Significant interaction latency when using Android device via TestComplete (Appium)

I am currently setting up and using TestComplete for Android mobile testing via Appium (cloud‑compatible approach), and I would like to share feedback regarding the interaction latency when controlling a physical Android tablet from TestComplete.

First of all, I would like to clarify that I understand and acknowledge that a certain level of latency is normal and expected when using TestComplete with Appium.
According to your documentation, this approach relies on Appium and UIAutomator2, and the device screen is updated through screenshots rather than real‑time video streaming, which naturally impacts responsiveness.

That said, in practice, the latency I am observing is significantly higher than expected and impacts usability even for basic exploratory actions.

Concrete example

• Manual execution directly on the tablet: ~40 seconds
• Same actions performed through TestComplete (viewer + interactions): ~3 minutes 30 seconds

This includes only simple interactions (tap, navigation, text input), without any complex gestures or multi‑touch actions.

Environment details

• TestComplete (Mobile Testing module)
• Android physical tablet (USB‑connected)
• Appium 2.x with UiAutomator2
• Local Appium server (--base-path /wd/hub)
• Windows workstation

I understand that TestComplete is primarily designed for automation execution rather than real‑time manual control, and that some lag is unavoidable. However, the difference in execution time (over 5× slower) raises a few questions:

• Is this level of latency considered within normal expectations for TestComplete + Appium?
• Are there recommended settings or optimizations (on the TestComplete, Appium, or Android side) to reduce interaction latency?
• Are there known limitations or performance thresholds documented for interactive use of mobile devices via TestComplete?

My goal is not to use TestComplete as a real‑time remote control, but rather to understand:

• what level of latency is considered acceptable,
• and whether there are best practices to improve the experience during test recording and investigation.

Thank you in advance for your guidance and for any clarification you can provide.