The Tool Desk
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ADB is included in Android SDK Platform-Tools. The latest listed Canary release is 37.0.1 (July 2026); the latest non-Canary release is 37.0.0 (February 2026). For a stable package, use the latest non-Canary release.
This cheat sheet covers useful ADB commands, device selection, Android-version differences, quoting, and common connection issues.
What ADB is and where it is installed
ADB has three parts:
- ADB client: the command run on Windows, macOS, or Linux.
- ADB server: a background process on the computer that listens on local TCP port 5037.
- adbd: the daemon running on the Android device.
The executable is in android_sdk/platform-tools/adb. The old <SDK>/tools/adb location is obsolete; the location changed to platform-tools in SDK Tools revision 8. Android SDK Command-Line Tools are separate and live under android_sdk/cmdline-tools/version/bin/; installing them does not install ADB.
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Install ADB
Android Studio
- Open Android Studio.
- Go to Tools > SDK Manager.
- Open the SDK Tools tab.
- Select Android SDK Platform-Tools.
- Click Apply or OK.
Standalone download
Download the Platform-Tools archive for your operating system from the Android developer site. The download buttons are labeled Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows, Download SDK Platform-Tools for Mac, and Download SDK Platform-Tools for Linux. Extract the archive, then run ADB from that directory or add it to your command search path.
Put ADB on the PATH
Android recommends using ANDROID_HOME for the SDK location and adding its platform-tools directory to PATH. Find the SDK path in Android Studio under File > Settings > Languages & Frameworks > Android SDK on Windows/Linux, or Android Studio > Settings > Languages & Frameworks > Android SDK on macOS.
For macOS/Linux, set the SDK path and update PATH in your shell configuration. Example paths include $HOME/Library/Android/sdk on macOS and $HOME/Android/Sdk on Linux; add platform-tools to PATH. On Windows, add the Platform-Tools directory, such as C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools, to the User or System Path environment variable, then open a new terminal.
Check the installation with adb version. Run adb –help to see the command list supported by your installed binary.
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Enable Developer options
On Android 4.2/API 17 and later, Developer options is hidden by default:
- Open the device’s Settings app.
- Find Build number.
- Tap Build number seven times.
- Authenticate if requested. Android displays You are now a developer!
- Return to the previous Settings screen. Developer options should appear near the bottom.
Common Build number locations are:
| Device | Menu path |
|---|---|
| Google Pixel | Settings > About phone > Build number |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 and later | Settings > About phone > Software information > Build number |
| OnePlus 5T and later | Settings > About phone > Build number |
| Pixel Watch | Settings > System > About > Versions > Build number |
Manufacturers can change these names and locations.
Enable USB debugging
| Android version | Menu path |
|---|---|
| Android 9/API 28 and newer | Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options > USB debugging |
| Android 8.0/API 26 and 8.1/API 27 | Settings > System > Developer Options > USB debugging |
| Android 7.1/API 25 and older | Settings > Developer Options > USB debugging |
| Wear OS 6/API 36 and newer | Settings > Developer options > ADB debugging |
Connect the unlocked device with a data-capable USB cable. Android 4.2.2/API 17 and later displays an RSA authorization dialog. Tap Allow; ADB commands will not work until you accept it.
Basic ADB syntax and device targeting
The general form is adb [-d | -e | -s serial_number] command.
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| Option | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -d | Target the only connected physical device | adb -d shell |
| -e | Target the only connected emulator | adb -e install app.apk |
| -s serial | Target a specific serial number | adb -s R58M1234567 shell |
Run adb devices or adb devices -l to list serial numbers and connection states. A device shown as device is connected to ADB; Android may not have finished booting. A device can show unauthorized if its RSA prompt has not been accepted.
When multiple devices are connected and no selector is supplied, ADB reports adb: more than one device/emulator. For repeated commands, set ANDROID_SERIAL to the serial number in your shell. The -s option takes precedence.
ADB server commands
Use adb start-server to start the server, adb kill-server to stop it, and adb server-status to inspect server details. The next ADB command starts the server automatically after it is stopped. Server status is useful for wireless-debugging diagnostics and includes server-version and mDNS information.
USB troubleshooting
- Unlock the phone and confirm USB debugging is enabled.
- Run adb devices.
- If the state is unauthorized, accept the RSA prompt on the phone.
- Try another USB cable and port; some cables provide charging only.
- On Windows, install the appropriate device USB driver if the phone is not detected.
- Change the phone’s USB mode from charging-only to a data mode such as File transfer.
- Restart ADB with adb kill-server, then run adb devices.
