Android SDK Data Collection

Flashduty Android RUM SDK automatically collects multiple metrics and attributes for all RUM events by default. You can also add custom attributes via API to extend the default dataset.

Privacy and Permissions

Flashduty Android RUM SDK collects only the runtime information needed for real user monitoring, error diagnosis, performance analysis, and network request analysis. The SDK itself declares the following Android permissions:

Permission	Purpose
`android.permission.INTERNET`	Upload RUM, Trace, Log, and other observability data
`android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE`	Read network connectivity state and attach network context to events

The SDK itself does not declare or require sensitive permissions such as READ_PHONE_STATE, ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, or ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION.

Device Identifiers Not Collected

The Android RUM SDK does not read or report the following unique device identifiers:

Identifier	Collected	Notes
Android ID / SSAID (`Settings.Secure.ANDROID_ID`)	No	The SDK does not read Android ID
IMEI / MEID / device ID	No	The SDK does not call `getDeviceId()`, `getImei()`, or `getMeid()`
Device serial number	No	The SDK does not read `Build.SERIAL` or `Build.getSerial()`
OAID / advertising ID	No	The SDK does not read OAID, GAID, or other advertising identifiers
Phone number, contacts, SMS, photos	No	The SDK does not access these system data sources

RUM may generate an anonymous user ID by default to correlate the same anonymous user across sessions. This ID is a randomly generated UUID stored in the app’s local data directory. It is not derived from Android ID, IMEI, OAID, or advertising ID. You can disable anonymous user tracking in the RUM configuration.

System Context Collected

The SDK automatically attaches the following system context to help diagnose performance, crash, and network issues:

Data Category	Examples	Purpose
App information	Package name, version name, build version, environment, service name	Distinguish apps, versions, and environments
Device information	Device brand, model, type, CPU architecture, number of displays	Analyze device compatibility and performance differences
OS information	Android version, major version, build number, locale, time zone	Diagnose OS-version or region-specific issues
Network information	Network type, cellular technology, carrier name, uplink/downlink bandwidth, signal strength	Analyze how network quality affects user experience
RUM events	View, Action, Resource, Error, Long Task, app startup timing	Reconstruct user journeys and diagnose errors or performance bottlenecks
User information	`usr.id`, `usr.name`, `usr.email`, `usr.anonymous_id`	Attached only when your app explicitly sets user data through the API; other user attributes are not supported. If needed, configure them under `context`

The geo-location fields documented below are inferred by the Flashduty backend from the client request IP address. They are not collected from Android system location APIs. The SDK does not call GPS, cell-tower location, or fused location APIs, and it does not require location permissions.

App Startup Metrics

Flashcat automatically collects the following app startup performance metrics:

Metric	Description	Measurement Range
cold_start_duration	Cold start duration	From app process creation to first Activity render complete
warm_start_duration	Warm start duration	App process exists, from Activity start to render complete
hot_start_duration	Hot start duration	App and Activity both in memory, from resume to render complete
activity_start_duration	Activity start duration	From `onCreate` to first frame draw complete
is_pre_warmed	Pre-warmed start indicator	Boolean, indicates if app started via pre-warming (Android 11+)

Startup Type Descriptions:

Cold Start - App first launch or launch after process terminated, needs to load all resources and initialize app state
Warm Start - App process in memory, but Activity needs to be recreated
Hot Start - App and Activity both in memory, only needs to bring Activity to foreground

Views Monitoring

A View represents a unique screen the user sees in the app. Each View creates a new RUM event when it starts, and updates that event throughout the View’s lifecycle.

Views collect information about all resources, actions, errors, and long tasks that occur during their lifecycle.

Auto Tracking Strategies

In Android, Activities and Fragments are considered Views. The SDK provides the following auto tracking strategies:

Strategy	Description	Use Case
ActivityViewTrackingStrategy	Track based on Activity lifecycle	Traditional Activity architecture
FragmentViewTrackingStrategy	Track based on Fragment lifecycle	Fragment-centric apps
MixedViewTrackingStrategy	Track both Activities and Fragments	Mixed architecture apps
NavigationViewTrackingStrategy	For Jetpack Navigation component	Apps using Navigation

You can also customize View tracking by manually calling RumMonitor.startView() and RumMonitor.stopView().

Default Attributes

RUM SDK automatically attaches default attributes to all events, helping you understand user devices, network status, and app context.

