--- title: Session Replay Android Plugin description: Choose this option if you use an Amplitude Android SDK to instrument your Android application. product: session-replay lang: en last_updated: 2026-09-08 token_estimate: 7279 --- # Session Replay Android Plugin > For AI agents: a documentation index is available at [/docs/llms.txt](/docs/llms.txt). Append `.md` to any page URL for markdown, or send `Accept: text/markdown`. - **Package:** `com.amplitude:plugin-session-replay-android` ([maven](https://search.maven.org/artifact/com.amplitude/plugin-session-replay-android)) - **Latest version:** 0.31.1 Install Session Replay with the Android SDK plugin when your app is already instrumented with Amplitude. If you use a different provider for in-product analytics, use the [standalone implementation](https://amplitude.com/docs/sdks/session-replay/session-replay-android-standalone) instead. > **Info:** Unified SDK > > Install the [Unified SDK for Android](https://amplitude.com/docs/sdks/analytics/android/unified-sdk) to access Session Replay along with other Amplitude products (Analytics, Experiment). The Unified SDK provides a single entry point for all Amplitude features and simplifies integration by handling initialization and configuration of all components. > **Note:** Session Replay and performance > > Amplitude built Session Replay to minimize impact on the performance of the Android apps in which it's installed by: > > - Asynchronously capturing and processing replay data, to avoid blocking the main user interface thread. The main thread must analyze the view hierarchy, but snapshot capture scheduling and extra processing offloads to the background. > - Using batching and lightweight compression to reduce the number of network connections and bandwidth. > - Optimizing view hierarchy processing. Contact Amplitude if you experience issues with hierarchy processing. Session Replay captures changes to an app's view tree. The view tree includes the main view and all child views recursively. Session Replay then replays these changes to build a video-like replay. For example, at the start of a session, Session Replay captures a full snapshot of the app's view tree. As the user interacts with the app, Session Replay captures each change to the view as a diff. Session Replay then constructs the replay of the session by applying each diff to the original view tree in sequential order. Session replays have no maximum length. > **Tip:** Report issues > > To report issues with Session Replay for Android, go to the [AmplitudeSessionReplay-Android GitHub repository](https://github.com/amplitude/AmplitudeSessionReplay-Android). ## Prerequisites The method you use depends on the version of the Amplitude Android SDK you use. #### Android-Kotlin If you use the current [Android-Kotlin SDK](https://amplitude.com/docs/sdks/analytics/android/android-kotlin-sdk), follow the instructions for the Android Plugin. The Session Replay Android plugin requires that: 1. Your application is Android-based. 2. You can provide a device identifier to the SDK. #### Android (maintenance) If you use the [maintenance Android SDK](https://amplitude.com/docs/sdks/analytics/android/android-sdk), use the instructions for Android Middleware. The Session Replay Middleware requires that: 1. Your application is Android-based. 2. You use `2.40.1` or higher of the [(maintenance) Amplitude Android SDK](https://amplitude.com/docs/sdks/analytics/android/android-sdk). 3. You can provide a device ID to the SDK. ### Supported Android versions Session replay supports down to Android 5.0 with a minimum SDK of 21 `minSdk = 21`. This should support over 99.6% of global Android devices according to Google's distribution data in Android Studio. ## Quickstart #### Kotlin SDK Add the [latest version](https://central.sonatype.com/artifact/com.amplitude/plugin-session-replay-android/versions) of the plugin to your project dependencies. ```kotlin // Install latest version from Maven Central implementation("com.amplitude:plugin-session-replay-android:0.31.1") // You will also need the Amplitude Analytics SDK if it's not already installed implementation("com.amplitude:analytics-android:[1.30.0,2.0.0)") ``` Configure your application code: ```kotlin import com.amplitude.android.Amplitude import com.amplitude.android.Configuration import com.amplitude.android.plugins.SessionReplayPlugin // Initialize Amplitude Analytics SDK instance val amplitude = Amplitude(API_KEY, applicationContext) // Create and Install Session Replay Plugin // Recording will be handled automatically val sessionReplayPlugin = SessionReplayPlugin( context = applicationContext, sampleRate = 1.0 ) amplitude.add(sessionReplayPlugin) ``` #### Legacy SDK Add the [latest