ADB stands for Android Debug Bridge, and it allows you to communicate with your Android device using your computer. For instance, if you wish to install an app on your device right from your desktop, you can do so using ADB. There is a lot more you can do with ADB than just installing an app.
Having knowledge of some of the most-used ADB commands is really beneficial, as it will let you perform a number of actions on your device without even touching it. Here, we have compiled some of the common commands that you can use with ADB to perform actions on your device.
1. Show Connected Devices
Pretty much the first thing you need to do when using ADB commands on Android is make sure that the devices you want to use are actually connected to your PC.
adb devices
After entering this command, the serial number of your connected devices should show up in the command prompt/terminal.
If it doesn’t show up, make sure you have USB debugging switched on on your Android device.
2. Reboot your Device
This command reboots your device in normal mode. You can use it when you’ve flashed something on your device and wish to reboot.
adb reboot
3. Reboot into Recovery
If you wish to reboot your device into recovery mode, say for flashing a custom ROM, you can issue this command. First, your device will turn OFF, and then it will go directly into recovery mode. If you have flashed a custom recovery on your device, you will be taken to the same instead of the stock recovery.
adb reboot recovery
4. Reboot into Bootloader Mode
Use this command to boot your device into bootloader mode. That is where you can unlock your bootloader, reboot into fastboot and recovery mode, and do some other tasks.
adb reboot bootloader
5. Reboot into Fastboot
Instead of first going into bootloader and then choosing fastboot, you can issue this command, and it will take your device directly to fastboot mode. The fastboot mode helps you flash custom recoveries as well as custom ROMs on your device.
adb reboot fastboot
6. Send File to Your Device
This command lets you send files to your device. You just need to specify the source location of the file in the source argument in the command and the destination where you want to send your file.
adb push Source Destination
7. Get File from Your Device
This will let you pull, or in other words, receive a file from your device. Just specify the file location on your device and the destination in the command, and it should do the job for you.
adb pull FileLocation Destination
8. Install an App on Your Device
What this command does is let you install an app on your device right from your computer. You just need to specify the APK location in the command, and it will install the selected app on your device.
adb install APKLocation9. Remount the System
In case you want to remount the entire system of your device, you can issue this command.
adb remount
Conclusion
These are the most common ADB commands you should know if you have an Android device and often connect it to your computer. It will save you some time that you will otherwise spend doing tasks manually.
Just having knowledge of some of the commands given above would prove to be really beneficial to you in the future. As if you ever wish to reboot your device into a specific mode or just want to install an app right from your computer, you will be able to do so by just issuing a single line of command from the Command Prompt window.
I had to use ./adb.exe instead of just adb.