How to execute ADB commands on Android devices remotely?

In this doc, you will learn how to execute ADB commands on Android devices.

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a command-line tool used for communicating with an Android device. ADB provides access to a Unix shell, allowing you to execute various commands on an Android device.

ADB has a range of commands that can be used to manage Android devices. ADB commands can be used for debugging, testing applications, installing and managing applications, accessing the device shell (a command-line interface that allows you to interact with the device’s operating system), transferring files, and customizing and automating device settings, system configurations, and application behaviors within the Android system. The commands can be of use for a wide range of applications including troubleshooting. The document describes how you can use ADB wirelessly and thus execute ADB commands on Android devices remotely from a host computer.

Components of ADB

ADB communicates with an Android device through three components: a host computer (client), a server, and a daemon. The client is the device from which commands are sent to the Android device, typically your host computer (supported on Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms). The daemon, running as a background process on the Android device, is responsible for executing the ADB commands received. The server maintains communication between the host computer (client) and the daemon. It runs as a background process on your host computer.

Setting up SDK Platform – Tools package

An ADB server is initiated whenever the host computer attempts to establish a connection between the client and the daemon. In order to establish a connection, you should download the latest version of the SDK Platform-Tools package on your host computer. Based on the OS of your host computer, you can choose from any one of the following options:

SDK platform tools package – Mac

SDK platform tools package – Linux

SDK platform tools package – Windows

Once the package files are downloaded, you can follow the steps under Connecting Android devices with ADB wirelessly to establish a wireless connection between the host computer and the Android device. When an ADB client is initiated, it checks for a running ADB server. If not found, it starts the server to manage the communication between the client and the daemon. The client sends commands, and the daemon executes those commands on the device. These commands can be executed from both the Mac Terminal application and the Windows Command Prompt.

Connecting Android devices with ADB wirelessly

Devices running Android 11 or newer can be connected via ADB wirelessly, without a USB connection. Follow these steps to establish a wireless connection:

1. On the Android device, go to Settings > System > About phone and tap on the build number 7 times.
2. Go to Settings > Developer Options and enable Wireless Debugging.
   
3. Install ADB on your host computer.
4. On the Android device, open the Wireless Debugging settings and tap on the Pair device with pairing code option.

Using a macOS host computer:

1. Open terminal on your Mac, execute the following command.
   cd ‘path to the downloaded SDK platform tools file’

   1	cd ‘path to the downloaded SDK platform tools file’

   You can also obtain the file path of the SDK platform-tools directory by dragging and dropping the folder into the terminal.

2. To pair the Android devices with your Mac wirelessly, execute the following command along with the IP address and port number shown by clicking on the Pair device with pairing code option.
   
   ./adb pair ‘IP address:port number’

   1	./adb pair ‘IP address:port number’

   For example: ./adb pair 192.174.1.28:33557

3. Enter the Wi-Fi paring code and press return to pair your Android device with your Mac wirelessly. You will notice a successful pairing dialog on your device.
   
4. Upon successful pairing, you can connect to your Android device by executing the following command, containing the IP address and port number of the device. This information will be visible under the Device name as “IP address and port” on the Wireless Debugging page.
   
   ./adb connect ‘IP address:port number’

   1	./adb connect ‘IP address:port number’

   For example: ./adb connect 192.158.3.28:33458

5. Press return to execute the command. You will notice a Currently connected status on your Android device determining a successful connection.

Using a Windows host computer:

While dealing with ADB via Windows devices, the only difference you can notice from Mac is that the ‘./’ is removed before running ADB commands in the Windows Command Prompt.

1. Open the downloaded SDK tools folder and type “cmd” in the address bar (the place where the path to the currently selected folder is shown), then press Enter. This action will open the folder in the command line tool.
   
