Tracebeam documentation

Tracebeam brings network requests, console output, application state, OpenAPI contract checks, and recordings into one native Mac workspace.

Start here

1. Open Tracebeam on your Mac. Leave Connections in Basic, the default mode.
2. Follow the quick start for your app: React Native, Flutter, .NET, or Node.js.
3. Run your mobile app in a simulator/emulator, or your server locally. Select its connection in the center toolbar and open Network or Console to see its activity.

Start here—no access key, certificate, or automatic discovery setup is needed. Each adapter guide starts with the shortest local setup, then separates optional features and advanced configuration below.

Running the Mac app from source?

cd /absolute/path/to/tracebeam/tracebeam-macos
swift run Tracebeam

The device listener defaults to port 49152. Connect an App… in the device picker opens setup guidance using the current mode and port.

Add only what you need

• Physical phone: follow the physical-device section in your adapter guide. A real iPhone requires local-network permission; a direct connection does not need Bonjour.
• Android over USB: use optional adb reverse forwarding with host 127.0.0.1. Basic can stay local-only; the Android Emulator does not need this step.
• Docker or another computer: point your .NET or Node.js adapter at the Mac. No inbound debug port is needed on the server.
• Automatic discovery: optional for React Native and Flutter, separate from connecting directly. .NET and Node.js use an explicit address.
• Encrypted connections: choose Secure mode when needed. Basic uses unencrypted connections and should stay on trusted development networks.
• Multiple projects: use Manage Connections to assign devices, then select the active device in the center toolbar. Each inspector shows that device’s data.

Explore without a device

Start Settings → General → Demo Projects. Atlas Demo (React Native) and Cetina Demo (Flutter) use the normal project sidebar, device picker, and API inspection flow. Both include intentional API contract mismatches. Demo edits stay in memory and do not change real projects. See demo projects.

Find your workflow

• Projects, APIs, and Proxy: organize devices, inspect state, search, and scope proxy rules.
• API requests and environments: shared API library, closeable request tabs, bearer tokens, API keys, and shared headers.
• Recordings and capture history: revisit sessions, manage saved recordings, and understand storage limits.
• Settings: appearance, capture limits, crash reports, and repeatable screenshot dimensions.

Capture and privacy

Ordinary live inspection uses bounded memory. Save recent capture history and recording are separate, explicit disk-writing features. Connecting alone never starts a recording or screen capture; visual capture also requires platform permission.

Basic uses unencrypted ws:// without authentication and accepts local connections by default. Secure uses verified wss:// and an access key. The Device CA used for SDK connections is separate from the Proxy CA used for HTTPS interception. Never disable certificate verification to fix a connection.

Recordings, disk history, and exported investigations may contain sensitive URLs, headers, bodies, logs, state, or screen content. They are not automatically uploaded. Review the contents before sharing; recordings and capture history are not encrypted storage. Storage and sharing details.