertions.

// Assert exact width in dp
assertWidthIsEqualTo(120.dp)

// Assert minimum height in dp
assertHeightIsAtLeast(48.dp)

// On a collection, assert every node passes given assertion
assertAll { it.assertIsDisplayed() }

// Assert collection size equals expected
assertCountEquals(3)

Actions

Simulate user input and keyboard actions.

// Simulate a tap
performClick()

// Scroll until node is visible
performScrollTo()

// Type text into a text field
performTextInput("Hello")

// Replace the text content
performTextReplacement("New")

// Trigger IME action (Done/Send)
performImeAction()

Touch Input (Gestures)

Use performTouchInput to simulate realistic gestures.

// Gesture helpers inside performTouchInput { ... }
click()
doubleClick()
longClick()
swipeUp()
swipeWithVelocity()
pinch()  // multi-touch pinch

Touch Input (Partial Control)

Fine-grained control while building gestures manually.

// Low-level sequence to construct a gesture
down()     // start touch
move()     // move pointer
moveBy()   // move relative
up()       // release
cancel()   // cancel gesture

ComposeTestRule

Use for pure Compose screens (no Activity). Control clocks and set content.

// Declare rule and load composable content
@get:Rule
val rule = createComposeRule()

// Load UI
rule.setContent { MyScreen() }

// Find and click
rule.onNodeWithText("OK").performClick()

// Control animations and frames
rule.mainClock.autoAdvance = false
rule.mainClock.advanceTimeBy(500)

AndroidComposeTestRule

Use for Activity-hosted tests and integration scenarios.

// Use createAndroidComposeRule for activity-level tests
@get:Rule
val rule = createAndroidComposeRule>MainActivity<()

// Access activity for integration-specific operations
rule.activity
rule.activityRule

// Optionally override UI content
rule.setContent { MyApp() }

Debug Tools

Inspect nodes and capture visual output while authoring tests.

// Dump the semantics tree to log
printToLog()

// Return a textual tree for inspection
printToString()

// Capture a screenshot (ImageBitmap)
captureToImage()

Best Practices

Practical tips to improve test stability and reliability.

Use testTag for consistent node lookups (avoid relying only on text).
Disable or control animations for deterministic tests (mainClock).
Call assertExists() before performing actions to fail fast and give clearer errors.
Prefer stable keys in Lazy layouts to avoid list flakiness.
Keep tests focused and avoid heavy setup in the UI thread.

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Jetpack Compose Testing Cheat Sheet