Which AI sandbox does your agent need?
An AI sandbox is a disposable place where an agent can act without touching your machine: a code sandbox for commands and files, a browser sandbox for web pages, or a mobile sandbox for phone apps. Mobilebox is the mobile one.
Android is self-serve. iPhone and real devices are set up on an onboarding call.
What each one is for
They solve different problems, so agents often use more than one.
Code sandbox
- Runs scripts, tests and builds
- A Linux shell and a file system
- For example E2B or Daytona
Browser sandbox
- Opens and fills in web pages
- A headless browser with its own cookies
- For example Browserbase
Mobile sandbox
- Uses phone apps: your own, or ones you install
- The screen as numbered elements
- Mobilebox: Android self-serve, iPhone on a call
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- 1
Can an API do it?
Then skip the sandbox and call the API.
- 2
Is it on the web?
A browser sandbox is lighter than a phone.
- 3
Is it a phone app?
Your agent needs a phone: a mobile sandbox, or a phone agent for apps you use.
Questions
AI sandboxes, and where phones fit.
What is an AI sandbox?
An isolated, disposable environment where an AI agent runs code, a browser or a phone app. Whatever the agent does stays inside it, and you reset or delete it afterwards.
Is there an E2B for Android?
Mobilebox works the same way for phones: your agent creates an Android phone with one API call, works in it, then parks or deletes it. It's billed per phone-minute, and a parked phone keeps its apps and logins for free.
Can a code sandbox run a phone app?
Not in practice. Running an Android emulator inside a code sandbox needs hardware acceleration most sandboxes don't expose, which is why it stalls in CI. See running an APK without KVM.
My coding agent builds a mobile app. Which sandbox does it need?
Two: a code sandbox or your own machine to build the app, and a mobile sandbox to install and test it. See testing an Android app with Claude Code.
Which agents can use a Mobilebox phone?
Any MCP client, such as Claude Code, Cursor or Codex, through the hosted MCP server. Your own agent loop can use the REST API. See the quickstart.
Read more
Android, E2B, Browserbase: which sandbox fits?
Compare execution surfaces and state, rather than treating every agent sandbox as interchangeable.
Fresh install, app restart, park or delete? Choose the right reset.
Distinguish process state, saved app data, installed packages and remote records before resetting or retaining an Android sandbox.