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How to use wireless ADB on your Android phone or tablet
You can wirelessly issue commands through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), removing the need for compatible cables for your Android device and computer. Wireless ADB works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and the top Chromebooks.
This guide walks you through setting up ADB for wireless commands on all platforms. Your Android device must be working to set up ADB, but you can use ADB to enter Android's recovery mode. We recommend setting up wireless ADB beforehand if you plan to tinker with your Android device's software.
Should you use ADB wirelessly instead of wired?
Using ADB wirelessly does not restrict you from using any ADB features. You can still sideload any app you want, install your monthly OTA update manually, or tweak interface settings on your device. However, the wireless debugging experience may be slightly laggier than in some cases, depending on your home Wi-Fi setup. If you're concerned about the quality of your Wi-Fi connection, use ADB over a wired connection for a reliable signal.
Want to set up and use ADB? Read this
How to use ADB wirelessly on your Android phone
Before you get started with wireless ADB commands, check that you're ready by following these steps:
- Connect your computer and Android phone to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Update your device to the latest version of Android.
- Download the latest version of Android SDK Platform Tools on your computer.
- If you use a ChromeOS device, download SDK Platform Tools for Linux and open a Linux terminal on your Chromebook.
When you're ready, follow the steps below to get started.
You don't need to install Android Studio to use the wireless ADB feature. That program is only necessary if you're an app developer.
If you have an Android device running Android 10 or earlier, use the adb tcpip command method. The steps for this method are on the official Android Developers page.
How to enable Developer options on your Android device
You must activate the hidden Developer options before using wireless ADB on your Android smartphone. The steps might be slightly different between Android devices produced by different manufacturers. We show you how to activate developer options on the most popular Android devices.
Enable Developer options on a Google Pixel device
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap About phone.
- Tap Build number.
- Tap the Build number option seven times until you see the message "You are now a developer."
Selecting the About phone section on a Pixel phone© Provided by Android PoliceTapping the build number on a Pixel phone© Provided by Android Police
Enable Developer options on a OnePlus device
- Go to Settings > About Device > Version.
Selecting the About Device section on a OnePlus device© Provided by Android PoliceSelecting the Version section in the About device section on a OnePlus device© Provided by Android PoliceTap Build number seven times until you see the same message.
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Tapping the build number on a OnePlus device© Provided by Android Police
Enable Developer options on a Samsung device
- Go to Settings > About Phone > Software Information.
Selecting the About phone section on a Samsung phone© Provided by Android PoliceSelecting the Software information section on a Samsung phone© Provided by Android Police
- Tap Build number multiple times until you see "You are now in Developer mode."
Tapping the Build number section on a Samsung phone© Provided by Android Police
How to enable wireless debugging on your Android device
Now that you have activated Developer options, you can turn on wireless debugging.
Enable wireless debugging on a Google Pixel device
- Go to Settings > System and open Developer options.
Selecting the System section on a Pixel phone© Provided by Android PoliceSelecting the Developer options on a Pixel phone© Provided by Android Police
- Turn on the toggle next to Wireless debugging.
- Choose Allow when you see the popup.
Tapping on the Wireless debugging feature on a Pixel phone© Provided by Android PoliceAllowing the wireless debugging feature access on a Pixel phone© Provided by Android Police
Enable wireless debugging on a Samsung device
- Go to Settings > Developer options and tap the toggle for Wireless Debugging.
Tapping the Developer options section on a Samsung phone© Provided by Android PoliceSelecting Wireless debugging on a Samsung phone© Provided by Android Police
- Tap Allow in the popup to activate it.
Allowing the wireless debugging feature access on a Samsung phone© Provided by Android Police
Enable wireless debugging on a OnePlus device
- Go to Settings > Additional Settings and tap Developer options.
Selection the Additional Settings section on a OnePlus phone© Provided by Android PoliceSelecting Developer options on a OnePlus phone© Provided by Android Police
- Tap the toggle next to Wireless debugging and choose Allow to activate it.
Selecting the Wireless debugging feature on a OnePlus phone© Provided by Android PoliceAllowing the wireless debugging feature access on a OnePlus phone© Provided by Android Police
How to use Wireless ADB on your Android device
After activating developer options and wireless debugging, you can use ADB wirelessly on your Android device. We use a Mac to show you how to do this, but the steps are the same on Windows and Linux devices, with one exception for Windows.
The difference is that you don't add "./" before running ADB commands on Windows Command Prompt. For example, run the ./adb devices command on Mac to find the list of devices. On Windows, enter adb devices to run the command.
To use wireless ADB on your Android device, follow these steps:
- Open the Wireless Debugging setting.
- Tap the Pair device with pairing code option.
Turning on the wireless debugging feature in the Developer options© Provided by Android PoliceTapping on the Pair device with pairing code section in wireless debugging© Provided by Android Police
- You will see an IP address, port number, and a Wi-Fi pairing code.
An example of a wireless pairing code from the wireless debugging feature© Provided by Android Police
- When using ADB on Mac, open the Terminal app, type cd followed by a space, and drag the Android SDK platform-tools folder to add its path.
Dragging the platform-tools folder onto the Mac Terminal© Provided by Android Police
- Press Enter to open the path in Terminal.
Opening the platform-tools folder in the Mac Terminal by pressing enter© Provided by Android Police
- On Windows, open the Android SDK platform tools folder. Click the address bar, type cmd, and press Enter to open the folder in the command line tool.
red rectangle outline over cmd in address bar in platform-tools command prompt in Windows© Provided by Android Police
- Type the ./adb pair command in the Terminal window. Add a space and type the IP address and port you saw in Step 2. Remove ./ from the command if you use Windows.
Entering the IP address to link the wireless debugging device to a Mac© Provided by Android Police
- Enter the pairing code and press Enter to pair your Android device with your computer.
Entering the wireless paring code from the wireless debugging feature using a Mac© Provided by Android Police
- You will see the successful pairing dialog on your computer and phone, as shown in the screenshots below.
Showing the wireless debugging device was successfully paired using a Mac© Provided by Android Policesuccessfully wireless adb pairing© Provided by Android Police
- On your Android phone, go to the main Wireless Debugging page. On this page, you will see the IP Address of the Android device. Use this to connect your Android device.
Highlighting the IP address and port section on the wireless debugging page© Provided by Android Police
- In the Terminal window, use the command ./adb connect, followed by the IP address and port. Press Enter to execute the command.
Showing the debugging device successfully connecting over the same network on a Mac© Provided by Android Police
- You will see a successful connection notification on your Android device and computer.
The new device will be displayed under the Paired devices section on the wireless debugging page© Provided by Android Police
You have now set up wireless ADB on your Android device and can run any ADB command. To ensure everything works properly, run the ./adb devices for Mac or adb devices command on Windows to check your connected device. If the device is busy or not responding, try the adb kill-server command to stop the service. Then, enter adb devices again to start fresh.
For security reasons, turn off wireless ADB when you aren't using it. Doing this with any wireless feature you aren't using is an excellent practice to keep your device secure.
Wireless ADB gives you more Android freedom
Wireless ADB is the most convenient way to run ADB commands, whether installing an APK file or sideloading a system update. ADB is mainly used for debugging or fixing other problems with your Android device, but you can also use it to mod your device without rooting it using the Shizuku tool.
