Use the Macrobenchmark library for testing larger use cases of your app,
including app startup and complex UI manipulations, such as scrolling a
[`RecyclerView`](https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/recyclerview/widget/RecyclerView) or running animations. If you want to test smaller areas of
your code, refer to [Microbenchmark library](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/benchmarking/microbenchmark-overview). This page shows how to set up
the Macrobenchmark library.

The library outputs benchmarking results to both the Android Studio console and
a JSON file with more detail. It also provides trace files that you can load and
analyze in Android Studio.

Use the Macrobenchmark library in a continuous integration (CI) environment, as
described in [Benchmark in Continuous Integration](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/benchmarking/benchmarking-in-ci).

You can use Macrobenchmark to generate Baseline Profiles. First, set up the
Macrobenchmark library, then you can [create a Baseline
Profile](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/baselineprofiles#creating-profile-rules).

## Project setup

We recommend you use Macrobenchmark with the latest version of Android Studio
for features of the IDE that integrate with Macrobenchmark.

### Setup the Macrobenchmark module

Macrobenchmarks require a
[`com.android.test`](https://developer.android.com/studio/test#use_separate_test_modules_for_instrumented_tests)
module---separate from your app code---that is responsible for running the tests
that measure your app.

In Android Studio, a template is available to simplify Macrobenchmark module
setup. The benchmarking module template automatically creates a module in your
project for measuring the app built by an app module, including a sample startup
benchmark.

To use the module template to create a new module, do the following:

1. Right-click your project or module in the **Project** panel in Android
   Studio, and select **New \> Module**.

2. Select **Benchmark** from the **Templates** pane. You can customize the
   target app---meaning, the app to be benchmarked---as well as package and module
   name for the new Macrobenchmark module.

3. Click **Finish**.

![Benchmark Module
template](https://developer.android.com/static/topic/performance/images/benchmark_images/macrobenchmark_module_bumblebee.png)

**Figure 1.** Benchmark module template.

### Set up the app

To benchmark an app---known as the *target* of the Macrobenchmark---the app must be
[`profileable`](https://developer.android.com/studio/profile#profileable-apps), which enables reading detailed trace information without
affecting performance. The module wizard adds the [`<profileable>`](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/profileable-element) tag
automatically to the app's `AndroidManifest.xml` file.

Make sure that the target app includes
[`ProfilerInstaller`](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/profileinstaller) 1.3 or
higher, which the Macrobenchmark library needs to enable profile capture and
reset and shader cache clearing.

Configure the benchmarked app as close to the release version or production as
possible. Set it up as non-debuggable and preferably with minification on, which
improves performance. You typically do this by creating a copy of the release
variant, which performs the same, but is signed locally with debug keys.
Alternatively, you can use `initWith` to instruct Gradle to do it for you:  

### Kotlin

```kotlin
buildTypes {
    getByName("release") {
        isMinifyEnabled = true
        isShrinkResources = true
        proguardFiles(getDefaultProguardFile("proguard-android-optimize.txt"))
    }

    create("benchmark") {
        initWith(getByName("release"))
        signingConfig = signingConfigs.getByName("debug")
    }
}
```

### Groovy

```groovy
buildTypes {
    release {
        isMinifyEnabled = true
        isShrinkResources = true
        proguardFiles(
            getDefaultProguardFile("proguard-android-optimize.txt"),
            "keep-rules.pro"
        )
        // In real app, this would use its own release keystore
        signingConfig = signingConfigs.getByName("debug")
        baselineProfile.automaticGenerationDuringBuild = true
    }
}
```

To help ensure that running the benchmark both builds and tests the correct
variant of your app, as shown in figure 2, do the following:

1. Perform a Gradle sync.
2. Open the **Build Variants** panel.
3. Select the benchmark variant of both the app and the Macrobenchmark module.

![Select benchmark
variant](https://developer.android.com/static/topic/performance/images/benchmark_images/benchmark_variant.png)

**Figure 2.** Select the benchmark variant.
| **Note:** See the [sample Macrobenchmark module](https://github.com/android/performance-samples/tree/main/MacrobenchmarkSample/macrobenchmark) for reference on how to set up your project to be Macrobenchmark-ready.

### (Optional) Set up multi-module app

If your app has more than one Gradle module, make sure your build scripts know
which build variant to compile. Add`matchingFallbacks` property into the
`benchmark` build type of your `:macrobenchmark` and `:app` modules. The rest of
your Gradle modules can have the same configuration as before.  