version](https://central.sonatype.com/artifact/com.amplitude/middleware-session-replay-android/versions) of the session replay middleware to your project dependencies. ```kotlin // Install latest version from Maven Central implementation("com.amplitude:middleware-session-replay-android:0.26.1") // You will also need the (maintenance) Amplitude Analytics SDK if it's not already installed implementation("com.amplitude:android-sdk:[2.40.1,3.0.0)") ``` Configure your application code. ```kotlin import com.amplitude.api.Amplitude import com.amplitude.api.SessionReplayMiddleware // Initialize (maintenance) Amplitude Analytics SDK instance val amplitude = Amplitude.getInstance() .initialize(this, AMPLITUDE_API_KEY) // Replay events will be flushed on close as well // If setFlushEventsOnClose(false) you must call flush() manually .setFlushEventsOnClose(true) // Create Session Replay Middleware val sessionReplayMiddleware = SessionReplayMiddleware(amplitude, sampleRate = 1.0) // Add session replay middleware // Recording will be handled automatically amplitude.addEventMiddleware(sessionReplayMiddleware) // Track events amplitude.logEvent("Setup (maintenance) Amplitude Android SDK with session replay!") // Send replay events to the server amplitude.uploadEvents() // You can also call flush() on the middleware directly to only send replay events // sessionReplayMiddleware.flush() // Always flush before app exit (onPause) // override fun Activity.onPause() { sessionReplayMiddleware.flush() } ``` > **Info:** Sample rate > > The sample rate in these code samples is `1.0`. This setting ensures Amplitude captures sessions during testing, but can cause overages in production. ## Configuration Pass the following options when you initialize the Session Replay plugin. | Option | Type | Required | Default | Description | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `sampleRate` | `Number` | No | `0.0` | Controls how many sessions Amplitude selects for replay collection. Use a decimal between 0 and 1, for example `0.4`, which selects 40% of sessions over a large number of sessions. | | `enableRemoteConfig` | `Boolean` | No | `true` | Enables or disables [remote configuration](#remote-configuration) for this instance of Session Replay. | | `privacyConfig` | `PrivacyConfig` | No | `PrivacyConfig()` | Privacy settings that control which views Session Replay masks. Set the mask level with `PrivacyConfig(maskLevel = MaskLevel.MEDIUM)`. Refer to [Mask level](#mask-level). | | `serverUrl` | `String?` | No | `null` | _Advanced._ Explicit server URL, useful for proxy setups. | | `bandwidthLimitBytes` | `Int?` | No | `null` | _Advanced._ Daily upload limit, in bytes, on metered (for example, cellular) connections. | | `storageLimitMB` | `Int?` | No | `null` | _Advanced._ Local storage limit, in MB. | | `autoStart` | `Boolean` | No | `true` | Starts screen capture automatically when the plugin initializes. | | `recordLogOptions.logCountThreshold` | `Int` | No | `1000` | Maximum number of logs per session. | | `recordLogOptions.maxMessageLength` | `Int` | No | `2000` | Maximum length of a log message. | ### Custom session IDs Session Replay for Android version 0.26.4 and later supports string session IDs, for example UUIDs, through the `setCustomSessionId` method. Use a custom session ID if your project defines sessions with a custom event property instead of the Amplitude `session_id`. When you set a custom session ID, the value takes precedence over the session ID that the plugin syncs from the Amplitude SDK. Pass `null` to clear the override and resume using the Amplitude session ID. ```kotlin // Keep a reference to the plugin to set the custom session ID val sessionReplayPlugin = SessionReplayPlugin( context = applicationContext, sampleRate = 1.0 ) sessionReplayPlugin.setCustomSessionId("ef197fc7-a46f-4e6c-a77f-8d90c17065c0") amplitude.add(sessionReplayPlugin) // Whenever your custom session changes sessionReplayPlugin.setCustomSessionId(newCustomSessionId) ``` For Session Replay to match custom sessions reliably, custom session IDs must follow these constraints: - The value can't contain `/`. Session Replay uses `/` as a delimiter in the session replay ID, which has the format `/`. - The value can only contain the characters `a-z A-Z 0-9 _ - . | @ : =`. - The value must match the session-defining property you send on events to Amplitude. For more information, refer to [Session matching](https://amplitude.com/docs/session-replay/session-matching). ### Remote configuration Enable remote configuration to set Sample Rate and Masking Level in Amplitude. > **Note:** Remote configuration and testing > > With `enableRemoteConfig` set to `true`, settings you define in Amplitude take precedence over settings you define locally in the SDK. For this reason, while testing