ADB(Android Debugging Bridge)

Table of Contents

ADB (Android Debugging Bridge) plays the most important role in modifying your Android Device.
In simple words, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a versatile command-line tool that lets you communicate with a device.

ADB allows you to

Install, copy, and delete files;
Install a program on a device;
Record a video or take a screenshot of the phone;
Debug a device in case of its malfunction;
Examine logs on the phone;
Upgrade the firmware of the programs and system elements;
Get full access to information about OS and a device.

Install ADB on Windows

To install visit ADB Platform Tools for Windows.

Download and Extract the file.
Move/Copy the directory to C:\ drive and Rename it to "adb".
Set up Environment Variable.

┌──(mrdev㉿kali)-[~]

└─$ sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb

┌──(mrdev㉿kali)-[~]

└─$ sudo apt-get install adb

┌──(mrdev㉿kali)-[~]

└─$ adb

Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41

Version 28.0.2-debian

Installed as /usr/lib/android-sdk/platform-tools/adb

global options:

-a listen on all network interfaces, not just localhost

-d use USB device (error if multiple devices connected)

-e use TCP/IP device (error if multiple TCP/IP devices available)

-s SERIAL use device with given serial (overrides $ANDROID_SERIAL)

-t ID use device with given transport id

-H name of adb server host [default=localhost]

-P port of adb server [default=5037]

-L SOCKET listen on given socket for adb server [default=tcp:localhost:5037]

general commands:

devices [-l] list connected devices (-l for long output)

help show this help message

version show version num

networking:

connect HOST[:PORT] connect to a device via TCP/IP [default port=5555]

disconnect [HOST[:PORT]]

disconnect from given TCP/IP device [default port=5555], or all

forward --list list all forward socket connections

forward [--no-rebind] LOCAL REMOTE

forward socket connection using:

tcp:<port> (<local> may be "tcp:0" to pick any open port)

localabstract:<unix domain socket name>

localreserved:<unix domain socket name>

localfilesystem:<unix domain socket name>

dev:<character device name>

jdwp:<process pid> (remote only)

forward --remove LOCAL remove specific forward socket connection

forward --remove-all remove all forward socket connections

ppp TTY [PARAMETER...] run PPP over USB

reverse --list list all reverse socket connections from device

reverse [--no-rebind] REMOTE LOCAL

reverse socket connection using:

tcp:<port> (<remote> may be "tcp:0" to pick any open port)

localabstract:<unix domain socket name>

localreserved:<unix domain socket name>

localfilesystem:<unix domain socket name>

reverse --remove REMOTE remove specific reverse socket connection

reverse --remove-all remove all reverse socket connections from device

file transfer:

push [--sync] LOCAL... REMOTE

copy local files/directories to device

--sync: only push files that are newer on the host than the device

pull [-a] REMOTE... LOCAL

copy files/dirs from device

-a: preserve file timestamp and mode

sync a local build from $ANDROID_PRODUCT_OUT to the device (default all)

-l: list but don't copy

shell:

shell [-e ESCAPE] [-n] [-Tt] [-x] [COMMAND...]

run remote shell command (interactive shell if no command given)

-e: choose escape character, or "none"; default '~'

-n: don't read from stdin

-T: disable PTY allocation

-t: force PTY allocation

-x: disable remote exit codes and stdout/stderr separation

emu COMMAND run emulator console command

app installation (see also `adb shell cmd package help`):

install [-lrtsdg] [--instant] PACKAGE

push a single package to the device and install it

install-multiple [-lrtsdpg] [--instant] PACKAGE...

push multiple APKs to the device for a single package and install them

install-multi-package [-lrtsdpg] [--instant] PACKAGE...

push one or more packages to the device and install them atomically

-r: replace existing application

-t: allow test packages

-d: allow version code downgrade (debuggable packages only)

-p: partial application install (install-multiple only)

-g: grant all runtime permissions

--instant: cause the app to be installed as an ephemeral install app

--no-streaming: always push APK to device and invoke Package Manager as separate steps

--streaming: force streaming APK directly into Package Manager

--fastdeploy: use fast deploy

--no-fastdeploy: prevent use of fast deploy

--force-agent: force update of deployment agent when using fast deploy

--date-check-agent: update deployment agent when local version is newer and using fast deploy

--version-check-agent: update deployment agent when local version has different version code and using fast deploy

--local-agent: locate agent files from local source build (instead of SDK location)

uninstall [-k] PACKAGE

remove this app package from the device

'-k': keep the data and cache directories

backup/restore:

to show usage run "adb shell bu help"

debugging:

bugreport [PATH]

write bugreport to given PATH [default=bugreport.zip];

if PATH is a directory, the bug report is saved in that directory.

