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    Remote Debugging Admin Guide

    Table of Contents

    Remote Debugging Admin Guide

    Remote Debugging admin guide
    Where Can I Use This?What Do I Need?
    • See the section Requirements, below)
    This guide enables you to troubleshoot mobile device issues independently using the Remote Debugging feature in Prisma Browser. Remote debugging allows you to inspect network traffic, console logs, device state, and app behavior on iOS and Android devices from your desktop.
    This feature allows you to perform the following tasks:
    • Diagnose issues without escalating to engineering
    • Inspect network traffic and policy enforcement in real-time
    • View console logs and JavaScript errors
    • Check device state (memory, battery, storage)
    • Troubleshoot private app access and routing issues
    Because remote debugging exposes sensitive device details, it must never remain active in production. Restrict its use strictly to designated test groups, and turn it off right after troubleshooting is finished.

    Requirements

    Hardware

    • USB cable (USB-C or Lightning depending on device).
    • Desktop or Laptop computer.
    • iOS or Android mobile device.

    Software

    • Desktop browser: Chrome, Edge, or Safari.
    • Prisma Browser installed on mobile device.
    • For Android: Chrome DevTools or Android Debug Bridge (ADB).
    • For iOS: Xcode or Safari Web Inspector.

    Network Permissions

    • Local network access between desktop and mobile device.
    • USB debugging enabled on mobile device.
    • Mobile device connected to same network as desktop (for wireless debugging).

    Permissions

    • Admin access to Prisma Browser Strata Cloud Manager console.
    • Ability to enable/disable controls for test device groups.
    • Access to target device for physical connection.

    Step 1 Enable Remote Debugging in the Strata Cloud Manager

    1. Log in to Prisma Browser SCM console. scm.paloaltonetworks,com.
    2. Navigate to Policy → Security Directives.
      • Look for Mobile Developer Tools or Remote Debugging control.
    3. Create or edit a rule targeting your test device group.
      • Set Action: Allow.
      • Scope: Select test device group only (never production).
      • Do NOT apply to all devices.
    4. Save and deploy the rule.
      Changes may take 5-10 minutes to propagate to the devices.
    5. Verify on device: Open Prisma Browser settings and confirm Developer Tools is enabled. If it is not visible, wait a few minutes and refresh.
    Best Practices
    • Always target a test device group, never production.
    • Document which devices have remote debugging enabled.
    • Set a reminder to disable after troubleshooting.
    • Inform the device user that debugging is enabled.

    Step 2 Connect Your Device

    Requirements:
    • USB cable (USB-C).
    • Desktop with Chrome browser.
    • USB Debugging enabled on device.
    1. Enable USB Debugging on the Android device.
      • Go to Settings → About Phone.
      • Tap "Build Number" 7 times to enable Developer Options .
      • Go to Settings → Developer Options.
      • Enable "USB Debugging".
    2. Connect device to desktop via USB cable
      Accept any prompts on the device to allow USB debugging.
    3. Open Chrome DevTools on your desktop.
      • Open Chrome browser.
      • Go to chrome://inspect.
      • Enable "Discover USB devices".
    4. Verify device appears in Chrome DevTools.
      You should see your device listed under "Remote Target".
    5. Click "Inspect" next to Prisma Browser.
      DevTools will open showing the mobile browser content.
    6. Chrome DevTools showing Android device with Prisma Browser listed under Remote Target chrome://inspect with USB device connected.
    Chrome DevTools showing Android device with Prisma Browser listed under Remote Target chrome://inspect with USB device connected
    Limitations:
    • USB connection is more stable than wireless.
    • Wireless debugging may have intermittent connection issues.
    • Device must be on same network for wireless debugging.

    iOS

    Requirements:
    • Lightning or USB-C cable.
    • Mac with Safari or Xcode.
    • Web Inspector enabled on device.
    • macOS 10.15 or later.
    1. Enable Web Inspector on iOS device.
      • Go to Settings → Safari → Advanced
      • Enable Web Inspector.
    2. Connect device to Mac via USB cable.
      iOS remote debugging requires a Mac with Xcode or Safari.
    3. Open Safari on your Mac device.
      • Go to Safari → Preferences → Advanced
      • Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
    4. Open Prisma Browser on the iOS device.
      Keep the app in focus.
    5. In Safari, go to Develop → [Device Name] → Prisma Browser.
      Web Inspector will open showing the mobile browser content.
    Limitations:
    • Requires macOS - Windows users cannot debug iOS devices.
    • Must use Safari or Xcode - no Chrome DevTools support.
    • USB connection required - wireless debugging not supported.