your application, you should **disable** remote configuration to ensure you can set `sampleRate` to `1`, and ensure you capture test sessions. ### Mask on-screen data The Session Replay SDK offers four ways to mask user input, text, and other view components. #### Mask level Session Replay for Android supports three levels of masking, set through the `privacyConfig` option with `PrivacyConfig(maskLevel = MaskLevel.MEDIUM)`. The default level is `medium`. Use this option in the Session Replay configuration. | Mask level | Description | | --- | --- | | `light` | Masks password, email, and phone number input fields. In SDK `0.26.2` and later, `light` also masks any field with sensitive autofill hints (credit card number, expiration, and security code; name; username; postal address and code); autofill-hint detection requires Android 8.0 (API 26) or higher. Earlier versions, including the `middleware-session-replay-android` artifact, mask only the input-field types above. | | `medium` (default) | Everything in `light`, plus all editable text fields (`EditText`). | | `conservative` | Everything in `medium`, plus all text views (`TextView`). | #### Privacy tags in layout XML Use this option in your application's layout XML. | View | Description | | --- | --- | | `` | Session Replay masks all text input fields by default. When a users enters text into an input field, Session Replay captures asterisks in place of text. To _unmask_ a text input, add the tag `amp-unmask`. For example: ``. | | `` | To mask text within non-input elements, add the tag `amp-mask`. For example, ``. When masked, Session Replay captures masked text as a series of asterisks. | | non-text elements | To block a non-text element, add the tag `amp-block`. For example, ``. Session Replay replaces blocked elements with a placeholder of the same dimensions. | | `` | To unmask a web view, add the `amp-unmask` tag. For example, ``. | #### Privacy methods on the Session Replay SDK Import the `SessionReplay` class, then call one of the methods below from your application's code. ```kotlin import com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.SessionReplay ``` | Method | Description | | --- | --- | | `unmask(view: View)` | To unmask a view manually, call `SessionReplay.unmask(view)` where `view` is a reference to any view that is masked. | | `mask(view: View)` | To mask text within non-input views, call `SessionReplay.mask(view)` where `view` is a reference to the any view you want to mask. When masked, Session Replay captures masked text as a series of asterisks. | | `block(view: View)` | To block a non-text view, call `SessionReplay.block(view)` where `view` is a reference to the View you want to block. Session Replay replaces blocked views with a placeholder of the same dimensions. | #### Privacy modifiers in Jetpack Compose For composables, use the privacy modifiers instead of layout XML tags or the `SessionReplay` methods. These modifiers require version `0.21.0` or higher of the Session Replay Android SDK or plugin. Import the modifier you need from `com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.compose`, then add it to the composable's modifier chain. ```kotlin import com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.compose.ampMask import com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.compose.ampUnmask import com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.compose.ampBlock ``` | Modifier | Description | | --- | --- | | `Modifier.ampMask()` | Masks text that Session Replay captures by default, such as the contents of a `Text` composable. Session Replay captures masked text as a series of asterisks. | | `Modifier.ampUnmask()` | Unmasks a composable that Session Replay masks by default, such as a `TextField`. | | `Modifier.ampBlock()` | Blocks a composable. Session Replay replaces blocked composables with a placeholder of the same dimensions and doesn't capture their contents. | ```kotlin // Mask text that Session Replay captures by default Text( text = "Account number: 123456789", modifier = Modifier.ampMask(), ) // Unmask an input field that Session Replay masks by default TextField( value = username, onValueChange = { username = it }, modifier = Modifier.ampUnmask(), ) // Block a composable and everything it contains Box(modifier = Modifier.ampBlock()) { Text("Session Replay doesn't capture this content") } ``` A privacy modifier applies to the composable you add it to and to everything nested inside it. When a nested composable has its own privacy modifier, that modifier takes precedence for that composable and its descendants. ### User opt-out The Session Replay plugin follows the Android SDK's `optOut` setting. You can also call `setOptOut` and `getOptOut` directly on the plugin instance to