Logcat Guide
February 6, 2026 ยท View on GitHub
Purpose
Explain logcat panel layout, controls, filter behavior, and expected runtime behavior.
Default Behavior
:AndroidBuild opens logcat automatically after a successful Android deploy and
updates package selection to the deployed app.
Entry Points
| Entry Point | Default Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
:AndroidLogcat | None | Opens logcat directly |
AndroidMenu Logcat -> Logcat | <leader>am then menu | Same logcat action from hub |
Successful :AndroidBuild | <leader>ab | Opens logcat after deploy |
Dock Layout
Logcat uses a two-layer bottom dock:
- Control strip (fixed): package, filter, level rows
- Stream body: log output
<CR> behavior:
- On control strip rows: edit package, filter, or level.
- In stream body: open stack trace navigation when available.
Controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
q | Close logcat panel |
c | Clear panel output |
C | Clear output and reset pause state |
p | Pause or resume output |
r | Restart logcat |
gp | Pick package filter |
gf | Edit filter text |
gl | Pick level filter |
gs | Switch run config |
Filter Rules
- Space-separated terms: every term must match the line.
- Regex pattern: wrap in
/.../.
Examples:
network timeout/Retrofit|OkHttp/
Runtime Behavior
- Logcat reconnect is automatic with retry backoff.
- Status lines report retry/disconnect state.
- Pause keeps incoming lines in backlog and flushes on resume.
Recommended Flow
- Open logcat with
:AndroidLogcat. - Set package and level from the control strip.
- Add a text or regex filter to reduce noise.
- Pause while inspecting long output, then resume to flush backlog.
- Press
<CR>on stack-trace lines to jump to source.
Related Docs
- Build workflow: build-and-deploy.md
- Keymaps reference: ../reference/keymaps.md