[VegaOS] UIAutomator returns random View IDs instead of assigned Test IDs in Kepler app

Vega Open Beta Q&A
1

Hi everyone,

To perform automation on the Kepler app, we are using the Kepler automation driver (JSON‑RPC) through Appium. Below are the capabilities used:

{

“platformName”: “Kepler”,

“appium:automationName”: “automation-toolkit/JSON-RPC”,

“kepler:device”: “vda://{{device_id}}”

}

Issue: Appium Inspector returns random View IDs and highlights hidden UI elements

While identifying elements, Appium Inspector always returns random/dynamic test_id, even though the development team confirmed that views have been assigned stable Test IDs in this format:

Plain Text

<PackageName>{test_id}

Additionally, Appium Inspector highlights hidden/non-visible UI elements instead of the visible element on the screen. This makes element identification unreliable.

Environment

  • App: Kepler

  • Automation Tool: Appium Inspector using Kepler automation driver (JSON‑RPC)

  • Platform: Vega OS

  • Build: Latest internal build

Description

During UI automation inspection:

  • Returned test_id do not match the assigned Test IDs.

  • IDs appear random and change between sessions and builds.

  • Appium Inspector often hovers over invisible UI elements instead of the visible ones.

This leads to inconsistent or incorrect element identification.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Launch the Kepler app.

  2. Navigate to any screen with assigned Test IDs.

  3. Open Appium Inspector and inspect visible UI elements.

  4. Observe the returned test_id and highlighted element.

Expected Result

  • The automation driver should return the assigned Test ID:
<PackageName>{test_id}
  • Appium Inspector should highlight the actual visible UI element being inspected.

Actual Result

  • View IDs are random/dynamic, not the assigned Test IDs.

  • Appium Inspector highlights hidden elements instead of the visible ones.

Impact

  • Automation scripts fail across runs due to unstable IDs.

  • Element inspection is inaccurate, blocking reliable automation.

Note: Steps are followed as per developer doc link https://developer.amazon.com/docs/vega/0.22/appium-inspector.html

3

Hi @Ajay_Mehta,

Thank you for your detailed question about the UIAutomator returning random View IDs instead of assigned Test IDs in the Kepler app.

Our team is looking into this issue and will provide an update as soon as we have more information. We appreciate you following the documentation at https://developer.amazon.com/docs/vega/0.22/appium-inspector.html and providing such comprehensive details about the environment, steps to reproduce, and the impact on your automation workflow.

Thanks for helping us improve the Vega platform.

Warm regards,
Aishwarya

4

Hi @Aishwarya

Thank you for the update and for acknowledging the issue with UIAutomator returning random View IDs instead of the assigned Test IDs in the Kepler app.

I appreciate the team taking the time to investigate this. Since this behavior blocks portions of our automation workflow, could you please share an estimated timeline for when we can expect the next update or resolution? Knowing this will help us plan our testing efforts accordingly.

Thanks again for your support and for continuing to improve the Vega platform. Looking forward to your response.

Best regards,
Shobha

5

Hi Ajay_Mehta!

Thanks for reaching out and reporting this issue. In order to isolate and reproduce efficiently this issue, can you kindly provide the following information from your testing environment?

  • SDK/OS version.

  • Appium Kepler Driver version.

  • Any screen capture from Appium Inspector displaying the described issue.

  • Testing device type.

  • Kepler version (if you’re using any reference sample app from the official docs)

  • Video capturer model (if testing with a physical device).

Thanks for your support on this!