### Kotlin

```kotlin
create("benchmark") {
    initWith(getByName("release"))
    signingConfig = signingConfigs.getByName("debug")

    matchingFallbacks += listOf("release")
 }
```

### Groovy

```groovy
benchmark {
    initWith buildTypes.release
    signingConfig signingConfigs.debug

    matchingFallbacks = ['release']
 }
```

Without this, the newly added `benchmark` build type causes the build to fail
and provides the following error message:  

    > Could not resolve project :shared.
         Required by:
             project :app
          > No matching variant of project :shared was found.
          ...

When selecting the build variants in your project, choose `benchmark` for `:app`
and `:macrobenchmark` modules, and `release` for any other modules you have in
your app, as shown in figure 3:

![Benchmark variants for multi-module project with release and benchmark build
types
selected](https://developer.android.com/static/topic/performance/images/benchmark_images/macrobenchmark_variants_multi_modules.jpg)

**Figure 3.** Benchmark variants for multi-module project with release and
benchmark build types selected.

For more information, see [Use variant-aware dependency management](https://developer.android.com/studio/build/build-variants#resolve_matching_errors).

### (Optional) Set up product flavors

If you have multiple product flavors set in your app, configure the
`:macrobenchmark` module, so that it knows what product flavor of your app to
build and benchmark.

The examples in this page are using the two product flavors in the `:app`
module: `demo` and `production`, as shown in the following snippet:  

### Kotlin

```kotlin
flavorDimensions += "environment"
productFlavors {
    create("demo") {
        dimension = "environment"
        // ...
    }
    create("production") {
        dimension = "environment"
        // ...
    }
}
```

### Groovy

```groovy
flavorDimensions 'environment'
productFlavors {
    demo {
        dimension 'environment'
        // ...
    }

    production {
        dimension 'environment'
        // ...
    }
}
```

Without this configuration, you might get a build error similar to with multiple
Gradle modules:  

    Could not determine the dependencies of task ':macrobenchmark:connectedBenchmarkAndroidTest'.
    > Could not determine the dependencies of null.
       > Could not resolve all task dependencies for configuration ':macrobenchmark:benchmarkTestedApks'.
          > Could not resolve project :app.
            Required by:
                project :macrobenchmark
             > The consumer was configured to find a runtime of a component, as well as attribute 'com.android.build.api.attributes.BuildTypeAttr' with value 'benchmark', attribute 'com.android.build.api.attributes.AgpVersionAttr' with value '7.3.0'. However we cannot choose between the following variants of project :app:
                 -   demoBenchmarkRuntimeElements
                 -   productionBenchmarkRuntimeElements
               All of them match the consumer attributes:
               ...

The two following sections are ways to configure benchmarking with multiple
product flavors.

#### Use missingDimensionStrategy

Specifying `missingDimensionStrategy` in the `defaultConfig` of the
`:macrobenchmark` module tells the build system to fallback to the flavor
dimension. Specify which dimensions to use if you don't find them in the module.
In the following example, the `production` flavor is used as the default
dimension:  

### Kotlin

```kotlin
defaultConfig {
    missingDimensionStrategy("environment", "production")
}
```

### Groovy

```groovy
defaultConfig {
    missingDimensionStrategy "environment", "production"
}
```

This way, the `:macrobenchmark` module is able to only build and benchmark the
specified product flavor, which is helpful if you know that only one product
flavor has the proper configuration to be benchmarked.

#### Define product flavors in the :macrobenchmark module

If you want to build and benchmark other product flavors, define them in the
`:macrobenchmark` module. Specify it similarly as in the `:app` module, but only
assign `productFlavors` to a `dimension`. No other settings are required:  

### Kotlin

```kotlin
flavorDimensions += "environment"
productFlavors {
    create("demo") {
        dimension = "environment"
    }
    create("production") {
        dimension = "environment"
    }
}
```

### Groovy

```groovy
flavorDimensions 'environment'
productFlavors {
    demo {
        dimension 'environment'
    }

    production {
        dimension 'environment'
    }
}
```

After defining and syncing the project, choose the relevant build variant from
the **Build Variants** pane, as shown in figure 4:

![Benchmark variants for project with product flavors showing
productionBenchmark and release
selected](https://developer.android.com/static/topic/performance/images/benchmark_images/macrobenchmark_variants_product_flavors.jpg)

**Figure 4.** Benchmark variants for the project with product flavors showing
"productionBenchmark" and "release" selected.

For more information, see [Resolve build errors related to variant
matching](https://developer.android.com/studio/build/build-variants#resolve_matching_errors).

## Create a macrobenchmark class

Benchmark testing is provided through the [`MacrobenchmarkRule`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/junit4/MacrobenchmarkRule) JUnit4 rule
API in the Macrobenchmark library. It contains a [`measureRepeated`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/junit4/MacrobenchmarkRule#measureRepeated(kotlin.String,kotlin.collections.List,androidx.benchmark.macro.CompilationMode,androidx.benchmark.macro.StartupMode,kotlin.Int,kotlin.Function1,kotlin.Function1)) method
that lets you specify various conditions on how to run and benchmark the target
app.

