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How to Install ADB and Connect an Android Phone to a Computer

Set up Android SDK Platform-Tools, connect and authorize a phone over USB, verify it with adb devices, or use wireless debugging on compatible Android versions.
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Install Android SDK Platform-Tools on your computer, enable USB debugging on your phone, connect it with a data-capable USB cable, approve the phone’s authorization prompt, then run adb devices. A phone shown with the status device is connected and ready for ADB commands. ADB is a computer-side tool; you do not install it as an app on the phone.

Install ADB on Windows, macOS or Linux

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is included in Android SDK Platform-Tools. You can install the tools through Android Studio’s SDK Manager, use the command-line SDK manager (sdkmanager), or download the standalone Platform-Tools package for your computer’s operating system. Android recommends SDK Manager or sdkmanager as convenient ways to keep the tools up to date. The SDK directory’s tools are stored in android_sdk/platform-tools. See Android’s Platform-Tools release notes and downloads.

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  1. Choose an installation method. If Android Studio is already installed, use its SDK Manager to install or update Android SDK Platform-Tools. Otherwise, download the standalone package for Windows, macOS or Linux from the official release page and extract it.
  2. Open a terminal in the tools folder. Navigate to the extracted platform-tools directory. If you have configured that directory on your system’s PATH, you can run adb from any working directory; otherwise, run commands from inside platform-tools.

Enable USB debugging on your Android phone

USB debugging is a Developer options setting. On Android 4.2 (API 17) and later, Developer options is hidden until you enable it. The exact steps vary by Android version and manufacturer, so search your phone’s Settings for “Developer options” or follow the phone maker’s instructions. Android’s on-device developer options guide lists version-dependent paths.

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  1. Open Settings and enable Developer options if it is not already available.
  2. Open Developer options and turn on USB debugging.

Leave debugging off when you do not need it, particularly if you regularly connect your phone to computers you do not trust.

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Connect the phone and verify ADB

  1. Connect the unlocked phone to the computer using a USB cable that supports data transfer. The connector ends must fit your particular phone and computer; a cable that only supplies power will not establish the wired ADB connection.
  2. On the phone, respond to the RSA-key authorization prompt by allowing debugging for that computer. On Android 4.2.2 (API 17) and later, this prompt is a security safeguard: ADB cannot use the connection until you approve it on the phone.
  3. In a terminal opened in platform-tools (or anywhere if that folder is on PATH), run:
    adb devices

The output lists devices ADB can see. A phone with status device is recognized. If you have more than one device or emulator connected, specify the target rather than relying on an ambiguous default. Android documents -d for the single connected hardware device and -e for the single running emulator.

Use ADB over Wi-Fi

For the current wireless-debugging workflow, the phone must run Android 11 (API 30) or later, the computer and phone must be on the same Wi-Fi network, and Platform-Tools should be current. Enable Wireless debugging in Developer options, then pair using the phone’s QR-code option or pairing code. With a pairing code, run the command below in platform-tools, replacing the address and port with the values shown on the phone:

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adb pair ipaddr:port

Enter the pairing code when prompted, then check the connection with adb devices. Pairing can remain in effect until you explicitly forget it or revoke debugging authorizations. Android’s ADB guide documents the pairing flow and wireless troubleshooting. Android 17 with ADB 37 adds ADB Wi-Fi 2.0 behavior; that is a version-specific feature, not a prerequisite for ordinary USB ADB or the basic Android 11-and-later pairing workflow.

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Older phones: Android 10 (API 29) and lower

Phones on Android 10 or earlier use a different, USB-first Wi-Fi procedure. First connect and authorize the phone over USB, then run:

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Disconnect USB, find the phone’s IP address, and connect over the network with:

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Replace device_ip_address with the phone’s actual address. This legacy procedure is not the same as pairing with a QR code or pairing code.

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Choose USB or Wi-Fi

Connection method Phone requirement What you need Best fit
USB No newer wireless-debugging threshold specified in the cited setup instructions A USB cable that supports data, plus USB debugging and on-phone authorization A straightforward direct connection, especially when the phone and computer cannot share Wi-Fi
Wireless pairing Android 11 (API 30) or later for the current pairing workflow Current Platform-Tools, Wireless debugging enabled, and phone and computer on the same Wi-Fi network A cable-free connection on a compatible phone
Legacy Wi-Fi connection Android 10 (API 29) and lower An initial USB connection, then the phone’s IP address and the legacy ADB commands Older phones that do not use the current pairing-code workflow

Troubleshoot when the phone does not appear

  • No authorization prompt: Unlock the phone, confirm USB debugging is on, and reconnect. Check the phone screen for a prompt you may have missed.
  • Phone does not appear in the list: Try a different USB port and a cable known to transfer data. Charging alone does not prove the cable supports data.
  • Windows does not recognize the phone: Check whether the phone manufacturer provides USB drivers and follow its instructions. Android’s hardware-device setup guide covers USB setup and OEM driver guidance.
  • Tools may be outdated: Update Platform-Tools through Android Studio’s SDK Manager, sdkmanager, or the official Platform-Tools download page.
  • Wireless pairing fails: For the current method, check that the phone meets the Android 11/API 30 requirement, both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, and network discovery is available. Follow the phone’s displayed pairing details.

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