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ADB - Quick Reference Guide

⚠️ Note: Make sure your device has USB Debugging enabled and that it is authorized to connect via ADB.

🔄 Restart ADB Server​

adb kill-server
adb start-server

🔁 Device Rebooting​

Reboot the device​
adb reboot
Reboot the device into recovery mode (for upgrading or downgrading devices)​
adb reboot recovery

🔧 Common Device Controls​

info

To simulate physical button presses, use the command adb shell input keyevent <KEYCODE>.

Common examples include:

  • 3 → KEYCODE_HOME
  • 26 → KEYCODE_POWER
  • 82 → KEYCODE_MENU (often used to unlock the screen)

You can find the full list of keycodes in the official Android KeyEvent reference.

adb shell input keyevent 3      # Home (KEYCODE_HOME)
adb shell input keyevent 26     # Power (KEYCODE_POWER)
adb shell input keyevent 82     # Unlock (KEYCODE_MENU)
adb shell input keyevent KEYCODE_WAKEUP # Wake up the device
adb shell input text 'HelloWorld'   # Send a string of characters
adb shell input tap 487 428  # Example: tap at coordinates (487,428)
# You can find X and Y coordinates by enabling 'Pointer location' in Developer Options on the device.
adb shell input swipe 356 1257 356 100  # Swipe from bottom to top
# Format: swipe <x1> <y1> <x2> <y2> [duration_ms]
# Example: swipe from (356,1257) to (356,100) over 300ms (default)

⚙️ Device Configuration​

adb shell am start -a android.settings.SETTINGS     # Open Settings
adb shell settings get global device_name      # Get the device name
adb shell settings put global device_name "Device_XXX"    # Put the device name
adb shell settings put system screen_brightness 125     # Setting the device brightness
adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 3    # Enable Stay awake
adb shell settings put global stay_on_while_plugged_in 0    # Disable Stay awake
📴 Allow applications from unknown sources​
Security Warning

Enabling this setting allows installation of apps from outside the Play Store. Make sure the APKs come from trusted sources.

adb shell settings put secure install_non_market_apps 1     # Android 8.0+
adb shell cmd package set-home-activity com.example.launcher/.MainActivity
🔉 Sound levels​
adb shell settings put system volume_music_speaker 0
adb shell settings put system volume_notification_speaker 0
adb shell settings put system volume_ring_speaker 0
adb shell settings put system volume_system_speaker 0
🔗 Screen rotation​
adb shell settings put system accelerometer_rotation 0  # accelerometer_rotation: auto-rotation, 0 disable, 1 enable
adb shell settings put system user_rotation 3      # user_rotation: actual rotation, clockwise, 0 0°, 1 90°, 2 180°, 3 270°
🇫🇷 Device language​
info

A device reboot is needed

adb shell settings get system system_locales
adb shell settings put system system_locales fr-FR
👀 Disable USB Debugging mode​
Security Warning

The enable command has no sense. You cannot send ADB commands to the terminal if the Debug mode is disabled

adb shell settings put global adb_enabled 0
🏠 MDM Default HOME​

The "home app" must be installed and active

adb shell cmd package set-home-activity com.telelogos.mediacontact/com.telelogos.mckiosk.McKioskActivity
🎹 Keyboard management​
adb shell settings get secure default_input_method      # Get the current keyboard
adb shell ime list -s       # List of available keyboards
adb shell ime enable com.android.inputmethod.latin/.LatinIME
adb shell ime set com.android.inputmethod.latin/.LatinIME
adb shell ime disable com.android.inputmethod.latin/.LatinIME

🚫 Disable System Updates​

To prevent Android from downloading security or system updates:

adb shell settings put system security_update_db 0
adb shell settings put system SOFTWARE_UPDATE_WIFI_ONLY2 0
Security Warning

Caution: Disabling updates may expose your device to security risks. Use only in controlled environments.

