Simulate Device Input with inputd-cli
The inputd-cli is a command-line tool that enables you to programmatically interact with Fire TV devices through simulated user input and system controls. This tool is essential for automated testing, device debugging, and development workflows where you need to control device behavior without physical interaction.
Key capabilities
- Input simulation - Sends button presses, touch events, swipes, and mouse interactions
- Text input - Injects text strings directly into the device
- Screen interaction - Retrieves screen dimensions and performs gesture-based navigation
- Automation support - Provides console mode for scripting and batch operations
Prerequisites
-
Establish VDA connection through USB or TCP/IP.
See instructions in Enable VDA Over TCP/IP page.
-
Obtain appropriate security permissions for your access level.
Different security contexts provide varying levels of access to
inputd-clifunctionality. Check your current permissions to understand which commands are available in your environment.Security context Get information Input automation app_user Yes No Dev mode shell Yes Yes -
Enable developer mode on Fire TV device (recommended).
See instructions in Configure Developer Mode page.
Access through VDA shell
The tool comes built into the Fire TV device system and requires no separate installation. You can access inputd-cli through the VDA shell environment:
vda shell inputd-cli --help
Example:
vda shell inputd-cli -h
inputd cli
Usage:
inputd-cli start
inputd-cli button_press <key> ([short|long|superLong|repeat]|--holdDuration <duration>)
inputd-cli touch <x> <y> [<x2>] [<y2>] [<x3>] [<y3>] [<x4>] [<y4>]
inputd-cli swipe <x_start> <y_start> <x_end> <y_end> [<x_start2>] [<y_start2>] [<x_end2>] [<y_end2>] [<x_start3>] [<y_start3>] [<x_end3>] [<y_end3>] [<x_start4>] [<y_start4>] [<x_end4>] [<y_end4>] [--interval <time-interval>] [--delay-release]
inputd-cli gesture_swipe_down <x> <y> [--distance <px-distance>]
inputd-cli gesture_swipe_up <x> <y> [--distance <px-distance>]
inputd-cli gesture_swipe_left <x> <y> [--distance <px-distance>]
inputd-cli gesture_swipe_right <x> <y> [--distance <px-distance>]
inputd-cli mouse_move <x> <y>
inputd-cli mouse_click <x> <y> [<button>]
inputd-cli mouse_button_press [<button>]
inputd-cli get_camera_cover_state [--deprecated]
inputd-cli get_camera_cover_open_close
inputd-cli get_mic_state
inputd-cli get_client_list
inputd-cli send_text <text> [--interval <time-interval>]
inputd-cli get_screen_size
Options:
-h --help Show usage
--version Show version
--interval <time-interval> Time interval between each movement, in unit microsecond [default: 20000 for swipe, 100 for send_text]
--delay-release Delay release of the swipe gesture for predictable scroll distance
--distance <px-distance> The distance to travel for the movement, in pixels [default: 130]
--holdDuration <duration> The duration between button down and up, in milliseconds
<button> The mouse button to press [default: "BTN_LEFT"]
Key code reference
You can find the list of key codes at linux-event-codes.h.
To send a back key press:
vda shell inputd-cli button_press KEY_BACK
Common navigation keys: KEY_DOWN, KEY_UP, KEY_ENTER, KEY_LEFT, KEY_RIGHT.
To send text input:
vda shell inputd-cli send_text 'hello\ world\!'
Change privacy state
To control camera and microphone privacy settings on your Fire TV device at a software level, use:
vda shell inputd-cli set_mic_state disabled
inputd-cli can enable hardware privacy mode but can't disable it. If your automation disables the microphone at hardware level, you must manually re-enable it on the device.Use console mode
To establish a persistent connection for multiple commands without reconnecting each time, use:
vda shell inputd-cli start
// Output
Welcome to the Inputd command line!
Type 'h' or any valid command to continue.
inputd-cli >
Example usage:
inputd-cli > h
inputd cli
Usage:
button_press <key> ([short|long|superLong|repeat]|holdDuration <duration>)
button_hold <key>
button_release <key>
touch <x> <y>
touch_hold <x> <y>
touch_release
swipe <x1> <y1> <x2> <y2> [interval <time-interval>]
gesture_swipe_down <x> <y> [distance <px-distance>]
gesture_swipe_up <x> <y> [distance <px-distance>]
gesture_swipe_left <x> <y> [distance <px-distance>]
gesture_swipe_right <x> <y> [distance <px-distance>]
mouse_move <x> <y>
mouse_click <x> <y> [<button>]
mouse_button_press [<button>]
mouse_button_hold [<button>]
mouse_button_release [<button>]
get_camera_cover_state
get_mic_state
set_priority <value>
set_permission_level <value>
get_client_list
send_text <text>
get_screen_size
Options:
h, help prints usage information
v, version prints version information
x, exit an alternative to Ctrl + C
interval <time-interval> Time interval between each movement, in unit microsecond [default: 20000]
distance <px-distance> The distance to travel for the movement, in pixels [default: 130]
holdDuration <duration> The duration between button down and up, in milliseconds
<button> The mouse button to press [default: "BTN_LEFT"]
Automate input with scripts
To avoid creating multiple client connections, chain commands together. For example, to hold and repeat button presses, use:
vda shell "{ echo -e "button_hold KEY_LEFT"; sleep 0.5; for i in {1..30}; do echo -e "button_press KEY_DOWN"; sleep 0.5; done; echo -e "button_release KEY_LEFT"; echo exit; } | inputd-cli start"
This example holds the Left button, presses the Down button 30 times every 0.5 seconds (15 seconds total), then releases the Left button and exits.
Press multiple buttons simultaneously
To simulate pressing multiple buttons at the same time, hold them, wait, then release. For example:
vda shell "{ echo -e "button_hold KEY_BACK"; echo -e "button_hold KEY_MENU"; sleep 3; echo -e "button_release KEY_BACK"; echo -e "button_release KEY_MENU"; echo exit; } | inputd-cli start"
This holds the Back and Menu buttons for 3 seconds, then releases both buttons and exits.
Related topics
Last updated: Sep 30, 2025
