--- title: Session Replay Android Standalone SDK description: "Choose this option if you use a third-party analytics provider to instrument your Android application." product: session-replay lang: en last_updated: 2026-09-08 token_estimate: 6067 --- # Session Replay Android Standalone SDK > 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:session-replay-android` ([maven](https://search.maven.org/artifact/com.amplitude/session-replay-android)) - **Latest version:** 0.31.1 This article covers how to install Session Replay for Android with the standalone SDK. If you use a provider other than Amplitude for in-product analytics, choose this option. If your app already uses the Amplitude Android SDK, use the [Session Replay Android SDK Plugin](https://amplitude.com/docs/sdks/session-replay/session-replay-android-plugin) instead. > **Tip:** Report issues > > To report issues with Session Replay for Android, go to the [AmplitudeSessionReplay-Android GitHub repository](https://github.com/amplitude/AmplitudeSessionReplay-Android). > **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. ## Prerequisites The Session Replay Standalone SDK requires that: 1. Your application is Android-based. 2. You track sessions with a timestamp or a custom string session ID that you can pass to the SDK. Inform the SDK whenever the session identifier changes. 3. You can provide a device ID to the SDK. 4. The session and device IDs you pass to the standalone SDK match the IDs on analytics events you send to Amplitude. The Standalone SDK doesn't provide session management capabilities. Your application or a third-party integration must update the SDK with changes to `Session ID` and `Device ID`. ### 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 Add the [latest version](https://central.sonatype.com/artifact/com.amplitude/session-replay-android/versions) of the Session Replay SDK to your project dependencies. ```kotlin implementation("com.amplitude:session-replay-android:0.31.1") ``` Configure your application code: 1. Create a `val sessionReplay = SessionReplay()` object to start collecting replays. Pass the API key, session identifier, and device identifier. 2. When the session or device identifier changes, pass the new value to Amplitude with `sessionReplay.setSessionId` or `sessionReplay.setDeviceId`. For string session IDs, use `sessionReplay.setCustomSessionId` instead. Refer to [Custom session IDs](#custom-session-ids). ```kotlin import com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.SessionReplay import com.example.ThirdPartyAnalytics // Initialize the standalone session replay SDK val sessionReplay = SessionReplay( apiKey = "api-key", context = applicationContext, deviceId = "device-id", sessionId = System.currentTimeMillis(), sampleRate = 1.0, ) // Handle session ID change // Whenever the session ID changes ThirdPartyAnalytics.setSessionId(sessionId) // Update the session ID in session replay sessionReplay.setSessionId(ThirdPartyAnalytics.getSessionId()) // Handle device ID change // When the device ID changes ThirdPartyAnalytics.setDeviceId(deviceId) //Update the device ID in session replay sessionReplay.setDeviceId(ThirdPartyAnalytics.getDeviceId()) ``` ## Configuration Pass the following configuration options when you initialize the Session Replay SDK. | Option | Type | Required | Default | Description | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `apiKey` | `String` | Yes | n/a | Your Amplitude API key. | | `context` | `Context` | Yes | n/a | The Android application context. | | `deviceId` | `String?` | Yes | n/a | Identifier for the device running your application. Pass `null` to suppress capture when a device ID is not yet available. | | `sessionId` | `Long` | Yes | n/a | Identifier for the user's current session, in milliseconds since epoch (Unix timestamp). To use a string session ID instead, pass `-1` and call `setCustomSessionId` after initialization. Refer to [Custom session IDs](#custom-session-ids). | | `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. | | `optOut` | `Boolean` | No | `false` | Sets permission to collect replays. A value of `true` prevents Amplitude from collecting session replays. | | `logger` | `Logger` | No | `LogcatLogger` | Sets a custom logger to emit log messages to a destination. Set to `null` to disable logging. | | `enableRemoteConfig` | `Boolean` | No | `true` | Enables or disables [remote configuration](#remote-configuration) for this instance of Session