ADB, also known as Android Debug Bridge, is a command-line utility included in Google. It can control your device via USB from a computer, copy files, install and uninstall apps, run shell commands, and more.
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To install the program, first go to the Android SDK Platform Tools download. Select the link for your operating system from the “Downloads” section. This will download a ZIP file, which you can unzip and save the ADB files so you can place them wherever you want.
To use ADB on your Android device, you need to enable a feature called “USB debugging.” Go to your phone’s apps page, tap the Settings icon, and select “About phone.” Scroll down and tap “Build number” seven times. You should get a message saying you are now a developer.
Go back to the main Settings page and you will see a new option under the “System” section called “Developer Options.” Open it and enable “USB Debugging.”
When you connect your phone to your computer, you will see a pop-up window titled “Allow USB debugging?” on your phone. Check the “Always allow from this computer” box and tap OK.
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Open the command prompt, find the directory where you unzipped the file earlier, and replace the file destination with your own. You can do this by entering the following command:
CD C:Program Filesplatform-tools
To check if ADB is working properly, connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable and run the following command:
adb devices
You should see the device listed. If your device is connected but nothing appears in the list, you will need to install the appropriate drivers.
In the vast majority of cases, your computer will automatically detect your phone and set it up with the appropriate drivers. If it doesn't, you can usually find drivers for your device on the XDA Developers forums.
If you download the drivers manually, you may need to search Windows to locate your device. Open Device Manager, locate your device, right-click it, and select Properties. You may see a yellow exclamation mark next to the device if the driver program is not installed correctly.
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On the Driver tab, click “Update Driver”.
Use the Browse my computer for driver software.
Find the driver programs you downloaded for your device.
After installing your device drivers, connect your phone and try the command again:
adb devices
If everything went well, you should see your device listed and you're ready to start using ADB.
