What is ADB? ADB is short for Android Debug Span, a versatile command-line tool that lets yous communicate with a device. It was mainly for developers to debug apps, but now basic users can besides use it to perform many useful activities between reckoner and their Android smartphones. In this article, we are going to show y'all how to install ADB in Windows estimator and how to use ADB to do something interesting to Android mobile phone.

Part ane. Install ADB on Windows

It is quite easy to install and fix ADB in Windows computer. Really, the size of the tool is simply four.51MB, so it won't take up much space on your figurer. Here nosotros Windows 10 as example.

  • Pace ane. Download Platform Tools for Windows. Confirm to download on the new window and save the nix file to a folder on your PC.
  • Step 2. Extract the nix file after download.
  • Step three. Press Shift central and right click within the extracted folder, and then choose Open PowerShell window hither (or Open command window here on some computers)
    install-use-adb-windows
  • Step 4. A command prompt should appear.

This means that ADB is gear up up on your Windows computer. In social club to communicate with your Android phone, however, y'all also demand to enable USB debugging on your handset.

Part 2. Enable USB Debugging on Your Mobile Phone

USB debugging must be turned on in order to use ADB. The steps to turn on USB debugging are varied on dissimilar versions of Android Os, only the educational activity beneath should work for well-nigh Android smartphones used present.

  • Step 1. Go to Settings > About phone.
  • Pace two. Coil downward to find and tap Build number for seven times.
  • Step 3. Dorsum to Settings, and so find and tap Developer options.
  • Step 4. Within Developer options, enable USB debugging. Ostend your choice.
  • Step 5. Connect your phone to PC.
  • Step 6. Cull Permit when "Allow USB debugging?" window pops upward on your telephone screen.
    Enable USB Debugging on Your Mobile Phone

Note: It is suggested that tick Always let this computer if yous are using a trusted computer in order to get smooth experience with ADB and in case of accidents when yous demand to rescue information but unable to operate on the phone, similar Android broken screen data recovery.

Part iii. Test ADB

Once you have finished the in a higher place preparing piece of work, you can test if ADB works.

  • Step 1. Run ADB command window every bit described on Part ane.
  • Pace 2. Connect your telephone to PC, and blazon adb devices in control window and hit Enter.
    Test ADB

If everything goes right, a result will return as above (with dissimilar series code). If cipher appears, so y'all should cheque if the driver for your phone is properly installed. A directly indication of functional commuter is that your telephone should exist recognized by the computer.

Role 4. Useful Things You Can Do with ADB

In one case ADB is correctly installed on your Windows computer, y'all can do many useful things with ADB. The following is only a small portion of all the things it tin do. Yous will find that lots of tools can exercise the same affair in normal environs, but ADB can do information technology hands and may play of import role on some occasions.
USB debugging must be turned on!

Pick 1. Fill-in and Restore Android with ADB

Backup is not necessarily the most ofttimes used role for Android users, just it should be the very first thing whenever we try anything new or danger. In instance of accidents, a fill-in of mobile phone will piece of work like a saver to our life. ADB tin help you brand backups for your Android smartphone with no need of root or custom recovery.

adb backup -all -f <path/filename.ab>
adb restore <path/filename.ab>
The path should be a location on your calculator system drive. For case,
adb backup -all -f /Backup/backup1.ab

Notes:

  • The backups are saved to calculator instead of phone retention or SD card.
  • You'll need to unlock your phone to permit the fill-in to starting time.
  • The fill-in mainly contains documents and media files on your telephone. For a literarily full backup of phone data and whole system, refer how to make a Nandroid backup in custom recovery.

Pick 2. Install APK for Android from Computer

There are already lots of methods to install apps to Android telephone, including installing apk files on mobile phone, but occasionally you may need to install APK to Android phone from estimator. This is especially useful if you know that the installation is completely silent with no need of operation on telephone screen.

adb install <path to the apk on your reckoner>
The path should exist a location on your computer arrangement drive. Delight move the apk file to the organization bulldoze if it is non. For case,
adb install /MyDownloads/TitaniumBackup.apk

Notes:

  • No need to operate on phone screen.
  • No prompt of permissions from the app.
  • No need to enable Unknown source on mobile phone.
  • Be care of apk files containing malware.

This part may work magically when you desire to install an app to your phone but unable to control the device, like due to broken or black screen.

Option iii. Reboot Telephone to Recovery Mode and Bootloader

In recovery mode, people can clear cache and data, factory reset or fill-in mobile phone. In bootloader (or Download fashion for Samsung), people can wink ROMs to handset. If you don't know anything about recovery mode and bootloader, please make sure you know it clearly and need it first.

adb reboot recovery
adb reboot bootloader

Notes:

  • No demand to press key/button groups on phone body.
  • Occasionally, y'all may demand to reboot manually or fifty-fifty remove bombardment when the command fails.
  • After every reboot, you lot'll need to reconnect the phone in order to permit ADB work

Selection four. Convert SD Carte du jour equally Internal Storage with ADB

Since Android Marshmallow, users can format SD card as internal storage, which effectively reduces bereft storage trouble. The conversion is easy to do on Settings > Storage if your phone is supported for the feature. However, some manufacturers intentionally hibernate this function from users fifty-fifty if their smartphones accept upgraded to Android 6.0 or newer. With ADB, nosotros can convert SD card as internal storage when the option is invisible.

Alarm: Delight move or back up SD files card outset. Later the conversion, the SD card won't be recognized by other mobile phones or computers. One time your phone is reset or dead, yous may find the SD card inaccessible past any device.

  • Stride 1. Launch ADB command window.
  • Stride 2. Connect the phone inserted with SD carte to computer.
  • Step three. Type the following commands and hit enter afterwards each:
    adb shell
    sm list-disks
    sm partitioning disk:179,64 private
  • Step 4. Become to Settings > Storage to bank check your storage status.

Note: If at that place is no modify in phone storage, then yous may reboot it and bank check the storage again.

The above are four useful things that Android users may like or demand to exercise with ADB. If you have more ideas or questions about what we can practice with ADB, please kindly share with us.