Replay. | | `serverZone` | `ServerZone` | No | `ServerZone.US` | `ServerZone.EU` or `ServerZone.US`. Set this to EU for Amplitude projects created in the EU data center. | | `privacyConfig` | `PrivacyConfig` | No | `PrivacyConfig()` | Privacy settings that control which views are masked. Set the mask level with `PrivacyConfig(maskLevel = MaskLevel.MEDIUM)`. See [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 Session Replay 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 a timestamp-based `session_id`. The constructor accepts only a numeric `sessionId`. To use a string value, pass `-1` as the `sessionId`, then call `setCustomSessionId`. Session Replay doesn't capture until you set a valid session ID. ```kotlin val sessionReplay = SessionReplay( apiKey = API_KEY, context = applicationContext, deviceId = "device-id", sessionId = -1, sampleRate = 1.0, ) // Set a string session ID instead of the numeric sessionId sessionReplay.setCustomSessionId("ef197fc7-a46f-4e6c-a77f-8d90c17065c0") // Whenever your custom session changes sessionReplay.setCustomSessionId(ThirdPartyAnalytics.getCustomSessionId()) ``` The numeric `sessionId` and the custom session ID are two views of the same underlying value, which the SDK stores as a string: - Calling `setSessionId` replaces the current custom session ID with the numeric value. When you use custom session IDs, call `setCustomSessionId` instead of `setSessionId` whenever the session changes. - When the stored value isn't numeric, `getSessionId` returns `-1`. Call `getCustomSessionId` to read the current value. - Setting a different value ends the current replay and starts a new one. 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 Session Replay provides an opt-out configuration option. Pass `optOut = true` during initialization to prevent Amplitude from collecting session replays. For example: ```kotlin // Pass a boolean value to indicate a users opt-out status val sessionReplay = SessionReplay( apiKey = API_KEY, optOut = true, /* other session replay options */ ) ``` Call `setOptOut` at runtime to pause or resume capture without restarting the SDK: ```kotlin // Pause capture sessionReplay.setOptOut(true) // Resume capture sessionReplay.setOptOut(false) // Check the current opt-out state val isOptedOut = sessionReplay.getOptOut() ``` ### 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 to EU val sessionReplay = SessionReplay( apiKey = API_KEY, serverZone = ServerZone.EU, /* other 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 val sessionReplay = SessionReplay( apiKey = API_KEY, sampleRate = 0.01, /* other session replay options */ ) ``` ### Disable replay collection After Session Replay starts, it runs in your app until either: - The user leaves your app. - You call `sessionReplay.stop()`. - You call `sessionReplay.shutdown()` to tear down the instance. Call `sessionReplay.stop()` before a user navigates to a restricted area of your app to pause replay collection while the user is in that area. Call `sessionReplay.start()` to resume when they return. Both methods act on the same instance. To tear down Session Replay completely, call `sessionReplay.shutdown()`, then create a new instance to start again. To capture only specific screens, initialize Session Replay with `autoStart = false` so it doesn't start on launch, then call `start()` and `stop()` as the user enters and leaves those screens: ```kotlin val sessionReplay = SessionReplay( apiKey = API_KEY, context = applicationContext, deviceId = "device-id", sessionId = System.currentTimeMillis(), autoStart = false, ) // Start capture when the user enters a screen you want to record sessionReplay.start() // Stop capture when the user leaves that screen sessionReplay.stop() ``` You can also use a feature flag product like Amplitude Experiment to create logic that enables or disables replay collection based on criteria like location. For example, create a feature flag that targets a specific user group, then add the flag to your initialization logic: ```kotlin import com.amplitude.android.sessionreplay.SessionReplay import com.example.ThirdPartyAnalytics val sessionReplay = SessionReplay( apiKey = API_KEY, deviceId = "device-id", sessionId = System.currentTimeMillis(), sampleRate = 1.0, /* other session replay options */ ) ``` ### 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. ## 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 ## 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