You need to at least specify the `packageName` of the target app, what `metrics`
you want to measure and how many `iterations` the benchmark must run.  

### Kotlin

```kotlin
@LargeTest
@RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
class SampleStartupBenchmark {
    @get:Rule
    val benchmarkRule = MacrobenchmarkRule()

    @Test
    fun startup() = benchmarkRule.measureRepeated(
        packageName = TARGET_PACKAGE,
        metrics = listOf(StartupTimingMetric()),
        iterations = DEFAULT_ITERATIONS,
    ) {
        // starts default launch activity
        uiAutomator { startApp(TARGET_PACKAGE) }
    }
}
```

### Java

```java
@LargeTest
@RunWith(AndroidJUnit4.class)
public class SampleStartupBenchmark {
    @Rule
    public MacrobenchmarkRule benchmarkRule = new MacrobenchmarkRule();

    @Test
    public void startup() {
        benchmarkRule.measureRepeated(
            /* packageName */ TARGET_PACKAGE,
            /* metrics */ Arrays.asList(new StartupTimingMetric()),
            /* iterations */ 5,
            /* measureBlock */ scope -> {
                // starts default launch activity
                scope.startActivityAndWait();
                return Unit.INSTANCE;
            }
        );
    }
}
```

For all the options on customizing your benchmark, see [Customize the
benchmarks](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/benchmarking/macrobenchmark-overview#customize-benchmarks) section.

## Run the benchmark

| **Note:** Use Android 14 (API level 34) or later to persist state when benchmarking. The Macrobenchmark library fully resets the compilation state for each compile, which on Android versions earlier than 14 require reinstalling the APK. As a workaround, control app compilation separately and skip compilation using [`CompilationMode.Ignore`](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/benchmarking/macrobenchmark-overview#compilationmode).

Run the test from within Android Studio to measure the performance of your app
on your device. You can run the benchmarks the same way you run any other
`@Test` using the gutter action next to your test class or method, as shown in
the figure 5.

![Run macrobenchmark with gutter action next to test
class](https://developer.android.com/static/topic/performance/images/benchmark_images/macrobenchmark_run.png)

**Figure 5.** Run Macrobenchmark with gutter action next to the test
class.

You can also run all benchmarks in a Gradle module from the command line by
executing the `connectedCheck` command:  

    ./gradlew :macrobenchmark:connectedCheck

You can run a single test by executing the following:  

    ./gradlew :macrobenchmark:connectedCheck -P android.testInstrumentationRunnerArguments.class=com.example.macrobenchmark.startup.SampleStartupBenchmark#startup

| **Note:** We discourage running the benchmarks on an emulator, as they don't produce performance numbers representative of the end-user experience.

See [Benchmark in Continuous Integration](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/benchmarking/benchmarking-in-ci) for information on how to run and
monitor benchmarks in continuous integration.

### Benchmark results

After a successful benchmark run, metrics are displayed directly in Android
Studio and are output for CI usage in a [JSON file](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/benchmarking/benchmarking-in-ci#benchmark-data-example). Each measured iteration
captures a separate system trace. You can open these trace results by clicking
on the links in the **Test Results** pane, as shown in the figure 6:

![Macrobenchmark startup
results](https://developer.android.com/static/topic/performance/images/benchmark_images/macrobenchmark_results_startup.png)

**Figure 6.** Macrobenchmark startup results.

When the trace is loaded, Android Studio prompts you to select the process to
analyze. The selection is pre-populated with the target app process, as shown in
figure 7:

![Studio trace process
selection](https://developer.android.com/static/topic/performance/images/benchmark_images/studio_process.png)

**Figure 7.** Studio trace process selection.

After the trace file is loaded, Studio shows the results in the [CPU profiler
tool](https://developer.android.com/studio/profile/cpu-profiler#system-trace):

![Studio
Trace](https://developer.android.com/static/topic/performance/images/benchmark_images/macrobenchmark_trace.png)

**Figure 8.** Studio trace.

JSON reports and any profiling traces are also automatically copied from the
device to the host. These are written on the host machine in the following
location:  

    project_root/module/build/outputs/connected_android_test_additional_output/debugAndroidTest/connected/device_id/

### Access trace files manually

If you want to use the [Perfetto](https://ui.perfetto.dev/)
tool to analyze a trace file, there are extra steps involved. Perfetto lets you
inspect all processes happening across the device during the trace, while
Android Studio's CPU profiler limits inspection to a single process.