Core Attributes

Attribute	Type	Description
`application.id`	string	Flashcat application ID
`application.name`	string	App package name (e.g., `com.example.app`)
`application.version`	string	App version name
`application.build`	string	App build version number
`session.id`	string	Unique session ID for grouping events in user journey
`session.type`	string	Session type: `user`
`view.id`	string	Unique ID generated for each View
`view.url`	string	Normalized View URL (Activity or Fragment class name)
`view.name`	string	Customizable View name
`env`	string	App environment name (e.g., `prod`, `dev`)
`service`	string	Service name, used to distinguish different app modules or microservices
`version`	string	App version
`sdk_version`	string	Flashcat SDK version
`date`	number	Event timestamp (epoch milliseconds)
`type`	string	Event type (e.g., `view`, `resource`, `action`, `error`, `long_task`)

Device Attributes

The following device-related attributes are automatically collected in all RUM events:

Attribute	Type	Description
`device.type`	string	Device type, e.g., `mobile`, `tablet`, `tv`
`device.name`	string	Device commercial name (e.g., `Samsung Galaxy S21`)
`device.model`	string	Device model (e.g., `SM-G991B`)
`device.brand`	string	Device brand (e.g., `Samsung`)
`device.architecture`	string	Device architecture (e.g., `arm64-v8a`)
`device.marketing_name`	string	Device marketing name

Connectivity Attributes

The following network-related attributes are automatically collected in all RUM events:

Attribute	Type	Description
`connectivity.status`	string	Device network reachability status (`connected`, `not_connected`, `maybe`)
`connectivity.interfaces`	array	List of available network interfaces (e.g., `wifi`, `cellular`, `ethernet`)
`connectivity.cellular.technology`	string	Cellular network technology type (e.g., `LTE`, `5G`)
`connectivity.cellular.carrier_name`	string	Carrier name

Operating System Attributes

The following OS-related attributes are automatically collected in all RUM events:

Attribute	Type	Description
`os.name`	string	Operating system name (e.g., `Android`)
`os.version`	string	Operating system version (e.g., `13`)
`os.version_major`	string	Operating system major version (e.g., `13`)
`os.build`	string	System build number (e.g., `TQ2A.230505.002`)

Geo-location Attributes

Flashcat RUM can infer geographic location information from user’s IP address:

Attribute	Type	Description
`geo.country`	string	Country name
`geo.country_iso`	string	Country ISO code
`geo.city`	string	City name

Geo-location information is inferred by Flashcat backend based on client IP address. Precise GPS location is not collected on the Android client, and location permissions are not required.

Global User Attributes

You can set user information via the setUser() API, which will be attached to all RUM events:

Attribute	Type	Description
`usr.id`	string	User’s unique identifier
`usr.name`	string	User’s friendly name
`usr.email`	string	User’s email address
`usr.anonymous_id`	string	Anonymous user identifier

Only the standard user fields above are supported. Other user attributes are not supported. If needed, configure them under context.

Event-Specific Attributes

In addition to default attributes, different types of RUM events collect specific metrics and attributes.

Session Attributes

Attribute	Type	Description
`session.id`	string	Unique session ID
`session.type`	string	Session type: `user`
`session.has_replay`	bool	Whether session includes session replay recording
`session.is_active`	bool	Whether session is active

View Attributes

View events include the following specific attributes and performance metrics:

Attribute	Type	Description
`view.id`	string	Unique ID for each View
`view.name`	string	Custom View name
`view.url`	string	View URL (Activity or Fragment class name)
`view.time_spent`	number(ns)	Time user spent on this View
`view.loading_time`	number(ns)	Time for View to finish loading
`view.loading_type`	string	View loading type: `initial_load`, `activity_display`, `fragment_display`
`view.first_contentful_paint`	number(ns)	First Contentful Paint time (API 29+ only)
`view.action.count`	number	Number of all actions collected in View
`view.resource.count`	number	Number of all resources collected in View
`view.error.count`	number	Number of all errors collected in View
`view.long_task.count`	number	Number of all long tasks collected in View
`view.crash.count`	number	Number of all crashes collected in View
`view.is_active`	bool	Whether View is still active

Resource Attributes

Resource events represent network requests in the app. Collected attributes include:

Attribute	Type	Description
`resource.id`	string	Resource unique identifier
`resource.type`	string	Resource type (e.g., `xhr`, `fetch`, `image`, `css`, `js`, `font`, `media`, `other`)
`resource.url`	string	Resource URL
`resource.method`	string	HTTP method (e.g., `GET`, `POST`)
`resource.status_code`	number	HTTP response status code
`resource.duration`	number(ns)	Total time spent loading resource
`resource.size`	number	Resource size (bytes)
`resource.dns.duration`	number(ns)	DNS resolution time (`domainLookupEnd - domainLookupStart`)
`resource.connect.duration`	number(ns)	Connection establishment time (`connectEnd - connectStart`)
`resource.ssl.duration`	number(ns)	TLS handshake time (`connectEnd - secureConnectionStart`), HTTPS only
`resource.first_byte.duration`	number(ns)	Time waiting for first byte response (`responseStart - requestStart`)
`resource.download.duration`	number(ns)	Response download time (`responseEnd - responseStart`)
`resource.redirect.duration`	number(ns)	Time spent on subsequent HTTP redirects (`redirectEnd - redirectStart`)
`resource.provider.name`	string	Resource provider name, defaults to `unknown`
`resource.provider.domain`	string	Resource provider domain
`resource.provider.type`	string	Resource provider type (e.g., `first-party`, `cdn`, `ad`, `analytics`)

Error Attributes

Error events collect exception and crash information. Error messages and stack traces are automatically included:

