Integrations & Skills

Use your Hand with a connected Android phone

Prepare screen and touch access, ask your Hand to inspect or navigate an Android app, and stop or recover the connection safely.

A supported Hand can use tools offered by Hands Mobile to inspect and operate parts of a connected Android phone. You direct the work through Chat or a voice call with that Hand. Devices does not contain a live phone mirror or a panel where you touch the phone yourself. Availability depends on the selected Hand, phone, app version, Android permissions and current connection.

Prepare the phone and selected Hand

Install and pair Hands Mobile, then select the Hand that should use the phone.
On the phone, open Hands Mobile and enable its screen and touch control through Android’s Accessibility settings. Grant only the additional permissions needed for your task.
Return to Hands Mobile and choose Start server. Keep the app available while the Hand is using the phone.
In the Hands Console, go to Devices and choose Refresh devices.
Check that the phone is Online, that its connection to the selected Hand is connected or ready, and that Screen and touch control is Ready. Also check the Last reported time.
Keep the phone screen awake and open the app or screen you want the Hand to inspect.

The phone can be paired but still unusable for this workflow. Allowed · not ready, Connecting, Offline, a disabled Hand or an old last-reported time all require attention before you rely on the connection.

Ask your Hand to inspect or navigate the phone

Open Chat or start a voice call with the same selected Hand.
Give a bounded instruction that names the phone, app and intended outcome. For example: “On my connected phone, inspect the currently open app and tell me what is visible.”
Let the Hand read the current interface or take a still screenshot when that tool is available.
For an interaction, state the exact next step, such as opening a named button or scrolling to a section. The Hand can use supported actions such as tap, long press, swipe, scroll, text entry or a navigation key.
If an action asks for approval, review the exact proposal and approve or reject it. After an uncertain response, ask for a fresh screen observation instead of blindly repeating a touch or text action.

Reading the interface, screen state or a screenshot can be treated differently from changing the phone. Touch, typing and other changing actions follow the phone connection’s action rule: Automatic, Ask every time or Blocked. A listed phone tool proves that it was discovered; it does not prove the phone is still online or that Android will allow that action now.

Screen and permission limits

This release uses Android Accessibility for screen structure, screenshots and touch actions. It does not ask you to start Android’s separate screen-sharing or screen-capture prompt.
Still screenshots require Android 11 or newer, enabled Accessibility access and an awake screen. Older Android versions can still support other phone tools.
Android or an app can protect a window from capture. A protected screen can appear blank even while the phone is connected.
The screen is not a continuous public video in the Console. Ask for a fresh observation when the app changes.
Never send a password, one-time code or other secret in Chat. Enter sensitive values yourself when needed.

Stop, interrupt or limit access

Choose the action that matches your intent:

Stop server in Hands Mobile: stops the current phone service. The Console can remain stale for a short time before it shows the phone as offline. This does not by itself unlink the enrollment.
Disable for this Hand in Devices: prevents only the selected Hand from using the phone.
Pause for all Hands: temporarily withdraws managed access for every Hand while keeping the phone enrolled for later resume.
Unlink from all Hands: revokes the enrollment. To use the phone again, sign in and pair it again.

Stopping, pausing or disabling access can interrupt an action. Do not assume an in-flight change either completed or did nothing; inspect the phone before retrying.

Recover a connection

Open Hands Mobile, choose Start server and confirm the phone has internet access.
Wake the screen. If Android disabled the Accessibility service, enable Hands Mobile again in Accessibility settings.
In Devices, confirm the phone is not paused and is enabled for the selected Hand.
Choose Refresh devices and wait for a current Last reported time, an online connection and ready permissions.
Return to Chat or the call and ask the Hand to inspect the current screen before continuing.

If the tool is still missing, check for App update needed, a Hand that is not ready, a read-only or outdated connection, or an action rule that blocks the tool. The feature is conditional; not every account, Hand, phone or Android screen supports every action.