How to Use ADB Wirelessly on Your Android Device

Previously, we have covered how you can use ADB and the things that you can do using ADB, and I’m sure you must have wondered if there’s a way to use ADB wirelessly. Well, we have decided to free you of the woes of connecting devices using unmanageable cables; because, let’s face it, wires only get in the way, restrict movement, cause obstructions and are generally very untidy to look at.

We feel very strongly for being as unhindered by wires as possible, without it being too much of a pain, and with that aim, we have decided that it’s time to help you break free of the wired connections that you use while utilizing ADB with your Android device. Let’s get cracking, shall we?

Ways to use ADB wirelessly

There are two different ways to enable wireless ADB on your device. One for rooted devices and another for, you guessed it, non-rooted ones.

Note: Both your computer and your Android device must be connected to the same WiFi network for these methods to work.

You can make it work on different networks too but you’ll have to use port forwarding, which isn’t a very simple to use. As of now, we’ll start off with the process for non-rooted devices, as it applies to most Android devices.

Wireless ADB on non-rooted Devices

Note: This requires a one time use of a USB cable, so have one handy.

If you aren’t on a rooted device (and why aren’t you?), follow the steps outlined below to enable wireless ADB on your device.

1. Connect your device to your computer via the USB cable. Allow USB debugging.

2. Fire up the Terminal (Command Prompt on Windows) and check that your device is connected to ADB using the following command:

adb devices

• This should list your device serial number on the Terminal/Command Prompt, along with the words “device”.

3. Next, type the following command:

adb tcpip 5555

• “5555” is what is known as a port number. If you don’t know what a port number is, you don’t need to concern yourself with it. Just go with 5555. Technically, you can use any port number you like, but make sure you don’t use a port number that is being used by another service as this may cause problems. Once again, and I can’t stress this enough, do not tinker with this value if you don’t know what you’re doing.

4. You’re almost done. Disconnect the USB connection but don’t close Terminal/Command Prompt.

5. In your device, head over to Settings -> About Phone -> Status.

• You’ll find a field titled “IP Address”. Note this IP Address down, you’ll need it to connect to your phone.

6. In the Terminal/Command Prompt, type:

adb connect 192.168.0.1:5555

• Replace the IP address with the IP address of your device, and port number with the port number value you used in step 3. That’s it. You’re done. The Terminal/Command Prompt window should display something like “connected to 192.168.0.1:5555”.

• If it doesn’t, wait for a few seconds and try again. Don’t worry, though, it works.

Wireless ADB on Rooted Devices

If you’re on a rooted device, you don’t need a USB cable. Not even once. Just follow the steps given below to enable wireless ADB on your device.

1. Fire up the Terminal Emulator on your rooted Android device and type the following command:

su

• When prompted, grant super user access to Terminal Emulator

2. Enter the following commands on the Terminal Emulator to enable wireless ADB:
setprop service.adb.tcp.port 5555
stop adbd
start adbd

3. In your device, head over to Settings -> About Phone -> Status.

• You’ll find a field titled “IP Address”. Note this IP Address down, you’ll need it to connect to your phone.

4. On the Terminal, type: adb connect 192.168.0.1:5555

• Replace the IP address with the IP address of your device, and the port number with the port number value you used in step 3. That’s it. You’re done. The Terminal window should display something like “connected to 192.168.0.1:5555”.

• If it doesn’t, wait for a few seconds and try again. Don’t worry, though, it works.

SEE ALSO: How to Reverse Tether Your Computer Internet to Android

Ready to Break Free of Wires?

Congratulations! You can now use ADB wirelessly. Rejoice in the manageability of the untethered world.

Note that the speed of transfer between your computer and your Android device will depend on your WiFi network and might not be enough to transfer large files such as videos. However for the most part, wireless ADB is a boon to the power user.

So go ahead and try it out, let us know about your experience with wireless ADB in the comments below.