diff --git a/docs/evidence/android-smoke-helper-preflight-2026-10-19.md b/docs/evidence/android-smoke-helper-preflight-2026-10-19.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..03446b4b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/evidence/android-smoke-helper-preflight-2026-10-19.md
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# Android smoke helper preparation
+
+## Failure boundary
+
+PR #3824 failed at `14f32fb218ac9e5608012bf6a5805652dc61f7fc` in [Android run 39287002936](https://github.com/callstack/agent-device/actions/runs/39287002936/job/118176526423).
+The first `wait text "Automation lab" 10000` completed no readable capture.
+The request log records 2314ms for helper installation, 5162ms for the persistent-session attempt, and 2958ms for the one-shot fallback.
+The persistent attempt reports a UiAutomation connection timeout.
+The outer wait deadline cancels the fallback.
+An [earlier main run](https://github.com/callstack/agent-device/actions/runs/39025922562) has the same assertion and diagnostic.
+The logs are under the artifact's hidden `.agent-device` directory.
+
+The scenario now requires a successful helper-backed snapshot before its landmark wait.
+The preflight pays the existing snapshot command's setup cost.
+The landmark keeps its 10000ms deadline.
+A failed preflight fails the scenario.
+No wait retry, new timeout, or production fallback is added.
+This change does not repair Android framework UiAutomation initialization.
+
+## Local evidence
+
+The base is `f8eddcbda35b4b1ee4e28de963925c77d77eab56`.
+The device is the owned `pr3831-cold-capture`, serial `emulator-5562`, Android 16, arm64.
+The release fixture uses the cached native fingerprint `22184ce7fc5743fac60a0b5e673374310cea6154` with current JavaScript repacked through the CI script.
+The helper is built from source at version `0.21.29-dev`.
+The hosted lane uses Linux and x86_64.
+Local success does not establish hosted success.
+
+The full smoke command passes all seven scenario groups in 73109ms, with one passed Node test and no failures or skips.
+The command is:
+
+```sh
+AGENT_DEVICE_ANDROID_E2E=1 AGENT_DEVICE_ANDROID_E2E_TIER=smoke \
+AGENT_DEVICE_ANDROID_SERIAL=emulator-5562 \
+AGENT_DEVICE_FIXTURE_APP_PATH=<repacked-release-apk> \
+AGENT_DEVICE_FIXTURE_APP_ID=com.callstack.agentdevicelab \
+node --experimental-strip-types scripts/node-test-tmpdir.ts \
+  --test test/integration/smoke-android-emulator.test.ts
+```
+
+An isolated ADB wrapper delays helper installation by 10200ms.
+The original open/wait sequence fails with `wait_capture_stalled`, zero readable captures, and a 10125ms wait command.
+The same cold setup with the scenario preflight passes: the snapshot takes 11589ms and the subsequent landmark wait takes 219ms.
+This experiment proves the preparation boundary under injected host latency.
+It does not reproduce the framework connection failure itself.
+A missing landmark still fails its original wait.
+An unavailable helper still fails the preflight before the landmark wait.
+The focused coverage and harness checks pass 25 tests.
+
+Raw logs, the injection wrapper, and commands are retained under `/private/tmp/pr3831-injection`.
+The normal smoke log is `/private/tmp/pr3831-live-smoke.log`.
+
+## Relevant upstream rebase
+
+The branch was rebased onto `507ef2376621d78aa76cf531bedc5abdf30e7a5a` after #3811 and #3815 merged.
+The range-diff preserves the harness patch.
+Source `f7feeb9a72026700a71107ff63a3331a022750bb` was rebuilt with fresh native helpers.
+Its first full smoke reached keyboard status, then failed with ADB exit 255.
+The failure device evidence explicitly records `adb: device offline`.
+After a direct keyboard query confirmed transport recovery, one unchanged repeat passed all seven groups in 42320ms.
+The failed and recovered runs are both retained.
+This does not establish hosted x86_64 success.
diff --git a/test/integration/android-emulator-e2e/scenario-start.ts b/test/integration/android-emulator-e2e/scenario-start.ts
index 964c138946..ce0cd79876 100644
--- a/test/integration/android-emulator-e2e/scenario-start.ts
+++ b/test/integration/android-emulator-e2e/scenario-start.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { assertWaitText } from './live-assertions.ts';
 import { type LiveContext, runStep } from './live-harness.ts';
 
@@ -23,5 +24,7 @@ export async function prepareAndroidEmulatorScenario(
     ...(start.ime === 'system' ? ['--no-test-ime'] : []),
     start.url,
   ]);
+  const preflight = await runStep(context, 'preflight Android snapshot helper', ['snapshot', '-i']);
+  assert.equal(preflight.json?.data?.androidSnapshot?.backend, 'android-helper');
   await assertWaitText(context, start.landmark);
 }