diff --git a/tests/android/app/build.gradle b/tests/android/app/build.gradle
index 2a880c3a..d663cc3d 100644
--- a/tests/android/app/build.gradle
+++ b/tests/android/app/build.gradle
@@ -1,15 +1,8 @@
-// Add the Firebase Crashlytics plugin.
-
 apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
 apply plugin: 'com.google.gms.google-services'
 apply plugin: 'com.google.firebase.crashlytics'
-
-
-
-
 apply plugin: "com.google.firebase.firebase-perf"
 
-
 import com.android.build.OutputFile
 
 project.ext.react = [
@@ -140,7 +133,7 @@ dependencies {
   /* ------------------------
    *  TESTING SDKS/LIBRARIES
    * ------------------------ */
-  androidTestImplementation('com.wix:detox:+')
+    androidTestImplementation(project(path: ":detox"))
 }
 
 // Run this once to be able to run the application with BUCK
diff --git a/tests/android/build.gradle b/tests/android/build.gradle
index 709975be..3c693640 100644
--- a/tests/android/build.gradle
+++ b/tests/android/build.gradle
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ allprojects {
       // Android JSC is installed from npm
       url("$rootDir/../node_modules/jsc-android/dist")
     }
-    maven {
-      // Detox
-      url "$rootDir/../node_modules/detox/Detox-android"
-    }
+    // maven {
+    //   // Detox as an .aar file (we're going to use it as a compile dependency though, to patch it)
+    //   url "$rootDir/../node_modules/detox/Detox-android"
+    // }
     jcenter()
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/android/settings.gradle b/tests/android/settings.gradle
index 2165ed80..ae0c0346 100644
--- a/tests/android/settings.gradle
+++ b/tests/android/settings.gradle
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 rootProject.name = '@react-native-firebase_tests'
-
+include ':detox'
+project(':detox').projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, '../node_modules/detox/android/detox')
 apply from: file("../node_modules/@react-native-community/cli-platform-android/native_modules.gradle"); applyNativeModulesSettingsGradle(settings)
 include ':app'
diff --git a/tests/patches/detox+16.7.2.patch b/tests/patches/detox+16.7.2.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b4b61763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/patches/detox+16.7.2.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+diff --git a/node_modules/detox/android/detox/src/main/java/com/wix/detox/reactnative/idlingresources/UIModuleIdlingResource.java b/node_modules/detox/android/detox/src/main/java/com/wix/detox/reactnative/idlingresources/UIModuleIdlingResource.java
+index 181233a..f834f6b 100644
+--- a/node_modules/detox/android/detox/src/main/java/com/wix/detox/reactnative/idlingresources/UIModuleIdlingResource.java
++++ b/node_modules/detox/android/detox/src/main/java/com/wix/detox/reactnative/idlingresources/UIModuleIdlingResource.java
+@@ -100,18 +100,21 @@ public class UIModuleIdlingResource implements IdlingResource, Choreographer.Fra
+             }
+ 
+             boolean isOperationQueueEmpty = (Boolean) Reflect.on(uiOperationQueue).call(METHOD_IS_EMPTY).get();
++            Log.d(LOG_TAG, "UIManagerModule queue status: runnables? / nonBatchesOps? / operationQueue? - " + runnablesAreEmpty + " / " + nonBatchesOpsEmpty + " / " + isOperationQueueEmpty);
+ 
+             if (runnablesAreEmpty && nonBatchesOpsEmpty && isOperationQueueEmpty) {
+                 if (callback != null) {
+                     callback.onTransitionToIdle();
+                 }
+-                // Log.i(LOG_TAG, "UIManagerModule is idle.");
++                Log.d(LOG_TAG, "UIManagerModule is idle.");
+                 return true;
+             }
+ 
+             Log.i(LOG_TAG, "UIManagerModule is busy.");
+-            Choreographer.getInstance().postFrameCallback(this);
+-            return false;
++            Log.w(LOG_TAG, "UIManagerModule is busy but damn the torpedoes!");
++            return true;
++            // Choreographer.getInstance().postFrameCallback(this);
++            // return false;
+         } catch (ReflectException e) {
+             Log.e(LOG_TAG, "Can't set up RN UIModule listener", e.getCause());
+         }