    Step 3 Use Remote Debugging

    Once connected, you'll see DevTools with several tabs. The most useful for troubleshooting are:
    • Network - View all HTTP requests and responses
      • Check if traffic is routing through Prisma Access.
      • Verify private app URLs are being intercepted.
      • Inspect request/response headers.
      • Check response times and performance
    • Console - View JavaScript errors and logs.
      • See policy evaluation logs.
      • Check for JavaScript errors.
      • View app state and debug messages.
      • Run JavaScript commands to inspect app state.
    • Application - View storage, cookies, and app state.
      • Check local storage and session storage.
      • View cookies and their values.
      • Inspect IndexedDB data.
      • Check service worker status.
    • Performance - Profile app performance.
      • Identify slow page loads.
      • Check CPU and memory usage.
      • Find performance bottlenecks

    Common Debugging Tasks

    Inspect Network Traffic
    1. Open Network tab in DevTools.
    2. Navigate to the URL you want to debug in Prisma Browser.
    3. Watch requests appear in real-time.
    4. Click on a request to see headers, payload, and response.
    5. Look for "X-Forwarded-For" or "X-Prisma-Access" headers to verify routing.
    Check Console Logs
    1. Open Console tab in DevTools
    2. Perform the action you want to debug in Prisma Browser.
    3. Watch for error messages or policy evaluation logs.
    4. Look for messages like "Policy evaluation: BLOCKED" or "Private app matched"
    5. Copy error messages for escalation if needed
    Check Device State
    1. Open Console tab.
    2. Type: navigator.deviceMemory (shows available memory).
    3. Type: navigator.hardwareConcurrency (shows CPU cores).
    4. Type: navigator.connection.effectiveType (shows network type).
    5. Check Application tab for storage usage.

    Troubleshooting Common Issues

    User can't access private apps
    1. Open Network tab in DevTools.
    2. Try to access the private app URL.
    3. Look for the request in the Network tab.
    4. Check the request headers for routing information.
    Traffic not routing through Prisma Access
    Private app configuration not synced or URL not matching
    1. Verify private app is configured in SCM.
    2. Check that URL pattern matches exactly.
    3. Restart Prisma Browser app.
    4. Wait 5-10 minutes for the synchronization to configure.
    DNS resolution failing
    Device can't resolve internal DNS names
    1. Device can't resolve internal DNS names.
    2. Verify DNS settings in device network config.
    3. Try accessing by IP address instead of hostname.
    Policy not being enforced:
    1. Open Console tab in DevTools.
    2. Look for policy evaluation logs.
    3. Check if rule is matching the URL.
    4. Verify device group assignment.
    Rule not matching
    URL pattern or scope doesn't match
    • Check rule scope includes this device group.
    • Verify URL pattern matches the accessed URL.
    • Check rule priority (higher priority rules override lower).
    Device not in correct group
    Device group assignment hasn't synced
    • Verify device is in the correct group in SCM.
    • Restart Prisma Browser app.
    • Wait 5-10 minutes for group assignment to sync.
    Device posture check failing
    1. Open Console tab in DevTools.
    2. Look for "Posture check failed" messages.
    3. Check which specific check is failing.
    4. Verify device meets requirements.
    Device not MDM enrolled
    Device doesn't meet MDM enrollment requirement
    • Enroll device in MDM (Intune, Workspace ONE, etc.)
    • Wait for enrollment to complete.
    • Restart Prisma Browser app
    OS version too old
    Device OS doesn't meet minimum version requirement
    Device OS doesn't meet minimum version requirement
    • Update device OS to required version.
    • Restart device.
    • Restart Prisma Browser app.
    Device jailbroken/rooted
    Device integrity check detected jailbreak/root
    • Remove jailbreak/root from device.
    • Restore device to factory settings if needed.
    • Restart Prisma Browser app
    App crashes on specific URL
    1. Open Console tab in DevTools.
    2. Navigate to the problematic URL.
    3. Look for JavaScript errors in console.
    4. Check Network tab for failed requests.
    JavaScript error on page
    Website has JavaScript error
    • Check if website works in regular browser.
    • Check browser console for specific error message.
    • Try disabling extensions or policies that might interfere.
    Memory exhaustion
    App running out of memory
    • Close other apps on device.
    • Restart Prisma Browser app.
    • Check device has sufficient free storage.
    Slow performance
    1. Open Network tab in DevTools.
    2. Open Performance tab and record a session.
    3. Look for slow requests or long processing times.
    4. Check device memory and CPU usage.
    Slow network requests
    Network latency or large file transfers
    • Check network connection quality.
    • Look for large file downloads in Network tab.
    • Try accessing from different network.
    High CPU/memory usage
    App or website consuming too many resources
    • Close other apps on device.
    • Restart Prisma Browser app.
    • Check if website is resource-intensive.