devices that don't support zipped bug reports output to stdout.

jdwp list pids of processes hosting a JDWP transport

logcat show device log (logcat --help for more)

security:

disable-verity disable dm-verity checking on userdebug builds

enable-verity re-enable dm-verity checking on userdebug builds

keygen FILE

generate adb public/private key; private key stored in FILE,

scripting:

wait-for[-TRANSPORT]-STATE

wait for device to be in the given state

STATE: device, recovery, rescue, sideload, bootloader, or disconnect

TRANSPORT: usb, local, or any [default=any]

get-state print offline | bootloader | device

get-serialno print <serial-number>

get-devpath print <device-path>

remount [-R]

remount partitions read-write. if a reboot is required, -R will

will automatically reboot the device.

reboot [bootloader|recovery|sideload|sideload-auto-reboot]

reboot the device; defaults to booting system image but

supports bootloader and recovery too. sideload reboots

into recovery and automatically starts sideload mode,

sideload-auto-reboot is the same but reboots after sideloading.

sideload OTAPACKAGE sideload the given full OTA package

root restart adbd with root permissions

unroot restart adbd without root permissions

usb restart adbd listening on USB

tcpip PORT restart adbd listening on TCP on PORT

internal debugging:

start-server ensure that there is a server running

kill-server kill the server if it is running

reconnect kick connection from host side to force reconnect

reconnect device kick connection from device side to force reconnect

reconnect offline reset offline/unauthorized devices to force reconnect

environment variables:

$ADB_TRACE

comma-separated list of debug info to log:

all,adb,sockets,packets,rwx,usb,sync,sysdeps,transport,jdwp

$ADB_VENDOR_KEYS colon-separated list of keys (files or directories)

$ANDROID_SERIAL serial number to connect to (see -s)

$ANDROID_LOG_TAGS tags to be used by logcat (see logcat --help)

$ADB_LOCAL_TRANSPORT_MAX_PORT max emulator scan port (default 5585, 16 emus)

┌──(mrdev㉿kali)-[~]

└─$

To do this Go to This PC and right-click. Click on properties.

Click on Advanced System Settings. Click Environment Variable.

Search in System Variable " Path " and type semicolon paste the path of ADB and Save it.

Run it. Run " adb ".

Install ADB on Linux

1) Installing ADB on Linux is quite simple. For Debian based operating system, use the following command:

Or, if it doesn’t work,

2) Let’s test whether it works or not using the following command:

Run ADB

1) To fully use all the ADB functions on Android devices, it is necessary to make certain changes in the phone settings. Depending on the manufacturer, the configuration menu may vary. But in general, the main actions are the same:

Turn on Developer Options

a. Go to settings > About device > Software info. Tap 5 to 7 times on the Build number to turn on the Developer Option.

b. Now go back to the Developer Option > Turn on USB debugging.

c. Now, Plug in your Android Device and run “ADB devices” to display all information about devices connected to the PC and with their serial numbers. A popup screen appears to get access to the Android device.

2. Now you can here type all useful commands to intercept with Android.

Basic Commands to run on ADB

ADB Basics

Command	Description
adb devices	Lists connected devices, helping you identify which devices are currently recognized by ADB.
adb root	Restarts adbd (the ADB daemon) with root permissions, enabling access to system-level operations.
adb start-server	Initiates the ADB server, allowing communication between your computer and Android devices via ADB commands.
adb kill-server	Terminates the ADB server, useful if you encounter issues or need to reset the ADB server.
adb reboot	Reboots the connected Android device. Useful when changes require a device restart or to troubleshoot issues.
adb devices -l	Provides a detailed list of connected devices, including their product and model information.
adb shell	Opens a background terminal on the connected Android device, enabling direct interaction with its command line.
exit	Exits the background terminal and returns you to the local terminal or command prompt on your computer.
adb help	Displays a list of all available ADB commands along with brief descriptions, helping you discover new commands.
adb -s <device>	Redirects subsequent ADB commands to a specific device identified by its unique device ID.
adb –d	Directs ADB commands to the only attached USB device, useful when multiple devices are connected.
adb –e	Directs ADB commands to the only attached emulator, facilitating testing and debugging on virtual devices.

Package Installation

Command	Description
adb shell install <app>	Installs the specified app onto the connected Android device from the local system.
adb shell install <path_to_app>	Installs an app located at the specified path on the connected Android device.
adb shell install -r <path_to_app>	Reinstalls an app located at the specified path, replacing the existing version on the connected Android device.
adb shell uninstall <package_name>	Uninstalls the app identified by its package name from the connected Android device.