pause or resume capture at runtime without restarting the SDK. ```kotlin // Control opt-out through the Amplitude SDK val amplitude = Amplitude(Configuration( apiKey = API_KEY, optOut = true, /* other configuration */ )) val sessionReplayPlugin = SessionReplayPlugin( context = applicationContext, /* session replay options */ ) amplitude.add(sessionReplayPlugin) // Or pause and resume capture directly on the plugin instance sessionReplayPlugin.setOptOut(true) // pause sessionReplayPlugin.setOptOut(false) // resume ``` ### EU data residency Session Replay is available to Amplitude Customers who use the EU data center. Set the `serverZone` configuration option to `EU` during initialization. For example: ```kotlin // Set serverZone on the Amplitude SDK val amplitude = Amplitude(Configuration( apiKey = API_KEY, serverZone = ServerZone.EU, /*, other configuration */ )) amplitude.add(SessionReplayPlugin( context = applicationContext, /* session replay options */ )) ``` ### Sampling rate By default, Session Replay captures 0% of sessions for replay. Use your SDK's `sampleRate` configuration option to set the proportion of sessions to capture. For manual and dynamic sampling, quota planning, and quota accounting, go to [Configure Session Replay sampling](https://amplitude.com/docs/session-replay/configure-sampling). ```kotlin // This configuration samples 1% of all sessions amplitude.add(SessionReplayPlugin( context = applicationContext, sampleRate = 0.01 )) ``` ### Disable replay collection After you enable Session Replay, it runs on your app until either: - The user leaves your app. - You call `sessionReplayPlugin.stop()`. - You remove the plugin from the SDK with `amplitude.remove(sessionReplayPlugin)`. Call `sessionReplayPlugin.stop()` before a user navigates to a restricted area of your app to disable replay collection while the user is in that area. > **Note:** Keep a reference > > This requires keeping a reference to the `SessionReplayPlugin` instance: `val sessionReplayPlugin = SessionReplayPlugin(context = applicationContext, /* session replay options */)`. Call `sessionReplayPlugin.start()` to re-enable replay collection when the user returns to an unrestricted area of your app. To capture only specific screens, initialize the plugin with `autoStart = false` so it doesn't start on launch, then call `start()` and `stop()` as the user enters and leaves those screens: ```kotlin // Add the plugin without starting capture val sessionReplayPlugin = SessionReplayPlugin( context = applicationContext, sampleRate = 1.0, autoStart = false ) amplitude.add(sessionReplayPlugin) // Start capture when the user enters a screen you want to record sessionReplayPlugin.start() // Stop capture when the user leaves that screen sessionReplayPlugin.stop() ``` You can also use a feature flag product like Amplitude Experiment to enable or disable replay collection based on criteria like location. For example, you can create a feature flag that targets a specific user group, then add it to your initialization logic: ```kotlin import com.amplitude.android.Amplitude import com.amplitude.android.Configuration import com.amplitude.android.plugins.SessionReplayPlugin // Your existing initialization logic with Android SDK val amplitude = Amplitude(Configuration(apiKey = API_KEY /*, ... other configuration */)) if (nonEUCountryFlagEnabled) { // Create and Install Session Replay Plugin val sessionReplayPlugin = SessionReplayPlugin( context = applicationContext, sampleRate = 0.5 ) amplitude.add(sessionReplayPlugin) } ``` ### WebView and MapView support (Beta) By default, Session Replay blocks web views and map views in a capture. To enable capture of these components, use the settings described in [Mask on-screen data](#mask-on-screen-data). Web view session replay injects JavaScript into the rendered page. To enable this, the SDK sets `javaScriptEnabled` to `true` on the unmasked web view. ### Log Recording > **Note:** Availability > > Log recording is available in Session Replay Android `0.22.0` and later. Session Replay supports recording logs in Android applications. To enable log recording, send log messages through the `recordLog(level, message, timestamp)` API and configure the limits through `recordLogOptions` parameter while initializing Session Replay. ```kotlin import com.amplitude.android.plugins.SessionReplayPlugin import com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.config.RecordLogLevel import com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.config.RecordLogOptions val sessionReplayPlugin = SessionReplayPlugin( recordLogOptions = RecordLogOptions( logCountThreshold = 2000, maxMessageLength = 4000 ) ) amplitude.add(sessionReplayPlugin) sessionReplayPlugin.recordLog(RecordLogLevel.Error, "This is an error log") // You can also create custom log levels sessionReplayPlugin.recordLog(RecordLogLevel("debug"), "This is a debug log") ``` Session Replay supports predefined log levels (`Error`, `Warn`, `Log`) and custom log levels. Create custom log levels by passing any string value to `RecordLogLevel(...)