Stealth Mode

Stealth mode adds randomization to ADB interactions so automated actions look more like human input. This reduces the risk of bot detection by apps like TikTok and Instagram.

Why Stealth Matters

Standard ADB commands produce perfectly uniform input:

• Taps always land on exact pixel coordinates
• Swipes always take exactly 500ms at constant speed
• Typing appears instantly (entire string in one frame)

Apps can detect these patterns by monitoring input event timing, coordinate precision, and keystroke intervals. Stealth mode introduces noise to match human behavior.

Three Stealth Methods

stealth_tap(x, y)

Adds Gaussian jitter to tap coordinates.

from marketing_system.bots.common.adb import Device
dev = Device()

# Standard tap -- always hits (540, 1200) exactly
dev.tap(540, 1200)

# Stealth tap -- hits near (540, 1200) with Gaussian noise
dev.stealth_tap(540, 1200)

How it works: Both X and Y are offset by random.gauss(0, 8). With sigma=8, 68% of taps land within +/-8px of the target, and 95% within +/-16px.

# Implementation
def stealth_tap(self, x, y, delay=0.6):
    jx = x + random.gauss(0, 8)
    jy = y + random.gauss(0, 8)
    self.tap(int(jx), int(jy), delay=delay)

stealth_swipe(x1, y1, x2, y2)

Adds endpoint jitter and variable swipe speed.

# Standard swipe -- always exactly 500ms
dev.swipe(540, 1400, 540, 800)

# Stealth swipe -- 300-700ms duration, jittered endpoints
dev.stealth_swipe(540, 1400, 540, 800)

How it works:

• Duration randomized from 300-700ms (vs fixed 500ms)
• Start and end coordinates jittered by random.gauss(0, 5) (smaller sigma than taps)

def stealth_swipe(self, x1, y1, x2, y2, ms=None, delay=0.5):
    ms = ms or random.randint(300, 700)
    jx1 = x1 + random.gauss(0, 5)
    jy1 = y1 + random.gauss(0, 5)
    jx2 = x2 + random.gauss(0, 5)
    jy2 = y2 + random.gauss(0, 5)
    self.swipe(int(jx1), int(jy1), int(jx2), int(jy2), ms=ms, delay=delay)

stealth_type(text)

Types each character individually with random delays between keystrokes.

# Standard type -- entire string appears instantly
dev.type_text("hello world")

# Stealth type -- h...e...l...l...o with 50-200ms between each
dev.stealth_type("hello world")

# Custom delay range (slower, more cautious)
dev.stealth_type("important text", delay_range=(0.1, 0.4))

How it works: Each character is sent via adb shell input text <char> with a random.uniform(0.05, 0.2) second pause between characters.

Additional Stealth Behaviors

Beyond the three explicit stealth methods, the system applies randomization in other places:

Component	Randomization
Outreach bot	Random delay between DMs: uniform(45, 75) seconds
Engage bot	Randomized watch times (3-15s per video), jittered tap coordinates
Upload bot	Strips non-ASCII text to avoid IME detection patterns
All bots	Variable time.sleep() delays between actions

Using Stealth in Your Code

Replace standard Device methods with their stealth counterparts:

from marketing_system.bots.common.adb import Device
dev = Device()

# Before (detectable):
dev.tap(540, 1200)
dev.swipe(540, 1400, 540, 800)
dev.type_text("hello")

# After (stealthy):
dev.stealth_tap(540, 1200)
dev.stealth_swipe(540, 1400, 540, 800)
dev.stealth_type("hello")

Daily Limits

To reduce the risk of account flagging, implement daily limits for all automated actions:

# Outreach: limit to 15-20 DMs per day per account
python3 -m marketing_system.bots.tiktok.outreach --limit 15 --delay 60

# Engagement: limit to 30-60 minutes per session
python3 -m marketing_system.bots.tiktok.engage --duration 1800

# Crawling: limit scroll passes to avoid rate limits
python3 -m marketing_system.bots.tiktok.scraper "#Cat" --passes 5

Detection Vectors

Vector	Status	Risk Level
Coordinate precision (pixel-perfect taps)	Mitigated by stealth_tap jitter	Low
Uniform tap timing	Not fully addressed (delay param is fixed per call)	Medium
Linear swipe paths (no curve)	Endpoints jittered, but path is still linear	High
IME switching (ADBKeyboard)	Mitigated by quick switch-back to Gboard	Medium
Settings.Secure.DEFAULT_INPUT_METHOD readable by apps	Known risk, deferred	Medium
USB debugging enabled	Not addressable via software	Low
input command visible in process list	Not addressable via software	Low

Best Practices

1. Use stealth methods for all production automation — never use raw tap/swipe/type_text on live accounts
2. Vary session duration — don’t run for exactly the same time every day
3. Randomize scheduling — stagger job start times by +/-15 minutes
4. Warm up accounts — run engagement sessions before starting outreach
5. Monitor account health — check for shadowban indicators regularly
6. One account per device — don’t switch accounts rapidly on the same phone

Related

• Phone Farm — multi-device setup for spreading load
• Scheduler — schedule jobs with randomized timing
• ADB Device — all 47+ Device methods