2. To pair the Android devices with your Windows device wirelessly, navigate to Settings > Developer Options > Wireless Debugging, then click on the Pair device with pairing code option.
3. Execute the following command along with the IP address and port number shown in the Pair device with pairing code option.
   adb pair ‘IP address:port number’

   1	adb pair ‘IP address:port number’

   For example: adb pair 192.174.1.28:33557

4. Enter the Wi-Fi pairing code and press Enter to complete the pairing process between your Android device and your Windows device. Once paired successfully, you will see a confirmation dialog on your Android device.
5. After successful pairing, you can establish a connection to your Android device by executing the following command, containing the IP address and port number of the device. This information can be found under the Device name as “IP address and port” on the Wireless Debugging page.
   adb connect ‘IP address:port number’

   1	adb connect ‘IP address:port number’

   For example: adb pair 192.158.3.28:33458

6. Press Enter to execute the command. You will notice a Currently connected status on your Android device determining a successful connection.

After establishing a successful connection, you can execute the following commands on your Android device remotely from your host computer:

Establishing server connection and managing Android devices remotely

It is essential to establish a proper connection between the host computer and the Android device to manage the device effectively. The following ADB commands can be executed from the host computer to maintain an efficient connection between the host computer and the device, and troubleshoot any connectivity issues:

Reboot using ADB

When an Android device becomes stuck in an inoperable condition, it can be rebooted to restore its functionality. Android devices can be rebooted in different modes, such as fast boot or recovery mode, remotely via ADB. The following commands can be used to reboot the device via ADB:

Monitoring Android device logs using ADB

The following commands can be used to fetch different types of logs that can be used to troubleshoot issues on Android devices via ADB:

Managing device attributes

ADB allows us to manage various software and hardware details related to battery, display, and battery status on an Android device using shell commands. This information can help in troubleshooting device issues. Moreover, it can be valuable for developers building and testing apps, as it helps them optimize their apps for different device configurations and battery capacities.

Directory management

Using ADB, you can manage directories and perform multiple shell commands on different directories. The following is the list of commands to manage directories via ADB:

Application management

ADB provides essential commands for managing applications on Android devices. These commands can be used to perform tasks such as installing single or multiple applications, managing storage, and uninstalling applications smoothly.

Application management using shell commands

Through ADB, we can execute various supported shell commands on Android devices for remote management. Shell commands can be run by initiating a shell console with the ‘adb shell’ command and executing the necessary commands consecutively, or by combining the shell command with the ‘adb shell’ command line.
For example:

The command “adb shell netstat” is used to fetch network information of the connected device. Here are two ways to execute this command:

Type-1:

adb shell

netstat

In the above method, pressing enter after the command “adb shell” will initiate a shell console and you can execute a series of supported shell commands consecutively.

Type-2:
adb shell netstat

In this method, the command is executed in a shell console just for this command alone. This can be of help if you want to execute a minimal number of shell commands at once.

The table below illustrates how to manage applications on Android devices via ADB using shell commands.

Screen recording using ADB

Using ADB, we can initiate a screen capture or screen recording remotely. We can configure the resolution and bitrate of the screen recorded video. The following commands can help manage screen capture on Android devices via ADB:

File management

Using ADB, file management can be performed swiftly and remotely. Tasks such as transferring files from the host computer to the managed device or vice versa, moving or copying files on the device internally, and creating or deleting folders can be performed easily. The following commands can be used for file/folder management via ADB:

Key events in ADB

Key events in ADB commands simulate the physical buttons on the device. Executing these commands allows you to virtually access the buttons of your Android device from your host computer. These commands use codes or names to mimic physical key presses, such as the home button or volume up button. Key event commands enable remote control of your device for tasks like app testing, automating actions, and even checking accessibility features.

For example, the following command can be used to press HOME button on the device:

Disconnecting Android devices from ADB

To terminate the ADB server and halt the communication between the host computer (client) and the daemon, execute the following command to the Android device from your host computer:

The above command can be used to disconnect the Android device from the ADB server after you are done managing the device.