System commands

The nine commands that control the app lifecycle and the device — OPEN_APP, KILL_APP, CLEAR_APP and the rest, in one table.

System commands act on the app and the device rather than on anything on screen. They have fixed syntax and are written in capitals.

Platforms	Android · iOS — with differences, see below
Separator	A space. OPEN_APP:com.shopease.android is legacy but still works
Package argument	Required on OPEN_APP, KILL_APP, CLEAR_APP, MINIMISE_APP
Variables	OPEN_APP {{app_package}} works
Watch out	CLEAR_APP is effectively a no-op on iOS

Prerequisites

• A connected device or emulator

• An open test file

• A registered app and its package name — com.shopease.android in these examples

Copy this

OPEN_APP com.shopease.android
Wait Until 5 Seconds

Tap on Log in
Type 9000000000 in the mobile number field
Tap on Continue
Wait Until 3 Seconds
Type 123456 in the OTP field
Tap on Verify
Wait Until 5 Seconds

Validate that the home screen is visible

CLEAR_APP com.shopease.android

All nine commands

Command	What it does	Argument	Required
OPEN_APP <package>	Launches the app	Package name	Yes
KILL_APP <package>	Force-stops the app and clears it from memory	Package name	Yes
CLEAR_APP <package>	Wipes app data and resets to first-launch state	Package name	Yes
MINIMISE_APP <package>	Sends the app to the background	Package name	Yes
PRESS_DEVICE_BACK_BUTTON	Presses the Android hardware back button	None	—
SET_GPS(latitude=<lat>, longitude=<lon>)	Sets the device location	Named args in parentheses, latitude first	Yes, both
ENABLE_WIFI	Turns wifi on	None	—
DISABLE_WIFI	Turns wifi off	None	—
TOGGLE_LOCATION	Toggles location services	None	—

OPEN_APP com.shopease.android
KILL_APP com.shopease.android
CLEAR_APP com.shopease.android
MINIMISE_APP com.shopease.android
PRESS_DEVICE_BACK_BUTTON
SET_GPS(latitude=12.9716, longitude=77.5946)
ENABLE_WIFI
DISABLE_WIFI
TOGGLE_LOCATION

Syntax rules

Rule	Detail
Space before the package name	OPEN_APP com.shopease.android is the current form
Legacy separator	OPEN_APP:com.shopease.android (colon, no space) still works and appears in older scripts. It is tolerated, not recommended
Unsupported form	OPEN_APP:(com.shopease.android) — colon plus parentheses — is not supported
Package argument required	On OPEN_APP, KILL_APP, CLEAR_APP and MINIMISE_APP. A bare OPEN_APP, or KILL_APP : with nothing after it, fails by design. The editor offers a package-name dropdown for these commands
Spelling	MINIMIZE_APP (US spelling) and MINIMISE_APP are both accepted
SET_GPS arguments	Named, in parentheses, latitude first. Use real coordinates — ETA, pricing, distance and availability all key off them
One action per line	System commands are not chained

SET_GPS(latitude=12.9716, longitude=77.5946)

Using a variable for the package

For a script that runs against more than one build or environment:

SET app_package = "com.shopease.android"
OPEN_APP {{app_package}}

Never pass a whole dataset to OPEN_APP. OPEN_APP {{my_dataset}} serializes the entire row and the package name is parsed out of the wrong part of it — the app either fails to launch or launches something unexpected. Bind a single variable, not a dataset.

Platform behavior

Android

Command	Behavior
OPEN_APP / KILL_APP / MINIMISE_APP	✅ Supported
CLEAR_APP	✅ Real data wipe. The app resets to first-launch state
PRESS_DEVICE_BACK_BUTTON	✅ Presses the hardware back button
SET_GPS	✅ Supported
ENABLE_WIFI / DISABLE_WIFI	✅ Supported
TOGGLE_LOCATION	✅ Supported

iOS

Command	Behavior
OPEN_APP / KILL_APP / MINIMISE_APP	✅ Supported
CLEAR_APP	⚠️ Effectively does nothing - iOS doesn't support
PRESS_DEVICE_BACK_BUTTON	❌ Doesn't exist on iOS. Use Tap on the back button or a left-edge swipe
SET_GPS	⚠️ Set, but not reliably readable back on every device target
ENABLE_WIFI / DISABLE_WIFI	⚠️ Effectively does nothing - iOS doesn't support
TOGGLE_LOCATION	⚠️ Effectively does nothing - iOS doesn't support

Write a teardown

1. Decide the platforms the test runs on.

2. Add the teardown for those platforms as the last steps of the test.

3. Validate the state the teardown leaves behind.

Android

CLEAR_APP wipes app data, so one line resets the app to first launch.

# Android teardown
CLEAR_APP com.shopease.android

iOS

CLEAR_APP is a no-op on iOS: a script that relies on it for clean state passes on Android and reuses state on iOS. Reset inside the app, or install fresh between tests.

# Cross-platform teardown
Tap on the profile icon
Scroll down until "Log out" is visible
Tap on Log out
Validate that the login screen is visible

Ordering

OPEN_APP comes first. Comments, CLEAR_APP, SET_GPS, PRESS_DEVICE_BACK_BUTTON, API steps and waits are allowed before it, for setting location or clearing state before the app launches.

CLEAR_APP com.shopease.android
SET_GPS(latitude=12.9716, longitude=77.5946)
OPEN_APP com.shopease.android
Wait Until 5 Seconds

Validate after them

System commands report nothing about the screen that follows. Follow the ones that change state with a validation.

KILL_APP com.shopease.android
OPEN_APP com.shopease.android
Wait Until 5 Seconds
Validate that the login screen is visible

Common mistakes

What you wrote	What happens
OPEN_APP with no package name	Fails by design. The argument is required
OPEN_APP:(com.shopease.android)	Not a supported form. Use a space
open_app com.shopease.android	System commands are written in capitals
OPEN_APP {{my_dataset}}	The whole row is serialized and the package name is parsed out of the wrong part of it
CLEAR_APP as the clean-state step in an iOS suite	Passes, does nothing, and the next test starts logged in
PRESS_DEVICE_BACK_BUTTON in a cross-platform script	Works on Android, doesn't exist on iOS. Use Tap on the back button or a left-edge swipe
TOGGLE_LOCATION as a dependable precondition	Unreliable. Drive the setting through the app or a module instead
KILL_APP and OPEN_APP on consecutive lines with no wait	The first tap after launch lands on a splash screen
Two system commands on one line	Only one is executed. One per line

Next

• Which variable do I use? — binding a package name per environment

• The shape of a test — where setup and teardown sit

• Command index — every command in one table

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Last updated: 6 August 2026