    Best Practices

    PracticeDescription
    Always Use Test GroupsNever enable remote debugging for production devices. Always target a dedicated test device group.
    Disable After TroubleshootingRemote debugging exposes sensitive information. Disable immediately after you finish troubleshooting. Set a calendar reminder if needed.
    Document Your FindingsTake screenshots of console logs and network traces. Document what you found and what you changed. This helps with escalation and future troubleshooting.
    Inform the Device UserLet the user know you're enabling remote debugging on their device. Explain that you'll be able to see their browsing activity.
    Check Network Tab FirstMost issues are network-related. Always check the Network tab first to see if traffic is routing correctly.
    Look for Policy LogsPolicy evaluation logs in the Console tab show exactly which rules matched and what action was taken. This is invaluable for debugging policy issues.
    Verify Device ConfigurationBefore troubleshooting, verify the device is in the correct group and has the latest configuration. Restart the app if needed.

    Limitations and Known Issues
    Cannot debug native app functionalityRemote debugging only works for web content. Native app features (camera, microphone, location) cannot be debugged through DevTools.
    iOS limitationsiOS remote debugging requires a Mac with Xcode or Safari. Windows users cannot debug iOS devices.
    Wireless debugging may be unreliableUSB connection is more stable than wireless. Use USB when possible.
    Performance impactRemote debugging may slightly impact app performance. Results may not reflect production performance.
    Configuration sync delayChanges to device group or policy may take 5-10 minutes to sync to the device. Restart the app to force sync.
    Cannot modify app behaviorDevTools is read-only for most operations. You cannot modify app state or bypass policies through DevTools.

    When Should you Escalate to Engineering?

    ConditionAction
    Issue persists after following all troubleshooting stepsCollect console logs, network traces, and device information. Create a support ticket with screenshots.
    Crash or error message you don't recognizeCopy the exact error message. Search internal documentation. If not found, escalate with error details.
    Issue affects multiple devices in same groupThis suggests a policy or configuration issue. Escalate with device group information and policy details.
    Performance issue that affects all usersEscalate with performance metrics and affected user count. This may indicate a backend issue.

    Appendix: Tools Resources

    NameURLDescription
    Android Tools
    Chrome DevToolschrome://inspectBuilt-in browser DevTools for inspecting Android devices
    Android Debug Bridge (ADBhttps://developer.android.com/tools/adbCommand-line tool for advanced Android debugging
    iOS Tools
    Safari Web InspectorBuilt-in tool in Safari for inspecting iOS devices
    Xcodehttps://developer.apple.com/xcodeApple's development environment with debugging tools
    Documentation
    Remote Debugging Specfeatures/active/policy-api/endpoints/browser-security-controls/remoteDebugging-spec.mdTechnical specification for the remote debugging feature
    Mobile Developer Tools Controlfeatures/ideas/mobile-dev-tools-control/metadata.mdFeature metadata and implementation details

    Updates and Feedback

    This is a living document and will be updated as needed.
    If you discover an issue in this guide, have suggestions, discover new troubleshooting techniques, feel free to share your feedback with the engineering team at the address below.
    email: support@paloaltonetworks.com
    slack #prisma-browser-support

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