Create a session

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.phone-harness.com/sessions \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer <token>' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '
{
  "timeout_seconds": 900
}
'

import requests

url = "https://api.phone-harness.com/sessions"

payload = { "timeout_seconds": 900 }
headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer <token>",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)

print(response.text)

const options = {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {Authorization: 'Bearer <token>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: JSON.stringify({timeout_seconds: 900})
};

fetch('https://api.phone-harness.com/sessions', options)
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(res => console.log(res))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

{
  "id": "abc123def456",
  "state": "provisioning",
  "provider": "shlut",
  "device": null,
  "close_requested": null,
  "cleanup_pending": false,
  "cleanup_status": null,
  "billing_mode": "metered",
  "phone": null,
  "watch_url": "https://viewer.example.com/opaque-read-only-link",
  "screen": null,
  "age_s": 0,
  "ready_age_s": 0,
  "idle_s": 0,
  "expires_at": 1800000900,
  "timeout_seconds": 900,
  "request_key": "example-request-key-0001"
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

Sessions

Create a session

Allocate an Android phone asynchronously. HTTP 202 means admitted, not ready. Poll the returned id. The deadline includes provisioning. Use one stable Idempotency-Key per logical Start. Pass your account’s profile_id (from GET /me) to use your own phone, which is saved when the session ends and comes back the same way next time; omit it for a temporary phone that keeps nothing. Raw capabilities and runtime resource overrides are not supported. Omit provider to use the service default.

POST

https://api.phone-harness.com

sessions

Create a session

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.phone-harness.com/sessions \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer <token>' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '
{
  "timeout_seconds": 900
}
'

import requests

url = "https://api.phone-harness.com/sessions"

payload = { "timeout_seconds": 900 }
headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer <token>",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)

print(response.text)

const options = {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {Authorization: 'Bearer <token>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: JSON.stringify({timeout_seconds: 900})
};

fetch('https://api.phone-harness.com/sessions', options)
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(res => console.log(res))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

{
  "id": "abc123def456",
  "state": "provisioning",
  "provider": "shlut",
  "device": null,
  "close_requested": null,
  "cleanup_pending": false,
  "cleanup_status": null,
  "billing_mode": "metered",
  "phone": null,
  "watch_url": "https://viewer.example.com/opaque-read-only-link",
  "screen": null,
  "age_s": 0,
  "ready_age_s": 0,
  "idle_s": 0,
  "expires_at": 1800000900,
  "timeout_seconds": 900,
  "request_key": "example-request-key-0001"
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

{
  "error": "<string>",
  "code": "<string>",
  "state": "<string>",
  "unsupported": true,
  "outcome": "unknown",
  "id": "<string>",
  "request_key": "<string>",
  "cleanup_complete": true,
  "balance_cents": 123,
  "session": "<string>",
  "session_limit": 123,
  "active_session_count": 123,
  "available_session_slots": 123
}

Authorizations

Authorization

string

header

required

Phone Harness account API key (pck_…). The dashboard may use a Clerk session JWT with the same header. Never put an account key in a URL.

Headers

Idempotency-Key

string

Same key plus same parsed JSON body reuses the session. Optional but recommended.

Pattern: ^[A-Za-z0-9_-]{16,128}$

Body

application/json

profile_id

string

Your account's profile id, from GET /me. The session then uses your own phone: its apps, logins and screen are saved when the session ends and restored for the next session started with the same profile_id. Only one session at a time may hold it, including the save after a session ends (409 profile_running). Omit for a temporary phone.

timeout_seconds

integer

default:300

Total session lifetime from admission, including provisioning. Omitting it uses 300 seconds. No unlimited mode; must fit a supported absolute timestamp.

Required range: x >= 1

provider

enum<string>

Optional provider selector. Omit it to use the service default. The current production service uses shlut.

Available options:

shlut

Response

Admitted or replayed session.

string

required

Opaque session ID.

state

enum<string>

required

Available options:

provisioning,

ready,

error,

closing

provider

string

required

Provider selected for this session.

device

string | null

required

Display label; not a device connection address.

close_requested

number | null

required

Time closure was requested. Unix time in seconds.

cleanup_pending

boolean

required

cleanup_status

enum<string> | null

required

Available options:

complete,

allocation_uncertain,

pending,

null

billing_mode

enum<string>

required

Available options:

metered,

disabled

phone

string | null

required

Legacy saved-phone ID. Null for a new disposable session.

watch_url

string<uri>

required

Sensitive read-only snapshot link. Not the interactive owner viewer.

screen

object | null

required

Show child attributes

age_s

integer

required

Rounded seconds since creation.

ready_age_s

integer

required

Rounded seconds since readiness, stopped at closure; zero before readiness.

idle_s

integer

required

Rounded seconds since the last activity recorded by the API. Does not extend or replace a selected session deadline.

profile

string | null

The profile id this session holds, or null for a temporary phone.

progress

object

Only while state is provisioning: where the phone is. queued means every boot slot is busy and the phone starts as soon as one frees; booting means the phone is starting. eta_seconds is a typical remaining time from recent boots on this worker, not a promise.

Show child attributes

error

string

Public startup failure, if present.

expires_at

number

Absolute session expiry, including provisioning. Unix time in seconds.

timeout_seconds

integer

Selected finite duration from creation, in seconds.

Required range: x >= 1

startup

object

Optional startup provenance. Presence is not a latency measurement or a guarantee that prepared starts are available.

Show child attributes

request_key

string

Returned in a creation response when an idempotency key was supplied.

adb

object | null

Present once the session is ready and ADB is enabled.

Show child attributes

Get started

Guides

Endpoints

Use cases

Create a session

Authorizations

Headers

Body

Response