Public cloud functionality and limitations

Perfecto strives to provide public cloud customers with access to a wide variety of mobile devices for testing, either manually (interactive mode) or via automation.

The devices connected to the Perfecto Lab run different versions of the popular mobile device operating systems (OS). As we continue to improve our mobile device offering in the public cloud, we include more devices and new popular devices as they are released to the market.

Public cloud access

The following changes enhance the public cloud to allow you to run your existing automation scripts in it:

  • Cleanup is turned on in the Cloud. This may slow down the closing of devices (or the driver), in some cases to up to 1 minute.

  • Android Appium scripts (Native, Web, and Hybrid) use the new Appium architecture (Appium 1.10).

  • iOS Appium scripts (Web and Hybrid) and Android Appium scripts (Hybrid) use the new Appium architecture and no longer need instrumentation.

  • iOS apps are automatically re-signed upon installation. This causes them to lose entitlements.
    To support automating hybrid apps, every app installed on a device in the Perfecto Mobile Cloud is re-signed using a Perfecto developer certificate before being installed on the device. After the re-signing process, apps using special entitlements that require the original author's certificate may not work. To override this behavior on your Appium script, specify the following capability as part of your Appium driver capabilities: capabilities.setCapability("iOSResign", false);

  • iOS devices are configured with a Perfecto Apple ID. To be able to download free apps from the App Store, you can log out of the Media & Purchases section of the account and sign in with a different user while keeping the iCloud and Apple's Find My services of the account locked to the Perfecto Apple ID.

    To sign out of the Media & Purchases section, do one of the following:

    • Open the AppStore, tap on the profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen and sign out. Then sign in with your own account.

    • Open the Settings app, navigate to the Apple ID section, click Media & Purchases, and sign out. Then sign in with your own account by clicking Media & Purchases again. In the popup message that appears, click Not ***? (where *** is the Perfecto account name). Then provide your own credentials.

    Important: Apple Pay is not supported because it is associated with Perfecto's iCloud accounts on the devices.

General limitations

The following table clarifies the availability of certain features in the public cloud. These limitations do not apply to enterprise clouds.

Feature Support status

SIM cards

Not supported. Devices have Wifi connectivity only.

eSIM services

 Not supported. Devices are not authorized to use eSIM services.

Device reservations

Not supported.

Device locations

USA and Germany only.

User groups

One user group per customer.

Security

Normal. VPN and allow-listing are not supported.

SSO login to UI

Not supported. Log in using user name and password.

Passwords follow a default policy. Custom password rules are not supported. For more information on the default rules, see Password policy.

Audio functions, including audio injection (manually and through automation)

Disabled due to audio configuration and stability concerns.

Geolocation

Not supported.

Device and cradle operation APIs

Not supported.

Command operation APIs

Not supported.
Illegal, non-ethical, social networks

Not supported.

Hardening restrictions

In public clouds, users share devices, and many people use a single device over time. To ensure that all devices are available and in good condition whenever you need them, Perfecto has implemented hardening on public cloud devices. As a result of hardening, the following actions are blocked:

  • On all versions of iOS and Android devices:

    • File transfer

    • Certificate installation

  • On iOS devices:

    • Access device settings

    • Add or change accounts

    • Set or change a passcode, fingerprint, face ID, or implement other locking methods

    • Change Bluetooth settings

    • Perform a factory reset

    • Manually set the date and time (iOS 12 and later)

  • On Android devices:

    Action not supported Version

    Re-enable USB debugging

    5.0 or later

    Developer options screen

    5.0 or later

    Modify accounts

    5.0 or later

    Add or remove users

    5.0 or later

    Configure Bluetooth

    5.0 or later

    Configure Wi-Fi

    5.0 or later

    Reset to factory settings

    5.0 or later

    Send SMS

    5.0 or later

    Make outgoing calls

    5.0 or later

    Controlling ups

    5.0 or later

    Configure credentials

    5.0 or later

    Configure mobile networks

    5.0 or later

    Configure tethering

    5.0 or later

    Configure cell broadcasts

    5.0 or later

    Configure VPN

    5.0 or later

    Use Android Beam

    5.0 or later

    Reset network settings

    6.0 or later

    Set wallpapter

    7.0 or later

    Use data roaming

    7.0 or later

    Set user icon

    7.0 or later

    Bluetooth sharing

    8.0 or later

    Remove manage profile

    8.0 or later

    Configure data and time, locale, and location

    9.0 or later

    Share into managed profile

    9.0 or later

    Use unified password

    9.0 or later

    Switch user

    9.0 or later

    Set device language

    9.0 or later

  • On Mac machines:

    Copy-pasting content from a local machine to the remote Mac machine