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BASICS

What Is ADB? (Android Debug Bridge)

Sikrid Team avatarSikrid TeamSikrid Engineering Team

The fundamental tool for controlling Android devices from a computer

2026-04-267 min read
ADB stands for Android Debug Bridge — Google's little tool that lets a computer drive an Android phone. Every command BoxPhone sends to a device ends up going through ADB underneath.

How ADB Works

Three pieces work together:

  1. ADB Client — the bit you type into the terminal, like adb devices
  2. ADB Server — a background process on your PC that handles the connection (port 5037 by default)
  3. ADBd (the daemon) — runs on the phone itself, listens for commands from the server

If the client can't see the server, just restart it:

adb kill-server
adb start-server

What It's Used For

These are the commands you'll actually use day to day:

adb devices                              # see what's connected
adb -s <SERIAL> shell                    # open a shell on the phone
adb -s <SERIAL> shell input tap 540 1200 # tap the screen at x,y
adb -s <SERIAL> shell input text "hello" # type some text
adb -s <SERIAL> shell monkey -p com.tiktok.android 1   # open an app
adb -s <SERIAL> install app.apk          # install an app
adb -s <SERIAL> shell pm list packages   # list installed apps

Inside a BoxPhone, ADB is used to:

  • Open the same app across many phones at once
  • Tap, swipe, type — all from the keyboard
  • Install apps in bulk
  • Pull logs and screenshots back to the PC

What You Need

  1. Android SDK Platform Tools — that's the package adb ships in. Grab it from developer.android.com.
  2. A USB driver — on Windows you have to install the driver for your phone brand. Mac and Linux usually just work.
  3. Developer Mode + USB Debugging on — go to Settings → About → tap Build Number 7 times, then turn on USB Debugging
  4. A real data cable (Type-C or Micro-USB) — not a charge-only one

Two Ways to Connect: USB vs TCP/IP

Pick one:

  • USB Mode — most stable, lowest delay. Just plug in.
  • TCP/IP Mode — over Wi-Fi or LAN. Lets you yank the USB cable once it's running.
# turn on TCP mode (do this over USB the first time)
adb tcpip 5555

# now connect over the network
adb connect 192.168.1.42:5555

Summary

If you're going to work with more than one Android device, ADB is something you want to be comfortable with, not just copy-pasting commands.

Start with the five commands above on one or two phones of your own. Once you're comfortable, you can start chaining them to do things in batches.

FAQ

01What is ADB?+

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a free tool from Google that lets your computer talk to an Android phone. From the keyboard you can open apps, tap the screen, type text, and install apps on the phone.

02How does BoxPhone use ADB?+

ADB is the bottom layer. Every tap, swipe, or app launch that BoxPhone does is really just an ADB command underneath, wrapped by our automation engine so you don't have to type them yourself.

03Can ADB be used over Wi-Fi?+

Yes. Run 'adb tcpip 5555' then 'adb connect <IP>:5555'. But you have to flip TCP mode on through USB the first time — and again every time the phone reboots.

04What do I do when a device shows as offline in adb devices?+

Try 'adb kill-server' then 'adb start-server', or swap to another USB port. If it's still offline, check the cable and make sure USB Debugging is on inside the phone.

05Is it safe to leave ADB enabled?+

Safe on a closed network you control. Never turn on TCP/IP mode while the phone is on public Wi-Fi — anyone on the same network can connect without your permission.

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