`. If you have implemented a log system, you can make single-point modifications to integrate log recording functionality. See the following examples for more information. #### Timber If you use `Timber`, you can integrate it with a custom tree. ```kotlin import com.amplitude.android.plugins.SessionReplayPlugin import com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.config.RecordLogLevel import timber.log.Timber class AmplitudeLogRecordTree(private val plugin: SessionReplayPlugin) : Timber.Tree() { override fun log(priority: Int, tag: String?, message: String, t: Throwable?) { val recordLevel = when (priority) { android.util.Log.ERROR -> RecordLogLevel.Error android.util.Log.WARN -> RecordLogLevel.Warn android.util.Log.INFO -> RecordLogLevel.Log android.util.Log.DEBUG -> RecordLogLevel("debug") android.util.Log.VERBOSE -> RecordLogLevel("verbose") else -> return } plugin.recordLog(recordLevel, message) } } val sessionReplayPlugin = SessionReplayPlugin() amplitude.add(sessionReplayPlugin) Timber.plant(AmplitudeLogRecordTree(sessionReplayPlugin)) ``` ## Data retention, deletion, and privacy Review [consent guidance](https://amplitude.com/docs/session-replay/best-practices-for-managing-user-consent) when you implement capture. ### Retention period For native and Flutter SDK retention guidance and the effective date of changes, go to the [Session Replay data lifecycle reference](https://amplitude.com/docs/session-replay/replay-data-lifecycle#native-and-flutter-sdk-retention). ### DSAR API For replay metadata returned by the DSAR API, go to [Session Replay DSAR metadata](https://amplitude.com/docs/session-replay/replay-data-lifecycle#dsar-api). ### Data deletion For user and project deletion behavior, go to [Session Replay data deletion](https://amplitude.com/docs/session-replay/replay-data-lifecycle#data-deletion). ### Bot filter For bot filtering and property-filter restrictions, go to [Session Replay bot filtering](https://amplitude.com/docs/session-replay/replay-data-lifecycle#bot-filter). ## Session Replay storage If a user opts out of tracking in your app, use the `optOut` configuration option to disable replay collection for that user. The SDK stores replay data locally. It retries transient upload failures, subject to retry and storage limits. Amplitude recommends setting `flushEventsOnClose = true` in the Amplitude SDK Configuration (the default) to send session data to the server on each app exit. ## Jetpack Compose Support (Alpha) Session Replay supports Jetpack Compose for Android applications. This feature is currently in Alpha. To use Jetpack Compose with Session Replay, ensure you use version `0.20.4` or higher of the Session Replay Android SDK or plugin. To control what Session Replay captures in a composable, use the [privacy modifiers in Jetpack Compose](#privacy-modifiers-in-jetpack-compose). Masking support for Compose requires `0.21.0` or higher. ## Known limitations Keep the following limitations in mind as you implement Session Replay: - Session Replay doesn't stitch together replays from a single user across multiple projects. For example: - You instrument multiple apps as separate Amplitude projects with Session Replay enabled in each. - A known user begins on one app, and then switch to another. - Amplitude captures both sessions. - The replay for each session is available for view in the corresponding host project. - The User Sessions chart doesn't show session replays if your organization uses a custom session definition. - Session Replay can't capture the following Android views: - Canvas Views ### Multiple Amplitude instances Session Replay supports attaching to a single instance of the Amplitude SDK. If you have more than one instance instrumented in your application, start Session Replay on the instance that most relates to your project. ## Troubleshooting For more information about individual statuses and errors, see the [Session Replay Ingestion Monitor](https://amplitude.com/docs/session-replay/ingestion-monitor). | ### Replay length and session length don't match In some scenarios, the length of a replay may exceed the time between the `[Amplitude] Start Session` and `[Amplitude] End Session` events. This happens when a user closes the `[Amplitude] End Session` occurs, but before the Android SDK and Session Replay plugin can process it. When the user uses the app again, the SDK and plugin process the event and send it to Amplitude, along with the replay. You can verify this