Flick

YAML-driven automated testing for iOS, Android, and Web — with live preview, crash detection, and local AI analysis.

npm install -g @flick-run/cli
flick init --platform ios
flick run

What is Flick?

Flick is an open-source testing tool that lets you write test flows in plain YAML and run them against iOS simulators, Android emulators, and web apps. It handles everything automatically — finding your app build, detecting your device, installing Appium, and running your test sessions.

Features

• YAML-driven — write tests in plain YAML, no TypeScript or boilerplate
• Live dashboard at localhost:4040 with session timeline, error screenshots, and logs
• Crash detection — captures last screen, retries up to N times, marks step as crashed
• Silent error detection — catches unhandled promises, TypeErrors, frozen screens
• Local AI analysis — Ollama or LM Studio explains failures in plain English after every run
• Zero device setup — auto-detects booted simulator/emulator, no UDID or paths needed
• Web support — headless Chrome with live screenshot stream in dashboard

Install

npm install -g @flick-run/cli

Requires Node.js 20+.

Quick start

# 1. create a config
flick init --platform ios    # or android / web

# 2. edit flick.yml with your selectors

# 3. run
flick run

flick.yml reference

config:
  platform: ios # ios | android | web
  app: FlickStore # iOS: scheme name. Android: .apk path. Web: URL
  retries: 2 # crash retry attempts per step

auth:
  email: [email protected]
  password: ${TEST_PASSWORD} # loaded from .env automatically

sessions:
  - name: "Login flow"
    steps:
      - action: tap
        selector: "~login-btn" # ~ = testID in React Native
      - action: fill
        selector: "~email-input"
        value: ${auth.email}
      - action: fill
        selector: "~password-input"
        value: ${auth.password}
      - action: tap
        selector: "~login-btn"
      - action: wait
        duration: 1500
      - action: assert
        selector: "~dashboard-screen"
        visible: true

Actions

| Action | Required | Description | | -------- | --------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | tap | selector | Tap an element | | fill | selector, value | Clear and type into an input | | assert | selector, visible | Assert element is visible or hidden | | scroll | — | Scroll down one screen | | wait | duration | Wait N milliseconds |

Selectors

Mobile (iOS/Android): Use ~testID syntax matching the testID prop in React Native:

<TouchableOpacity testID="login-btn">

selector: "~login-btn"

Web: Use CSS selectors:

selector: "#login-btn"    # by id
selector: ".submit"       # by class
selector: "button"        # by tag

CLI

flick run                    # run tests, open dashboard
flick run -c path/to.yml     # custom config path
flick run -p 3000            # custom dashboard port
flick serve                  # browse past runs
flick init --platform ios    # generate starter config
flick ai                     # check AI provider status

AI analysis

Flick uses local LLMs — no API key, no cloud, no cost.

Setup Ollama (recommended):

brew install ollama
ollama serve
ollama pull llama3.2
flick ai    # verify Flick sees it

LM Studio: Open the app, load a model, click Start Server.

Platforms

iOS

• Requires Xcode + iOS Simulator
• Build: npx react-native run-ios
• Set app: to your Xcode scheme name — Flick finds the .app in DerivedData

Android

• Requires Android Studio + ADB
• Build: cd android && ./gradlew assembleDebug
• Set app: to the .apk path

Web

• No setup required
• Set url: instead of app:
• Watch the live preview in the dashboard

React Native setup

Add testID props to every interactive element:

<TouchableOpacity testID="login-btn" onPress={handleLogin}>
<TextInput testID="email-input" />
<View testID="dashboard-screen">

Dashboard

Open http://localhost:4040 during or after any run:

• Session timeline with pass/fail/crash per step
• Click any failed step to see its error screenshot
• Live screenshot preview for web runs
• AI analysis summary with suggestions
• Run history — browse past sessions

Use flick serve to open the dashboard without running a new test.

Project structure

flick/
├── src/
│   ├── cli/index.ts          # flick run / init / serve / ai
│   ├── runner/
│   │   ├── index.ts          # main run loop
│   │   ├── config.ts         # YAML parser + .env loader
│   │   ├── executor.ts       # step execution (tap/fill/assert/etc)
│   │   ├── screencaster.ts   # live preview WebSocket
│   │   ├── appium.ts         # Appium install + start
│   │   └── device.ts         # simulator/emulator auto-detection
│   ├── capture/index.ts      # silent error + freeze detection
│   ├── session/index.ts      # types + JSON persistence
│   ├── dashboard/index.ts    # Fastify server + WS
│   └── ai/index.ts           # Ollama + LM Studio integration
├── static/index.html         # dashboard UI
├── examples/
│   ├── react-native/         # FlickStore example app
│   └── web/                  # e-commerce demo site
├── flick.yml                 # your test config
└── .flick/sessions/          # run reports (auto-created)

License

MIT — built by Gabriel.