Google Maps UI Test Automation with Maestro - Full YAML Tutorial

Let's automate a simple yet robust UI test using Maestro: open-source framework for effortless mobile and web automation.

0. Setup: Install Maestro CLI

First, you’ll need Maestro CLI installed:

curl -fsSL https://get.maestro.mobile.dev | bash

Check the installation by running:

maestro --version

For specific versions or advanced setups, see installation docs.

1. Launch the App (with clearState)

Using clearState ensures the app starts without previous data (shared preferences, databases, accounts, etc.). Think of it as a fresh install every time.

- launchApp:
    clearState: true

📘 clearState Docs: https://docs.maestro.dev/api-reference/commands/clearstate

2. Taps: Simple and Powerful

Tap any element by its text or ID easily:

- tapOn: Skip
- tapOn: Search here
- tapOn: San Francisco

Advanced tap actions include:

• Repeated taps: Specify repetition and delays.
• Coordinates: Tap by percentage (50%,50%) or pixel positions (100,200).
• Long press: Simply use longPressOn instead of tapOn.

For a comprehensive guide, see the TapOn documentation: https://docs.maestro.dev/api-reference/commands/tapon

3. Typing: Input Text with Ease

Maestro inputs text into fields automatically, even if they aren't initially focused:

- inputText: san francisco

You can also generate random inputs, like emails, names, or numbers, for varied test scenarios.

📘 inputText Documentation: https://docs.maestro.dev/api-reference/commands/inputtext

4. Swipe Precisely

Swipe actions are straightforward. In our test, we swipe upwards from a specific element (header) to reveal more content:

- swipe:
    from:
      id: 'com.google.android.apps.maps:id/header'
    direction: UP

Specify swipes by direction (UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT) or exact coordinates.

📘 Swipe Documentation: https://docs.maestro.dev/api-reference/commands/swipe

5. Scroll Until Element Visible

Maestro scrolls automatically until the specified element is visible—very handy for dynamic lists:

- scrollUntilVisible:
    element: See all
    direction: RIGHT
    speed: 90

You can also set scrolling direction, speed, and timeout duration.

📘 scrollUntilVisible Documentation: https://docs.maestro.dev/api-reference/commands/scrolluntilvisible

6. Validate with Regex

Regex assertions ensure dynamic content like timestamps (e.g., 3:15) are correctly displayed:

- assertVisible: '[0-9]+:[0-9][0-9]'

Regex provides powerful and flexible validations for text-based elements.

✅ Complete YAML Flow

Here's the entire YAML test reflecting our scenario:

appId: com.google.android.apps.maps

- launchApp:
    clearState: true

- tapOn: Skip
- tapOn: Search here
- inputText: san francisco
- tapOn: San Francisco

- swipe:
    from:
      id: 'com.google.android.apps.maps:id/header'
    direction: UP

- scrollUntilVisible:
    element: See all
    direction: RIGHT
    speed: 90

- tapOn: See all
- tapOn: Videos

- assertVisible: '[0-9]+:[0-9][0-9]'

🧪 Running the Test

Simply execute:

maestro test google-maps.yaml

The CLI provides real-time feedback with a green checkmark (✅) for each successful step.

Why Maestro?

✅ Declarative & readable YAML

✅ Cross-platform (Android, iOS, Web)

✅ Quick and reliable tests

✅ Fully open source (Apache-2.0)