Paths

Command	Description
/data/data/<package_name>/databases	Represents the directory on the Android device where app-specific databases are stored.
/data/data/<package_name>/shared_prefs/	Represents the directory on the Android device where app-specific shared preferences files are stored.
/data/app	Refers to the directory on the Android device where APKs installed by the user are stored.
/system/app	Represents the directory on the Android device where pre-installed system APK files are stored.
/mnt/asec	Refers to the directory on the Android device where encrypted apps (App2SD) are stored.
/mnt/emmc	Represents the internal SD card directory on the Android device.
/mnt/sdcard	Represents the external or internal SD card directory on the Android device, depending on the device configuration.
/mnt/sdcard/external_sd	Represents the external SD card directory on the Android device, if present.
adb shell ls	Lists the contents of the current directory on the Android device.
adb shell ls -s	Lists the contents of the current directory along with the size of each file.
adb shell ls -R	Lists the contents of the current directory recursively, including subdirectories and their contents.

File Operations

Command	Description
adb push <local> <remote>	Copies a file or directory from the local system to the specified location on the Android device.
adb pull <remote> <local>	Copies a file or directory from the specified location on the Android device to the local system.
run-as cat <file>	Accesses and displays the contents of a file located within the private package files of an installed app.

Package Info

Command	Description
adb shell list packages	Lists the package names of all installed apps on the Android device.
adb shell list packages -r	Lists the package names of all installed apps along with the path to their corresponding APK files.
adb shell list packages -3	Lists the package names of third-party apps installed on the Android device.
adb shell list packages -s	Lists the package names of only the system apps installed on the Android device.
adb shell list packages -u	Lists the package names of all installed apps, including those that have been uninstalled but not yet removed.
adb shell dumpsys package packages	Provides detailed information about all installed packages on the Android device.
adb shell dump	Provides detailed information about a specific package identified by its package name.
adb shell path	Retrieves the file path to the APK file of a specific package identified by its package name.

Device Related Commands

Command	Description
adb reboot-recovery	Reboots the connected Android device into recovery mode, enabling various system-level operations.
adb reboot fastboot	Reboots the connected Android device into fastboot mode, facilitating bootloader-related operations.
adb shell screencap -p "/path/to/screenshot.png"	Captures a screenshot of the device's current screen and saves it to the specified file path on the device.
adb shell screenrecord "/path/to/record.mp4"	Records the screen of the connected Android device and saves it as a video file at the specified location.
adb backup -apk -all -f backup.ab	Creates a backup of the device's settings and all installed apps, saving it to the specified file.
adb backup -apk -shared -all -f backup.ab	Creates a backup of the device's settings, installed apps, and shared storage, saving it to the specified file.
adb backup -apk -nosystem -all -f backup.ab	Creates a backup of only the non-system apps installed on the device, saving it to the specified file.
adb restore backup.ab	Restores a previous backup of the device's settings and apps from the specified file.
adb shell am start <intent>	Sends an intent to the Android system to start a specific activity based on the provided intent parameters.
adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d URL	Opens the default web browser on the device and navigates to the specified URL.
*adb shell am start -t image/ -a android.intent.action.VIEW**	Opens the default image viewer on the device, allowing the user to view images stored locally.

Configure Settings Commands

Command	Description
adb shell dumpsys battery set level	Sets the battery level of the connected Android device to the specified value (0-100).
adb shell dumpsys battery set status	Sets the battery status of the connected Android device to the specified value (unknown, charging, etc.).
adb shell dumpsys battery reset	Resets the battery statistics of the connected Android device, clearing any accumulated data.
adb shell dumpsys battery set usb	Sets the USB connection status of the connected Android device to either ON or OFF.
adb shell wm size WxH	Sets the screen resolution of the connected Android device to the specified width (W) and height (H) in pixels.

Logs

Command	Description
adb logcat [options] [filter] [filter]	Displays logs from the device, allowing you to monitor system and app activity for debugging purposes.
adb bugreport	Generates a bug report containing information about the device's current state, useful for debugging issues.

Permissions

Command	Description
adb shell permissions groups	Lists all permission groups defined on the connected Android device, providing insight into app permissions.
adb shell list permissions -g -r	Lists detailed information about all permissions defined on the connected Android device, including their groups.

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Install ADB on Windows

Install ADB on Linux

Run ADB

Turn on Developer Options

Basic Commands to run on ADB

ADB Basics

Package Installation

Paths

File Operations

Package Info

Device Related Commands

Configure Settings Commands

Logs

Permissions

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