Where Are Android Crash Logs Stored?
Android writes native crashes to /data/tombstones and ANR traces to /data/anr, both via tombstoned.
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Android's tombstoned daemon sorts crashes into two directories. Native crashes become tombstone_ files in /data/tombstones (world-readable, capped near 32). App-not-responding traces become trace_ files in /data/anr (capped near 64). Java stack traces also flow through the same daemon.
Both paths need elevated access, which surprises desktop developers used to user-readable logs. adb root on engineering builds, a full bugreport on production devices, or the Play Console for shipped apps. The logcat crash buffer shows the same events live if you catch the crash in the act.
Where Android stores this, by platform
/data/tombstones
Native tombstone_ files plus ANR trace_ files, written by tombstoned with rotation caps. Root or bugreport required; Play Console covers release builds.
Frequently asked questions
How do I pull tombstones off a device?
Use adb root, list the directory, and pull files. Tombstones cap around 32 entries and ANRs around 64, so grab them promptly; the daemon rotates the oldest away without ceremony.
My app crashes but I cannot access those folders. Now what?
For development, read logcat's crash buffer or the Play Console's vitals for release builds. On-device files need root or a bugreport, which is why store builds surface crashes through the console instead.
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