Platform-Tools updates can fix USB issues. Version 36.0.2 fixed Samsung detection, detection of older devices using USB class Miscellaneous (0xEF), and a Windows file-transfer bug that could truncate the final character during pull or push.
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Wireless debugging
Android 11/API 30 and newer: pairing method
Android 11/API 30 and newer support wireless debugging without an initial USB connection. The computer and device must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Use the pairing workflow rather than assuming that every device uses adb connect device_ip:5555.
- Enable Developer options and open Wireless debugging on the device. On Android 16/API 36 and newer, the documented path is Settings > System > Developer options > Wireless debugging; manufacturer menus may differ.
- Enable wireless debugging and tap Pair using pairing code.
- Run adb pair ipaddr:port, replacing the address and port with the values displayed on the device.
- Enter the six-digit pairing code.
- Run adb devices. After pairing, mDNS normally discovers and connects to the device automatically.
Android Studio also offers a QR workflow: open the Pair devices over Wi-Fi dialog and select Pair device with QR code. Paired devices reconnect automatically when they return to the same network, until pairing is forgotten or ADB authorizations are revoked. To remove a computer, open Wireless debugging, tap it under Paired devices, and choose Forget.
For Wear OS 6/API 36 and newer, the documented paths are Settings > Developer options > ADB debugging and Settings > Developer options > Wireless debugging.
Diagnose wireless discovery
Run adb server-status and adb mdns track-services –proto-text to inspect wireless discovery. For current wireless-debugging setup, server status should show version 37.0.0 or higher and mdns_enabled: true. If mDNS is disabled, set ADB_MDNS=1, restart the server with adb kill-server and adb start-server, then inspect discovered services again.
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Platform-Tools 37.0.0 made libadbmdns the default mDNS backend. In 37.0.1 Canary, the old openscreen backend was removed, so ADB_MDNS_OPENSCREEN has no effect.
ADB Wi-Fi 2.0 is documented as arriving with Android 17 and ADB 37.0.0. It automatically reconnects to a workstation when the device joins a trusted wireless-debugging network. A trusted network is created by selecting the always-allow-on-this-network option when enabling wireless debugging.
Android 10/API 29 and older: legacy TCP/IP method
- Connect the device by USB and confirm it appears in adb devices.
- Put the device and computer on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Switch ADB to TCP/IP mode with adb tcpip 5555.
- Disconnect the USB cable and find the device’s IP address in Wi-Fi network details.
- Connect with adb connect device_ip_address:5555.
Return to USB transport with adb usb. This method can also be used on newer devices after an initial USB connection. Some access points block the connection, and firewall rules can prevent it.
Open and use the Android shell
Run a single remote command with adb shell shell_command. Examples include adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release and adb shell ls /sdcard. Start an interactive shell with adb shell; leave it with exit or Control+D.
Android shell utilities are commonly provided by Toybox. Use adb shell ls /system/bin to list utilities and adb shell toybox –help for help.
Since Platform-Tools 23, ADB handles shell arguments more like SSH. Quotes consumed by your computer’s shell are not automatically preserved for the remote shell. For example, adb shell setprop key ‘two words’ does not pass the phrase as one remote argument. Preserve the inner quotes for the device: adb shell setprop key “‘two words'”.
Install, uninstall, and manage apps
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Install an APK | adb install path_to_apk |
| Install a test APK | adb install -t path_to_apk |
| Reinstall and retain data | adb install -r path_to_apk |
| Allow version-code downgrade | adb install -d path_to_apk |
| Grant manifest permissions during install | adb install -g path_to_apk |
| Install split APKs | adb install-multiple apk1.apk apk2.apk |
| Uninstall a package | adb shell pm uninstall com.example.MyApp |
| Uninstall but retain data/cache | adb shell pm uninstall -k com.example.MyApp |
| Uninstall for one user | adb shell pm uninstall –user user_id com.example.MyApp |
| Clear app data | adb shell pm clear package_name |
The -k option preserves data and cache, and removing a package for one user does not necessarily remove it for other users.
Find and modify packages
Use adb shell pm list packages to list packages, add -3 to list third-party packages, or add -u to include packages uninstalled for the current user. Use adb shell pm path package to show an APK path. Enable or disable a package or component with adb shell pm enable package_or_component or adb shell pm disable package_or_component. Grant or revoke a permission with adb shell pm grant package_name permission or adb shell pm revoke package_name permission. On Android 6.0/API 23 and newer, these commands can operate on permissions declared in the app manifest.
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Copy files between Android and your computer
Copy from device to computer with adb pull remote local, for example adb pull /sdcard/Download/report.pdf ./report.pdf. Copy from computer to device with adb push local remote, for example adb push myfile.txt /sdcard/myfile.txt. Pull and push work with files and directories, not just APK locations.
