diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index dd86e61f..19d5af0b 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -106,16 +106,90 @@ Three product flavours — **github**, **fdroid**, **play** — differ only in t
 update-check API; **github** is the normal local dev flavour. Debug builds install
 side-by-side (`applicationIdSuffix ".test"`).
 
-**Connected-device testing:** Always build and install the **github debug**
-variant. Update the existing installation in place with `adb install -r` so its
-app data, preferences, VPN consent, and test state are preserved. Do not uninstall
-the app or run `pm clear` unless the user explicitly requests a clean install.
+**Connected-device testing:** build and install the **fdroid debug** variant,
+which installs as `net.kollnig.missioncontrol.fdroid.test`.
 
 ```bash
-./gradlew assembleGithubDebug
-adb install -r app/build/outputs/apk/github/debug/TrackerControl-githubDebug-latest.apk
+./gradlew assembleFdroidDebug
+adb install -r app/build/outputs/apk/fdroid/debug/TrackerControl-fdroidDebug-latest.apk
+```
+
+Not github debug: that installs as `net.kollnig.missioncontrol.test`, which is
+also what a maintainer's own day-to-day dev build installs as. Testing against it
+overwrites their real preferences, and enabling its VPN takes the consent slot
+from whatever they were running. The flavours differ only in the update-check
+API, so nothing is lost by using fdroid for device work. (Working on the
+update-check itself is the exception — that needs github, and needs asking
+first.)
+
+**Never destroy state without asking.** `adb uninstall`, `pm clear`, overwriting
+a preferences file, revoking a permission — every one of these is irreversible
+and the device usually belongs to someone who has real configuration on it. Ask
+first, naming the package and what will be lost, and wait for a yes. This applies
+even when the target looks like a throwaway you installed yourself: it is one
+mistaken package name away from wiping the real install. Update in place with
+`adb install -r`, which preserves app data, preferences, VPN consent, and test
+state, and for cleanup reset only the specific state your test touched.
+
+One more side effect worth announcing before you trigger it: enabling the VPN
+calls `VpnService.prepare()`, which **revokes whatever VPN app currently holds
+consent** — the maintainer's own build, or their real VPN. It will need
+re-enabling afterwards.
+
+### Driving the app without permission popups
+
+Onboarding, the VPN consent dialog and the runtime permission prompts can all be
+pre-satisfied from adb, so an agent never has to tap through them.
+
+```bash
+PKG=net.kollnig.missioncontrol.fdroid.test
+
+# 1. Runtime permissions. -g grants everything the manifest declares, so revoke
+#    whichever one you are actually testing (checkSelfPermission would lie).
+adb install -r -g app/build/outputs/apk/fdroid/debug/TrackerControl-fdroidDebug-latest.apk
+adb shell pm revoke $PKG android.permission.ACCESS_LOCAL_NETWORK
+
+# 2. VPN consent. Makes VpnService.prepare() return null, which skips BOTH the
+#    system ConfirmDialog and TrackerControl's own explainer before it.
+adb shell appops set $PKG ACTIVATE_VPN allow
+
+# 3. Onboarding. ActivityMain checks onboarding_version against
+#    ActivityOnboarding.ONBOARDING_VERSION; seeding it lands you on the main
+#    screen. This works before the first launch — run-as can create the file.
+cat > /tmp/seed.xml <<'XML'
+<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?>
+<map>
+    <int name="onboarding_version" value="2" />
+</map>
+XML
+adb push /tmp/seed.xml /data/local/tmp/seed.xml
+adb shell "run-as $PKG sh -c 'mkdir -p shared_prefs && cat /data/local/tmp/seed.xml > shared_prefs/${PKG}_preferences.xml'"
+
+adb shell monkey -p $PKG -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1
 ```
 
+(Push through `/data/local/tmp` rather than piping a heredoc into `adb shell` —
+quoting survives the round trip intact.)
+
+The VPN switch is at roughly `input tap 108 216` on a 1080×2400 screen; from
+there the tunnel comes up with no dialogs at all. Verify with
+`adb shell dumpsys connectivity | grep -o "VPN:net.kollnig[a-z.]*"`.
+
+Preferences, once seeded:
+
+- **Force-stop before editing.** A running process holds prefs in memory and
+  will overwrite your file on exit: `adb shell am force-stop $PKG` first.
+- **Merge, never replace.** Rewriting the whole file drops `onboarding_version`
+  and drops you back into onboarding. Append inside `</map>` with `sed`, or read
+  the file, edit, and write it back whole.
+- **`adb uninstall` and `pm clear` wipe all of the above** — the seeded prefs,
+  the appop, and the granted permissions — which is a second reason not to reach
+  for them, on top of needing to ask first.
+
+To check a notification, read it with
+`adb shell dumpsys notification --noredact | grep -A6 '<your title>'` rather than
+screenshotting the shade, which captures the user's private notifications.
+
 ```bash
 # From the repo root. Use ./gradlew (the wrapper).