If you invoke the tests from Android Studio or from the Gradle command line, the
trace files are automatically copied from the device to the host. These are
written on the host machine in the following location:  

    project_root/module/build/outputs/connected_android_test_additional_output/debugAndroidTest/connected/device_id/TrivialStartupBenchmark_startup[mode=COLD]_iter002.perfetto-trace

When you have the trace file in your host system, you can open it in Android
Studio with **File \> Open** in the menu. This shows the profiler tool view shown
in the previous section.

### Configuration errors

If the app is misconfigured---debuggable or non-profileable---Macrobenchmark returns
an error rather than reporting an incorrect or incomplete measurement. You can
suppress these errors with the [`androidx.benchmark.suppressErrors`](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/benchmarking/macrobenchmark-instrumentation-args#suppresserrors)
argument.

Macrobenchmark also returns errors when attempting to measure an emulator or on
a low-battery device, which might compromise core availability and clock speed.

## Customize the benchmarks

The [`measureRepeated`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/junit4/MacrobenchmarkRule#measureRepeated(kotlin.String,kotlin.collections.List,androidx.benchmark.macro.CompilationMode,androidx.benchmark.macro.StartupMode,kotlin.Int,kotlin.Function1,kotlin.Function1)) function accepts various parameters that influence
which metrics the library collects, how your app is started and compiled, or how
many iterations the benchmark runs.

### Capture the metrics

Metrics are the main type of information extracted from your benchmarks. The
following metrics are available:

- [`StartupTimingMetric`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/StartupTimingMetric)
- [`FrameTimingMetric`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/FrameTimingMetric)
- [`TraceSectionMetric`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/TraceSectionMetric)

For more information about metrics, see [Capture Macrobenchmark metrics](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/benchmarking/macrobenchmark-metrics).

### Improve trace data with custom events

It can be useful to instrument your app with custom trace events, which are seen
with the rest of the trace report and can help point out problems specific to
your app. To learn more about creating custom trace events, see [Define custom
events](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/tracing/custom-events).

### CompilationMode

Macrobenchmarks can specify a [`CompilationMode`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/CompilationMode), which defines how much of
the app must be pre-compiled from DEX bytecode (the bytecode format within an
APK) to machine code (similar to pre-compiled C++).

By default, Macrobenchmarks are run with [`CompilationMode.DEFAULT`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/CompilationMode#DEFAULT()), which
installs a Baseline Profile---if available---on Android 7 (API level 24) and later.
If you are using Android 6 (API level 23) or earlier, the compilation mode fully
compiles the APK as default system behavior.

You can install a Baseline Profile if the target app contains both a Baseline
Profile and the [`ProfileInstaller`](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/profileinstaller) library.

On Android 7 and later, you can customize the `CompilationMode` to affect the
amount of on-device pre-compilation to mimic different levels of ahead-of-time
(AOT) compilation or JIT caching. See [`CompilationMode.Full`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/CompilationMode.Full),
[`CompilationMode.Partial`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/CompilationMode.Partial), [`CompilationMode.None`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/CompilationMode.None), and
[`CompilationMode.Ignore`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/CompilationMode.Ignore).

This feature is built on [ART compilation commands](https://source.android.com/devices/tech/dalvik/jit-compiler#force-compilation-of-a-specific-package). Each benchmark clears
profile data before it starts, to help ensure non-interference between
benchmarks.

### StartupMode

To perform an activity start, you can pass a predefined startup mode:
[`COLD`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/StartupMode#COLD), [`WARM`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/StartupMode#WARM), or [`HOT`](https://developer.android.com/reference/kotlin/androidx/benchmark/macro/StartupMode#HOT). This parameter changes how the
activity launches and the process state at the start of the test.
| **Warning:** If `StartupMode.COLD` is used, the app process is killed between the execution of `setupBlock` and `measureBlock` to allow for app preparation without starting the process. If you need the process to remain active, use `StartupMode.WARM`, which restarts activities without restarting the process, or set `startupMode` to `null` and call `killProcess()` within the `setupBlock`.

To learn more about the types of startup, see [App startup time](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/vitals/launch-time).

## Samples

A sample project is available in the [Macrobenchmark
Sample](https://github.com/android/performance-samples/tree/main/MacrobenchmarkSample) of the repository on GitHub.

## Provide feedback

To report issues or submit feature requests for Jetpack Macrobenchmark, see the
[public issue
tracker](https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/new?component=975669&;template=1519452&authuser=1).

## Recommended for you

- Note: link text is displayed when JavaScript is off
- [Capture Macrobenchmark metrics](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/benchmarking/macrobenchmark-metrics)
- [Create Baseline Profiles {:#creating-profile-rules}](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/baselineprofiles/create-baselineprofile)
- [Automate measurement with the Macrobenchmark library
  {:#measuring-optimization}](https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/baselineprofiles/measure-baselineprofile)