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Runner Type

By default each test run uses the following underlying hardware specifications:

Runner Type Platform Host OS Architecture RAM CPU Cores
default iOS MacOS M1 8 GB 8
cpu1 Android Ubuntu x86 15 GB 13

Android runs use cpu1 unless you choose another runner type. Default iOS runs usually run on M1 hosts, but an idle M4 host can also pick them up.

As modern simulators and emulators are becoming more resource intensive, we're gradually rolling out additional runner types to support more advanced/intensive test scenarios.

{% hint style="info" %} Additional runner types are currently in beta as we work to increase capacity. {% endhint %}

If your app or test is struggling with the default runner types, you can try the options below. Please note that non-default runner types are charged at the advanced run fee as per our pricing.

Available runners

Runner Type Platform Host OS Architecture RAM CPU Cores Notes
m4 iOS MacOS M4 16 GB 10
m1 Android MacOS M1 8 GB 8 Apple Silicon (arm64). Runs Google Play from 14 December 2026.
gpu1 Android Ubuntu x86 15 GB 8 Deprecated. Limited capacity. Additional GPU acceleration also provided.

{% hint style="warning" %} gpu1 is deprecated and will be removed on 9 November 2026. From that date, runs that pass --runner-type gpu1 will run on cpu1 instead, at the standard Android rate, rather than failing. To move now, stop passing --runner-type gpu1 (Android runs use cpu1 by default) or pass --runner-type cpu1. See the Runner Type Support Policy for more information. {% endhint %}|

{% hint style="info" %} Google Play runs move to m1 on 14 December 2026. From that date every Google Play run uses m1 rather than cpu1, at the same price. To test your app on m1 now, add --runner-type m1 to your Google Play runs. See Moving to Apple Silicon. {% endhint %}

Limitations

  • m4 is iOS only. Choosing it for an Android app is rejected.
  • cpu1, m1 and gpu1 are Android only. On iOS, m1 is treated as default (with a warning), and cpu1 and gpu1 are rejected.
  • On m1 and gpu1, every flow must run on API level 34 or above (up to 37 on m1). This includes devices chosen per flow or in a device matrix.
  • Google Play is available on m1 on pixel-8 (API 34) and pixel-10 (API 36, 37), and not on gpu1. See Google Play APIs.
  • m1 runs arm64-v8a code only. An APK with native libraries must include arm64-v8a ones, otherwise the run is rejected.
  • Generic Tablet isn't available on m1 or gpu1, so don't select it with those runner types.

Usage

To use a specialised runner, use the CLI flag --runner-type.

dcd cloud ... --runner-type=<type>

# For example, to use the m4 runner:
dcd cloud ... --runner-type=m4

Overriding the runner type for a single flow

To run just one flow on a different runner type, set DEVICECLOUD_OVERRIDE_RUNNER_TYPE in that flow's env: block. It overrides --runner-type for that flow only. The other flows in the upload keep the upload's runner type.

# in your test.yaml
appId: my.app
env:
    DEVICECLOUD_OVERRIDE_RUNNER_TYPE: m4
---
# test steps
  • The same limitations apply as for --runner-type. The one difference: on iOS, m1 becomes default without a warning. On Android, default becomes cpu1.
  • A value that isn't a runner type, or one that the platform doesn't support, rejects the whole upload before anything runs. The flow is never quietly run on the upload's runner type instead.
  • The flow is charged at its own runner type's rate. For example, an m4 flow in a default upload is charged the advanced rate, and the other flows are charged the standard rate.
  • In a device matrix, the flow still runs on every device in the matrix, each time on its own runner type.
  • Like all DEVICECLOUD_OVERRIDE_* settings, this only works in the flow's env: block, not with -e.

Runner Type Support Policy

We may occasionally need to retire a runner type from our platform. This may be that it overlaps with other runner types or due to a lack of usage. Our policy for this is as follows:

  • Once a runner type is to be no longer offered, we'll mark it as deprecated.
  • Deprecated runner types are then removed after at least 30 days provided their total usage over seven days is less than 1%.