How to setup Android Lollipop emulator with Charles Proxy?

Question

I've been following instructions from other questions such as How to configure SSL certificates with Charles Web Proxy and the latest Android Emulator on Windows? (I'm on a MAC though) and SSL Proxy/Charles and Android trouble and I'm able to use Charles Proxy to analyze the packets of Android emulators all the way up to Kitkat.

Now I'm trying to do the same for Lollipop emulators. However, when I repeated the same steps I used to successfully setup the Kitkat emulators, Charles show nothing! When I try to connect to the web using the emulator's browser, it gives the following error:

Are there any special steps required for the Android Lollipop emulator on Mac OS X in order to enable packet sniffng?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I had the same, and finally find a way out: Follow the instruction in the link you mentioned: How to configure SSL certificates with Charles Web Proxy and the latest Android Emulator on Windows?

Then from charles I went into the 'Proxy' menu and enabled 'Mac OS X proxy'. Than suddenly stuff came through. Even after I switched off the 'Mac OS X proxy'...

ps: setting the proxy through the mobile settings on the emulator did not work; proxy setting has to be done through the command-line (The emulator command in in the sdk/tools and should be run something like : ./emulator -avd Nexus_4_API_21 -http-proxy http://<your-ip-as-in-charles-help-menu>:8888). I've also tried some proxy-apps like the proximator without any succes. Also I've have problems and restarting charles fixed it.

Answer 2

If you don't want to faff around with command line you can do this from the emulator, it requires a bit more setup but works nicely:

1. Open Settings > More > Cellular Networks > Access Point Names

2. Select the main APN and enter the proxy as 10.0.2.2:8888 (Points to your machine localhost) You can use another IP on the network if you are doing it with an actual device or it's on a local device farm.

3. Go to charlesproxy.com/getssl on Chrome

4. The SSL certificate will download

5. When opening it will ask you to set up a pin or confirm it if you already have it set up

6. Name the certificate

7. Enjoy proxying (you have to enable SSL proxying for your domain on Charles in order to see the requests)

Note: I've tested this with an API 24 emulator and seems to work, however it should work with other versions.

Note 2: As of Android Studio 3.0 Charles will be no longer needed when using API > 21 for the most part since this is coming: https://developer.android.com/studio/profile/network-profiler.html