Appium Concepts : How to Pull Folder Using Appium Built-In method during runtime(Complete Details)

.pullFolder(base64Data)

Get a step-by-step walkthrough in the video below!

Appium Built-In Method : — .pullFolder()

pullFolder() is a method in the Appium client libraries (such as Java, Python, JavaScript) that allows you to retrieve an entire folder from an Android device or emulator and save it locally as a .zip archive.

It is commonly used in automated testing to:

• Collect logs
• Retrieve screenshots or reports
• Verify files generated by the app

Basic Syntax:

.pullFolder(String remotePath)

remotePath: Destination path on the device (e.g., /sdcard/Download/file.txt)

Example: Java (Appium Java Client)

//.pullFolder(String remotepath)
  //Pull sample.zip folder from test device & Saved as "downloaded_sample.zip" in our local machine
  System.out.println("Pull sample.zip folder from test device & Saved as \"downloaded_sample.zip\" in our local machine");
  byte[] pulledZipFolder=driver.pullFolder("/sdcard/download/sample.zip");
  Files.write(Paths.get("downloaded_sample.zip"), pulledZipFolder);
  System.out.println("Folder pulled from the device & Saved as downloaded_sample.zip ");

✅ Key Use Cases

• Download app-generated files for validation
• Collect test artifacts (e.g., screenshots, crash logs)
• Pull media folders, configs, or internal state files for inspection
• Debug app behavior during CI testing

“Complete Code: Optimized and Ready to Use”:

package com.appiumguide.appiumconcepts;

import org.testng.annotations.AfterTest;
import org.testng.annotations.BeforeTest;
import org.testng.annotations.Test;

import io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidDriver;
import io.appium.java_client.android.options.UiAutomator2Options;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.*;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.nio.file.Paths;
import java.time.Duration;

public class PullFolderDemo {
 
 private AndroidDriver driver;
      
 @BeforeTest
 public void setup() throws MalformedURLException {
  UiAutomator2Options cap=new UiAutomator2Options();
  cap.setPlatformName("android");
  cap.setAutomationName("uiautomator2");
  cap.setDeviceName("Pixel8");  
     
  driver = new AndroidDriver(new URL("http://127.0.0.1:4723"), cap);
  driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(Duration.ofSeconds(100));
  
 }
 
 @Test
 public void test() throws InterruptedException, IOException {
  
  //.pullFolder(String remotepath)
  //Pull sample.zip folder from test device & Saved as "downloaded_sample.zip" in our local machine
  System.out.println("Pull sample.zip folder from test device & Saved as \"downloaded_sample.zip\" in our local machine");
  byte[] pulledZipFolder=driver.pullFolder("/sdcard/download/sample.zip");
  Files.write(Paths.get("downloaded_sample.zip"), pulledZipFolder);
  System.out.println("Folder pulled from the device & Saved as downloaded_sample.zip ");

 }
   
  
 @AfterTest
 public void teardown() {
  
  if(driver!=null) {
   driver.quit();
   System.out.println("Test Completed");
  }
  
 }

}

GitHub Link: