Hello friends! Android Debug Bridge for short “ADB”, is a system that allows communication and control of an Android device via command line. Although it is more geared towards developers, it is so versatile that it is useful for the end-user as well. It is also possible to use ADB as an alternative to Root Access. To perform some system-level tasks that by default we do not have sufficient permissions to perform. It also serves to install system updates manually or even record the video screen without installing anything. The best of all is that nowadays using ADB is available to all users. In this post, we will show you how to connect your Android phone to your PC using ADB.
Get ADB
Initially, you need the ADB files. Previously it was necessary to download the Android SDK. Nowadays it is not necessary, but it is important to emphasize that if you have Android Studio installed, it will not be necessary to download it since the ADB files are located in Windows, in the path C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools. In case you do not plan to develop Android apps, but still want to make use of ADB. But without having to install an IDE. You only need to download the corresponding files that weigh 6MB.
First step
Once the download is finished, unzip the file to an easily accessible folder on your hard drive. For example, C:\ADB is a good choice.
Second step
Then, enable Developer Options on your phone. Go to Settings>About phone. From here the path usually changes depending on the Android version and manufacturer, but your goal is to get to the place where the Build Number is displayed. You may find it inside some submenu (in the latest Samsung versions it’s under software info). Then tap five times on “Build Number” until you get the message “You are now a developer!”.
Third step
After that, go to the Developer Options and enable “USB Debugging”. A pop-up window will ask you for confirmation.
Fourth step
Then connect your Android phone to the PC using a USB cable. Wait for the drivers to finish configuring. Next, you should see a prompt asking you to allow the connection from the phone. Note that you may receive two types of prompts: the data connection from the phone is only for accessing data (photos, etc) and is optional for our case. The one you must allow is USB debugging. Optionally, if you are going to do this frequently, you can check Always allow so that you will not be prompted again. With this, you would have the phone ready.
Fifth step
Next, go back to the PC. Open a command prompt in the folder where you unzipped the ADB ZIP. In Windows you should use Start>Run and type CMD. Then to go to the folder, type in the command prompt:
cd C:\ADB
Another way to do this is to use Windows File Explorer and go to the path where the folder is located. Then type in the search bar “CMD” and press Enter. This will open the command line in the ADB folder.
Sixth step
Finally, type in the command prompt:
adb devices
If everything went well, you will see a number and next to it the word device.
Conclusion
Congratulations! If you have reached this point you have probably successfully connected your phone with ADB. You can now enjoy the benefits of ADB. And use it for whatever you need. Thanks for reading us, bye!