Attribute	Type	Description
`error.source`	string	Error source (e.g., `webview`, `logger`, `network`, `source`, `console`)
`error.type`	string	Error type or error code
`error.message`	string	Concise, human-readable one-line error message
`error.stack`	string	Stack trace or supplementary error information
`error.issue_id`	string	Error issue unique identifier
`error.category`	string	Error high-level classification, possible values: `ANR` (Application Not Responding), `Exception`
`error.file`	string	Filename where error occurred (for error tracking issues)
`error.line`	number	Line number where error occurred
`error.is_crash`	bool	Indicates if this error caused app crash

Network Errors:Network errors contain information about failed HTTP requests and collect the following attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`error.resource.status_code`	number	HTTP response status code
`error.resource.method`	string	HTTP method (e.g., `POST`, `GET`)
`error.resource.url`	string	Resource URL
`error.resource.provider.name`	string	Resource provider name, defaults to `unknown`
`error.resource.provider.domain`	string	Resource provider domain
`error.resource.provider.type`	string	Resource provider type (e.g., `first-party`, `cdn`, `ad`, `analytics`)

Action Attributes

Actions represent user interactions with the app (e.g., clicks, swipes, scrolls).Timing Attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`action.loading_time`	number(ns)	Action loading time
`action.long_task.count`	number	Number of all long tasks collected for this action
`action.resource.count`	number	Number of all resources collected for this action
`action.error.count`	number	Number of all errors collected for this action

Basic Attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`action.id`	string	User action UUID
`action.type`	string	User action type (e.g., `tap`, `scroll`, `swipe`, `application_start`)
`action.name`	string	User action name
`action.target.name`	string	Element user interacted with, only for auto-collected actions

Data Storage and Security

Local Storage Mechanism

Before data is uploaded to Flashcat, it is stored in plaintext in the app’s cache directory. Storage Location:

/data/data/<package_name>/cache/com.flashcat.rum/

Security Protection:

Cache folder is protected by Android app sandbox
On most devices, other apps cannot read this data

Security Notes:

If mobile device is rooted or Linux kernel is tampered with, stored data may become readable
Sensitive data should not be included in RUM events, or should be obfuscated or filtered via EventMapper before sending

Data Upload Mechanism

Flashcat RUM Android SDK uses batch processing to upload events, ensuring data transmission while minimizing impact on user experience.

Batch Processing Flow

Event Collection

SDK appends uncompressed events to batch files using TLV encoding format (Tag-Length-Value).

Batch Optimization

When batch closes:

Read batch file and extract events
Deduplicate RUM events (remove redundant View events)
Build payload specific to each trace

Compressed Upload

Use gzip compression to reduce network traffic and upload time.

Upload Triggers

Batches are uploaded when any of the following occurs:

Trigger	Description
File Size	Batch file size reaches threshold (e.g., 4MB)
Event Count	Number of events in batch reaches threshold
App State	App switches to background
Timed Upload	Periodic upload (e.g., every 5 seconds)

Upload Strategy

Smart Upload Mechanism:

Network Optimization - Prefer WiFi upload, mobile network also supported
Battery Management - Ensures not to excessively drain device battery
Failure Retry - Batches are retained locally on upload failure until successfully sent
Data Compression - Uses gzip compression to reduce network traffic

Direct Boot Mode Support

If your app supports Direct Boot mode (launching before device unlock), note:

Data captured before device unlock will not be recorded because credential-encrypted storage is not yet available.

Flashcat SDK will start collecting data after device unlock. If you need to collect data in Direct Boot mode, ensure you use device-encrypted storage instead of credential-encrypted storage.

SDK Integration

Learn how to integrate the Android SDK

Advanced Configuration

Configure custom attributes, sampling, and event filtering

Insights

View and analyze collected RUM data

Quick Start

Analytics

SDK Integration

Performance

Error Tracking

Explorer

Session Replay

Best Practices

Others

Android SDK Data Collection

Privacy and Permissions

Device Identifiers Not Collected

System Context Collected

App Startup Metrics

Views Monitoring

Auto Tracking Strategies

Default Attributes

Event-Specific Attributes

Data Storage and Security

Local Storage Mechanism

Data Upload Mechanism

Batch Processing Flow

Upload Triggers

Upload Strategy

Direct Boot Mode Support

SDK Integration

Advanced Configuration

Insights

​Privacy and Permissions

​Device Identifiers Not Collected

​System Context Collected

​App Startup Metrics

​Views Monitoring

​Auto Tracking Strategies

​Default Attributes

​Event-Specific Attributes

​Data Storage and Security

​Local Storage Mechanism

​Data Upload Mechanism

​Batch Processing Flow

​Upload Triggers

​Upload Strategy

​Direct Boot Mode Support

​Related Documentation

SDK Integration

Advanced Configuration

Insights

Privacy and Permissions

Device Identifiers Not Collected

System Context Collected

App Startup Metrics

Views Monitoring

Auto Tracking Strategies

Default Attributes

Event-Specific Attributes

Data Storage and Security

Local Storage Mechanism

Data Upload Mechanism

Batch Processing Flow

Upload Triggers

Upload Strategy

Direct Boot Mode Support

Related Documentation