LogDog: Advanced Logging and Debugging for Mobile Applications



This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Modrena

Why LogDog?

In today’s fast-paced mobile development landscape, debugging remains a persistent challenge. Developers frequently face issues that are hard to reproduce, such as fleeting network failures, rare race conditions, or unexpected behavior from third-party services. Traditional logging tools often fall short - logs get truncated, key interactions are lost, and support teams are left relying on vague user reports.
LogDog was created to solve these problems. It offers a powerful, cross-platform instrumentation framework that captures runtime behavior in real-time. Whether your app is in development or already live in production, LogDog gives teams the visibility they need to identify issues before they escalate.

Who Can Benefit from LogDog

LogDog is built for a variety of roles in modern software teams:

  • Developers get immediate insights into app behavior, helping them understand bugs, performance issues, and control flow problems without guesswork.
  • QA Engineers can validate features more thoroughly using detailed logs and HTTP traces, all without adding extra instrumentation.
  • Testers no longer need to reproduce complex chains of events manually - LogDog captures everything needed for analysis.
  • Product Managers can get data-driven insights into feature usage and user issues, supporting smarter roadmap decisions.

Real-World Applications

  • QA Workflows: Monitor logs and network requests in real time from test devices, reducing reliance on manual bug reports.
  • Reproduce Issues: Automatically collect detailed logs and context when an error occurs, speeding up debugging.
  • Remote Support: Offer users a support experience that includes secure access to logs and screen sharing for live troubleshooting.
  • API Simulation: Use built-in mocking to simulate server responses, test edge cases, or validate error handling without needing changes to the backend.

Key Features

Unified Logging

LogDog captures all types of logs - from custom app logs to HTTP request/response data and metadata - automatically enriched with timestamps and device context.

Runtime Mocking

Easily override API responses, status codes, and headers at runtime. This makes it easy to test client-side behavior in case of outages, timeouts, or invalid data.

In-App Debug Console

LogDog includes a discreet in-app debug panel that authorized users can use to inspect logs, toggle mocks, and access runtime information without leaving the app.

Live Screen Capture

With user consent, LogDog can stream a device’s screen to the web dashboard in real-time - ideal for diagnosing UI bugs that are hard to describe or reproduce.

Getting Started with the LogDog Demo App

  1. Go to demo.logdog.app from your desktop and create a demo account.
  2. Download and install the LogDog Demo App from the App Store.
  3. On first launch, tap “Open Camera” and scan the QR code displayed on the web dashboard. 
  4. Your device will automatically register on the dashboard.

Image description

Your first logs with the LogDog Demo App

  1. Click the device to open the details view.
  2. You should now see the first log line: “Hello from LogDog!”
  3. In the mobile app under the General tab, tap “Send Info Log” to create more logs.
  4. These will appear instantly in the web dashboard.
  5. Bonus: Try the “Take Screenshot” button on the dashboard sidebar.

Image description

Mocking a Request with the LogDog Demo App

  1. In the LogDog app, go to the JSON tab.
  2. Trigger a request - you’ll see it appear in the web dashboard.
  3. Double-tap the request entry to view details.
  4. On the right side (response panel), click “Enable Mock”.
  5. Modify the response body, headers, or status code as desired.
  6. In the app, tap “Refresh” to make the same request again.
  7. You’ll see your modified mock response returned.

You can also simulate delayed responses or server errors to test how your app handles poor network conditions. To restore normal behavior, simply disable “Enable Mock”.

Integrate LogDog into your App

With only a few lines you can integrate all the mentioned features into your App.

platform :ios, '15.0' # Minimum iOS version!

target 'log-dog-ios-boilerplate' do

  use_frameworks!
  pod 'LogDogSDK', '1.4.510'
end
# Run pod install
import LogDog

  @main
  struct YourApp: App {
      init() {
          LogDog.initialize()
          let config = LogDogConfig(apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY", logs: true, network: true, events: true)
          LogDog.start(config: config)
          LogDog.i("Hello from LogDog!")
      }

      var body: some Scene {
          WindowGroup {
              ContentView()
          }
      }
  }

This was a quick introduction to LogDog. To explore further features, demos, and documentation, visit logdog.app and docs.logdog.app.


This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Modrena