ADB_Commands

Introduction

Android Debug Bridge is command line utility to communicate with the Android device that is connected either via USB or Wi-Fi, or with an emulator(Android virtual device) running on the development machine.

Generic ADB Commands

Below is list of adb commands used widely while working with Android platform.

List devices with name, serial number

adb devices –l

Clear logcat

adb logcat –c

Send a command to a specific device when multiple devices are connected

adb -s <serial_number_of_device> <command>

Collect logcat continuously and save to a file (-v time, logs the time. -b all, logs all buffers). It should be stopped explicitly.

adb logcat –v time –b all > my-logcat.txt

Dump existing logs into a file. It stops automatically.

adb logcat –v time –b all –d > dump-logcat.txt

Collect bugreport

Older versions of adb, only .txt is saved

adb bugreport > bugreport.txt

newer versions of adb, all files put into a zip

adb bugreport

Change logcat buffer size to maximum 16MB

adb logcat -b all -G 16777216

List applications installed in the device

adb shell pm list packages

List third party apps only

adb shell pm list packages -3

List system apps only

adb shell pm list packages -s

List enabled packages only

adb shell pm list packages -e

List disabled packages only

adb shell pm list packages -d

Disable an application, in eng builds only

adb shell pm disable <package_name>

Enable an application, in eng builds only

adb shell pm enable <package_name>

Get build type

adb shell getprop ro.build.type

Get build display id

adb shell getprop ro.build.display.id

Get build fingerprint

adb shell getprop ro.build.fingerprint

Press any key on device

adb shell input keyevent <KEYCODE>
Keycodes are
	adb shell input keyevent  KEYCODE_MENU
	adb shell input keyevent  KEYCODE_HOME
	adb shell input keyevent  KEYCODE_BACK

All keycodes can be found here

Push file to the device

adb push <path_to_src_file_in_pc> <path_to_dest_file_in_device>

Pull a file from the device

adb pull <path_to_src_file_in_device> <path_to_dest_file_in_pc>

Reboot the device

adb reboot

Reboot into bootloader

adb reboot bootloader

Reboot into recovery

adb reboot recovery

Take a screenshot

adb shell screencap /sdcard/my_snap.png

Image will be stored in sdcard, it needs to be pulled into the PC by using adb pull command

Record screen

adb screenrecord /sdcard/my_video.mp4

Records for a maximum(default) 3 minutes

Enter text on the focussed edit text

adb shell input text <mytext>

//Spaces are not allowed in text

Install an app

adb install <path_to_apk_in_pc>

Re-install an app . If the app is already installed , it will be uninstalled before installing again

adb install –r <path_to_apk_in_pc>

Install an app in external storage

adb install –s <path_to_apk_in_pc>

Uninstall an app

adb uninstall <package_name_of_the_application>

Get android version

adb shell getprop ro.build.version.sdk

Force stop an application

adb shell am force-stop <package_name_of_the_application>

Remount system partition as read write, engineering build only

adb remount

Get selinux state

adb shell getenforce

Set selinux state, engineering build only

adb shell setenforce 1

Remove selinux enforcement, engineering build only

adb shell setenforce 0

Connect ADB over WiFi

When device is connected over WiFi, all adb commands can be sent over WiFi.

1. Connect device and PC to the same network
2. Connect device over USB cable and Enable USB Debugging in device
3. Once detected over USB, run
	adb tcpip 5555
	// this restarts adb in device
4. Disconnect USB cable now, and run
	adb connect <device_ip_address>:5555
	//this restarts adb to communicate over WiFi with input IP address
5. To disconnect adb from WiFi mode run
	adb disconnect <device_ip_address>:5555

Start an actiivty from adb

We can start any activity from adb commands either explicitly by mentioning the name of the package and name of the class, or implicitly by just the name of intent action.

Implicit intent to launch settings application
	adb shell am start -a android.settings.SETTINGS
Launch Bluetooth settings
	adb shell am start -a android.settings.BLUETOOTH_SETTINGS

Explicit intent to launch settings app using name of the package and activity class. You must know the name of activity class to launch it via adb
	adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.Settings

Pass extras for the intent via adb to start an activity.
1. Open google.com by sending an adb command
	adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -t text/html -d http://www.google.com
	// Here android.intent.action.VIEW is standard intent action, -t text/html is the mimetype of the data sent with intent, -d <url> is the data to be used by the intent.

2. Open an image in Photos application
	adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -t image/* -d /sdcard/abc.png
	// ensure you have abc.png in /sdcard/

3. Open camera application to capture an image
	adb shell am start -a android.media.action.IMAGE_CAPTURE

Intent actions for all settings can be found here

Enable data saver mode

adb shell cmd netpolicy set restrict-background true

Disable data saver mode

adb shell cmd netpolicy set restrict-background false

Add an app to data saver mode whitelist

adb shell cmd netpolicy add restrict-background-whitelist <package_name>

Remove an app from data saver mode whitelist

adb shell cmd netpolicy add restrict-background-whitelist <package_name>

List all WiFi networks

adb shell cmd netpolicy list wifi-networks

Make a non-metered WiFI newtork into a metered one

adb shell cmd netpolicy set metered-network <WIFI_SSID> true

Simulate unplug battery event

adb shell dumpsys battery unplug

Reset battery unplug

adb shell dumpsys battery reset

Send app to stand by state

adb shell dumpsys battery unplug
adb shell am set-inactive <package_name> true

Remove app from stand by state

adb shell am set-inactive <package_name> false