ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a versatile command-line tool that allows developers to communicate with an Android device. It is a crucial part of the Android development environment, enabling various tasks such as installing and debugging apps, accessing device logs, and running shell commands. Understanding how to use ADB can significantly enhance your efficiency and capabilities as an Android developer.

ADB operates through a client-server architecture, where the client is the computer where you issue commands, the daemon (adbd) runs on the device, and the server manages communication between the client and the daemon. This article will guide you through the essential commands and functionalities of ADB, providing practical examples to help you master this powerful tool.

Examples:

1. Setting Up ADB:

   • Download and install the Android SDK Platform-Tools package from the official Android developer website.
   • Add the platform-tools directory to your system's PATH environment variable.

2. Connecting to a Device:

   • Enable Developer Options and USB Debugging on your Android device.
   • Connect your device to your computer via USB.
   • Open a command prompt or terminal and type:

     adb devices

     This command lists all connected devices. You should see your device's serial number in the list.

3. Installing an APK:

   • To install an APK on your device, use the following command:

     adb install path/to/your/app.apk

   • Example:

     adb install C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\example.apk

4. Uninstalling an App:

   • To uninstall an app, you need its package name. You can find this using the adb shell pm list packages command.
   • Once you have the package name, use:

     adb uninstall com.example.yourapp

5. Copying Files to/from Device:

   • To push a file from your computer to your device:

     adb push local/file/path /sdcard/remote/file/path

   • To pull a file from your device to your computer:

     adb pull /sdcard/remote/file/path local/file/path

6. Running Shell Commands:

   • You can execute shell commands directly on the device using:

     adb shell

   • Example:

     adb shell ls /sdcard

7. Capturing Screenshots:

   • To capture a screenshot and save it to your computer:

     adb shell screencap /sdcard/screenshot.png
     adb pull /sdcard/screenshot.png path/to/save/on/your/computer

8. Recording Screen:

   • To record the screen and save the video to your device:

     adb shell screenrecord /sdcard/screenrecord.mp4

   • To pull the recorded video to your computer:

     adb pull /sdcard/screenrecord.mp4 path/to/save/on/your/computer

9. Accessing Device Logs:

   • To view the logcat output:

     adb logcat

   • You can filter logs by tag or priority:

     adb logcat -s TAG:PRIORITY