Use ADB to Push Files / Install APKs and Control Android Devices with Scrcpy

Cover.jpeg
Cover.jpeg

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a versatile command-line tool that allows users to interact with Android devices.

scrcpy is a powerful tool that allows users to control and mirror Android device's screen on computer.

Prerequisites:

  1. Enable Developer Options on Android device:

2025-02-05_Developer.jpg
2025-02-05_Developer.jpg

    • Go to Settings > About phone.
    • Tap Build number 7 times until you see a message saying "You are now a developer!"
    1. Enable USB Debugging:

    2025-02-05_USB-Debugging.jpg
    2025-02-05_USB-Debugging.jpg

    • Go to Settings > System > Developer options.
    • Enable USB debugging.
    1. Install ADB on computer:

    • Windows Platform (via Chocolatey)

      Open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as Administrator).
    @"%SystemRoot%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" -NoProfile -InputFormat None -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))" && SET "PATH=%PATH%;%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\chocolatey\bin"

    Close and reopen the Command Prompt to ensure the installation is recognized.

    choco install adb
adb --version
    • Linux Platform (Ubuntu/Debian)
    sudo apt install adb -y
adb version

    Part 1: Pushing Files to an Android Device Using ADB

    1. Connect Android device to computer via USB.

      • Make sure the device is recognized by running:

        adb devices
      • If device is listed, you're ready to proceed. If not, check USB connection and drivers.

    2. Push File(s) to the device:

      • Use the adb push command to copy the file to a directory on device. For example:

        adb push path/to/app.apk /sdcard/

    2025-02-06_100519.jpg
    2025-02-06_100519.jpg

    adb push ./Cover.jpeg /storage/emulated/0/Backup/
    This command copies Cover.jpeg to the /storage/emulated/0/Backup/ directory on device.

    1. Install the APK:

      • Use the adb install command to install the APK directly:

        adb install path/to/app.apk

      • If the APK is already on the device (e.g., in /sdcard/), you can install it using:

        adb shell pm install /sdcard/app.apk

    2. Verify the installation:

      • Check if the app is installed by searching for it on device or using:

        adb shell pm list packages | grep package.name

    Notes:

    • If you encounter permission issues, you may need to remount the system partition as read-write (requires root access):

      adb root
adb remount
    • For system apps, you may need to push the APK to /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/ and set the correct permissions.

    Example:

    • Push the APK to the device
    adb push app.apk /sdcard/
    • Install the APK
    adb install /sdcard/app.apk
    • Alternatively, install directly from computer
    adb install path/to/app.apk

    That's it! You've successfully pushed and installed an APK using ADB.

    Part 2: Using Scrcpy to Mirror and Control Android Device

    Prerequisites

    1. Enable USB Debugging on Android device:

    2025-02-05_Developer.jpg
    2025-02-05_Developer.jpg

    • Go to Settings > About phone > Tap Build number 7 times to enable Developer Options.

    2025-02-05_USB-Debugging.jpg
    2025-02-05_USB-Debugging.jpg

    • Go to Settings > System > Developer options > Enable USB debugging (also with Wireless debugging).

    1. Install ADB and scrcpy:

      Windows via Chocolatey(Run as Administrator)

      choco install adb scrcpy -y

      Linux Platform (Ubuntu/Debian)

      sudo apt install adb scrcpy -y

    Use scrcpy via ADB

    1. Connect Android device to computer via USB.

      • Ensure the device is recognized by running:

        adb devices
      • If device is listed, you're ready to proceed. If not, check USB connection and drivers.

    2. Run scrcpy:

      • Open a terminal or command prompt and simply run:

        scrcpy
      • This will launch the scrcpy window, mirroring Android device's screen.

    3. Wireless Connection (Optional):

      • If you want to use scrcpy wirelessly, follow these steps:

        1. Connect device via USB initially.
        2. Enable wireless debugging:

    2025-02-05_Wireless-Debugging.jpg
    2025-02-05_Wireless-Debugging.jpg

        - Go to **Settings** > **Developer options** > Enable **Wireless debugging**.

 3. Pair device with computer:

    2025-02-05_Pair.jpg
    2025-02-05_Pair.jpg

    adb pair <IP>:<PORT>
        (Replace `<IP>` and `<PORT>` with the values shown in the Wireless debugging settings on device.)

    ```bash
     adb pair 172.16.8.56:35953
    ```

    Enter pairing code: `672265`

    > Successfully paired to 172.16.8.56:34121 [guid=adb-DYDMMFWC6XFAX4MN-2bJXjj]

    

 4. Disconnect the USB cable.

 5. Connect wirelessly:

    2025-02-05_connect.jpg
    2025-02-05_connect.jpg

    adb connect <IP>:<PORT>
    adb connect 172.16.8.56:34121
        > connected to 172.16.8.56:34041

 6. Run `scrcpy` as usual:

    2025-02-05_154955.jpg
    2025-02-05_154955.jpg

    scrcpy
     7. Run `scrcpy` with TCP/IP:

    ```bash
    scrcpy --tcpip=<IP>:<PORT>
    ```

    ```bash
    scrcpy --tcpip=172.16.8.56:34121
    ```

    > `scrcpy --tcpip=<IP>:<PORT>` allows direct connection to Android device over Wi-Fi.

    Common scrcpy Commands and Options

    scrcpy supports many command-line options for customization. Here are some useful ones:

    • Reduce resolution:

      scrcpy -m1024

      (Scales the device screen to a maximum width of 1024 pixels.)

    • Limit frame rate:

      scrcpy --max-fps 30

      (Limits the frame rate to 30 FPS.)

    • Record the screen:

      scrcpy --record file.mp4

      (Records the screen to a file named file.mp4.)

    • Disable screen mirroring (only control):

      scrcpy --no-display

      (Useful for controlling the device without displaying its screen.)

    • Turn off the device screen:

      scrcpy --turn-screen-off

      (Mirrors the device but turns off its screen.)

    • Copy device clipboard to computer:

      scrcpy --forward-all-clipboard

      (Syncs the clipboard between the device and computer.)

    • Rotate the device screen:

      scrcpy --rotation 1

      (Rotates the device screen. Values: 0 (no rotation), 1 (90°), 2 (180°), 3 (270°).)

    Keyboard and Mouse Controls

    Conclusion

    ADB and Scrcpy are powerful tools for managing and controlling Android devices.

    With ADB, can push and install APKs, while Scrcpy allows to mirror and control device’s screen with ease.

    Reference

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