scenario occurs if you see a discrepancy between the `End Session Client Event Time` and the `Client Upload Time`. ### Session replays don't appear in Amplitude Session replays may not appear in Amplitude due to: - Lack of connectivity - The app process ends or you shut down the SDK before pending replay data uploads. - Sampling #### Lack of connectivity Ensure your app has access to the internet then try again. #### Sampling As mentioned above, the default `sampleRate` for Session Replay is `0`. Update the rate to a higher number. For more information see, [Sampling rate](#sampling-rate). ### Session Replay processing errors In general, replays should be available within minutes of ingestion. Delays or errors may be the result of one or more of the following: - Mismatching API keys or Device IDs. This can happen if Session Replay and standard event instrumentation use different API keys or Device IDs. - Session Replay references the wrong project. - Short sessions. If a users bounces within a few seconds of initialization, the SDK may not have time to upload replay data. - Page instrumentation. If Session Replay isn't implemented on all pages a user visits, their session may not capture properly. - Replays older than the set [retention period](#retention-period) (defaults to 90 days). ### Report an Issue If you encounter any issues with Session Replay that aren't covered in the troubleshooting guide above, please report them on our [GitHub repository](https://github.com/amplitude/AmplitudeSessionReplay-Android). When creating an issue, please include: - A clear description of the problem - Steps to reproduce the issue - Expected vs actual behavior - SDK version you're using - Any relevant error messages or logs ### Captured sessions contain limited information Amplitude automatically creates the `[Amplitude] Replay Captured` event when Session Replay captures a session. If you don't see this event in your implementation, replays may not appear correctly in Amplitude's analysis tools like Funnel Analysis, Segmentation, or Journeys charts. You can still find session replays on the Session Replay home page or the user profile page. Reasons this event may not appear include: - The user opted out or isn't part of the sample set given the current `sampleRate`. Increase the `sampleRate` to capture more sessions. - You enabled the `optOut` configuration for the session. Check that `optOut` and `sampleRate` settings include the session. - Your app uses a method other than the Android SDK to instrument events. Consider using the [Session Replay Standalone SDK for Android](https://amplitude.com/docs/sdks/session-replay/session-replay-android-standalone/). If you verify these settings and still don't see the event, contact [Amplitude support](https://gethelp.amplitude.com/hc/en-us/requests/new). ### Replay length and session length don't match In some scenarios, the length of a replay can exceed the time between the `[Amplitude] Start Session` and `[Amplitude] End Session` events. This situation happens when a user closes the app after the `[Amplitude] End Session` event occurs, but before the Android SDK and Session Replay plugin can process the event. When the user uses the app again, the SDK and plugin process the event and send it to Amplitude with the replay. To verify this scenario, check for a discrepancy between the `End Session Client Event Time` and the `Client Upload Time`. ### Session replays don't appear in Amplitude Session replays may not appear in Amplitude for these reasons: - Lack of connectivity. Ensure your app has access to the internet, then try again. - Failure to flush the recording before exiting the app. - No events sent through the Android SDK in the current session. - Missing `[Amplitude] Replay Captured` event. Review [Captured sessions contain limited information](#captured-sessions-contain-limited-information). - Sampling. #### Sampling The default `sampleRate` for Session Replay is `0`. Update the rate to a higher number. For more information, refer to [Sampling rate](#sampling-rate). ### Session Replay processing errors Replays should be available within minutes of ingestion. Delays or errors may result from one or more of the following: - Mismatching API keys or Device IDs. This mismatch happens when Session Replay and standard event instrumentation use different API keys or Device IDs. - Session Replay references the wrong project. - Short sessions. If a user closes the app within a few seconds of initialization, the SDK may not have time to upload replay data. - Page instrumentation. If you haven't implemented Session Replay on all pages a user visits, the session may not capture properly. - Replays older than the set [retention period](#retention-period) (defaults to 90 days).