Activity Manager commands
Activity Manager commands use adb shell am. Common examples are adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW, adb shell am force-stop package, adb shell am kill package, adb shell am kill-all, adb shell am broadcast intent, adb shell am instrument component, adb shell am set-debug-app package, and adb shell am clear-debug-app.
For testing, override display settings with adb shell am display-size 1280×800 or adb shell am display-density 480. Reset them afterward with adb shell am display-size reset and adb shell am display-density reset.
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Save and retrieve a screenshot
Capture to device storage with adb shell screencap /sdcard/screen.png, then retrieve it with adb pull /sdcard/screen.png. To stream the PNG directly to the computer, use adb exec-out screencap -p > screen.png. exec-out is intended for raw command output without shell transport processing.
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Start recording with adb shell screenrecord /sdcard/demo.mp4, then retrieve the file with adb pull /sdcard/demo.mp4. Stop an active recording with Control+C. Without another limit, recording stops automatically after three minutes; the maximum documented time limit is 180 seconds. You can set the limit with adb shell screenrecord –time-limit 180 /sdcard/demo.mp4, choose a size with –size 1280×720, or set a bitrate with –bit-rate 6000000.
Screen recording does not capture audio, is unavailable on Wear OS, does not support rotation during recording, and can fail at the device’s native resolution. Lowering the size can help.
Port forwarding
Forward a host TCP port to a device TCP port with adb forward tcp:6100 tcp:7100. To forward a host port to Android’s logd local service, use adb forward tcp:6100 local:logd.
Reset an Android test device
On Android 10/API 29 and newer, use adb shell cmd testharness enable for a test-harness reset. This preserves the workstation’s ADB RSA key and changes test-environment settings, including the lock screen, emergency alerts, account auto-sync, automatic system updates, and preinstalled security apps. It is intended for test devices, not as a universal consumer factory reset.
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Useful version and release notes
Platform-Tools is updated independently of the Android platform. Notable changes include:
- 36.0.0, April 2025: rewrote the Linux libusb backend, added Windows USB hot-plug support for that backend, improved server-status, and fixed macOS USB issues.
- 36.0.2, September 2025: made the legacy USB backend the Linux default after instability reports and fixed Samsung detection, older-device detection, and Windows transfer problems.
- 37.0.0, February 2026: made libadbmdns the default mDNS backend and changed Linux USB add/remove detection to netlink.
- 37.0.1 Canary, July 2026: removed the old openscreen mDNS backend and added log levels to ADB_TRACE.
For detailed diagnostics with current Canary tools, use component-specific trace levels such as ADB_TRACE=usb:v,services:w adb devices. ADB’s old systrace packaging is obsolete; use Android Studio Profiler, Android GPU Inspector, or Perfetto for modern performance tracing.
FAQ
Why does ADB say “device unauthorized”?
Unlock the Android device and accept the RSA authorization dialog. If it does not appear, reconnect the cable, run adb kill-server, then run adb devices. You can also revoke ADB debugging authorizations in Developer options and reconnect.
What is the difference between ADB and Fastboot?
ADB communicates with Android while the operating system and adbd are running. Fastboot communicates with the bootloader and is used for tasks such as flashing supported partitions. Platform-Tools provides both tools, but their commands and uses differ.
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Why does ADB report “more than one device/emulator”?
ADB found multiple targets and the command did not specify one. List them with adb devices, then use adb -s serial_number command, adb -d command for the only physical device, or adb -e command for the only emulator.
Can I use ADB over Wi-Fi without a USB cable?
Yes. Android 11/API 30 and newer support wireless debugging and pairing with adb pair ipaddr:port; the computer and device must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Android 10/API 29 and older generally require an initial USB connection before using adb tcpip 5555 and adb connect.
Does ADB work with every Android version?
The current Platform-Tools package is backward-compatible with earlier Android platform versions. Individual features still depend on Android version and device, including wireless debugging, test-harness reset, and available shell commands.
Why does screen recording stop after three minutes?
Three minutes is the documented default maximum for screenrecord. You can set a limit up to 180 seconds with –time-limit 180. The command does not record audio.
The Bottom Line
For common workflows, list devices with adb devices, target a device with adb -s SERIAL shell, install an app with adb -s SERIAL install -r app.apk, or copy a file with adb -s SERIAL pull /sdcard/file ./file. Use current Platform-Tools, specify a serial when multiple devices are connected, and treat unauthorized as an authorization issue. For Android 11 and newer, use wireless pairing rather than assuming port 5555 is the setup.
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