🌐 Connectivity​

⏰ NTP server​

NTP server not present in all platforms

adb shell settings get global ntp_server
adb shell settings put global ntp_server ntp1.example.net
🌐 WiFi Control & Status​
  • Get Wi-Fi status:
adb shell "dumpsys wifi | grep 'Wi-Fi is'"
  • Enable / Disable Wi-Fi:
adb shell svc wifi enable
adb shell svc wifi disable
  • Open Wi-Fi settings:
adb shell am start -a android.settings.WIRELESS_SETTINGS
  • Get detailed Wi-Fi status:
adb shell dumpsys wifi | grep "mNetworkInfo"
  • "CONNECTED/CONNECTED" → Connected to a valid network
  • "DISCONNECTED/SCANNING" → Wi-Fi is on but not connected
  • "DISCONNECTED/DISCONNECTED" → Wi-Fi is off
📶 Bluetooth Control​
  • Get Bluetooth status:
adb shell settings get global bluetooth_on
  • Enable / Disable Bluetooth:
adb shell settings put global bluetooth_on 1
adb shell settings put global bluetooth_on 0
  • Prompt user to enable / disable:
adb shell am start -a android.bluetooth.adapter.action.REQUEST_ENABLE
adb shell am start -a android.bluetooth.adapter.action.REQUEST_DISABLE

⚠️ A device reboot may be required for persistent change.

📡 NFC Toggle​
  • Check NFC status:
adb shell dumpsys nfc
  • Enable / Disable NFC:
adb shell svc nfc enable
adb shell svc nfc disable

Or using service calls:

adb shell service call nfc 7   # Enable
adb shell service call nfc 6   # Disable
🛡️ Google Play Protect​
  • Check Play Protect status:
adb shell settings get global package_verifier_user_consent
  • Enable / Disable:
adb shell settings put global package_verifier_user_consent 1
adb shell settings put global package_verifier_user_consent -1

🧾 Get Device Info​

adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release      # Get Android version
adb shell getprop ro.build.display.id           # Get Build number
adb shell getprop ro.device.patch.version       # Get Patch number
adb shell settings get secure bluetooth_address # Get BT MAC address
adb shell ip addr show wlan0  | grep 'inet ' | cut -d ' ' -f 6 | cut -d / -f 1      # Get IP address

📁 File Management​

adb push local.txt /sdcard/     # Copy from the local source to the device
# Format: push <local path> <device path>
adb pull /sdcard/file.txt .     # Copy from the device to the local source
# Format: pull <device path> <local path>
adb shell rm /sdcard/file.txt   # Delete a file
adb shell mkdir "/sdcard/ExampleDir/" > NUL    # Create a directory
adb shell rmdir "/sdcard/ExampleDir/"      # Delete a directory

📝 Logcat​

adb logcat -c       # Clear logcat (all log buffers)
adb logcat -f log.txt   # Dump logs to a file on your local machine
Debugging Tip

Use adb logcat -s <tag>:V *:S to filter logs by a specific tag (e.g., BTPairing, TellNext, Calibrate, SpeakerNext, EVAPlayer)

📌 Examples

Print only BTPairing and TellNext logs (verbose):

adb logcat BTPairing:V TellNext:V *:S

Print logs for VoiXtreme and NUANCE engines:

adb logcat VoiXtreme:V NUANCE:V *:S
💾 Logcat Buffer Management​
adb logcat -g   # Check current buffer size
adb logcat -G 16M   # Set buffer size (e.g., 16 MB)
🛠️ Activate Specific Log Tags​

If logs are not showing (e.g., after reboot), you may need to re-enable a specific tag:

adb shell setprop log.tag.<MyAppTag> DEBUG

📌 Example

Enable log output for SpeakerNext:

adb shell setprop log.tag.SpeakerNext DEBUG

📦 Devices​

🧿 List Bonded (Paired) Bluetooth Devices​

To identify the system service responsible for Bluetooth, run:

adb shell "dumpsys -l | grep bluetooth"

This will return the service name related to Bluetooth (usually bluetooth_manager or similar), useful for diagnostics or deeper inspection.

To list all devices that are bonded (i.e., previously paired) with the Android device:

adb shell "dumpsys bluetooth_manager | sed -n '/Bonded devices:/,/^$/p'"

This command extracts only the portion of the output that includes bonded devices.

📌 Example Output

Bonded devices:
Device: 00:11:22:33:44:55 Name: SpeakerXYZ
Device: AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF Name: Headset123

💡 You can combine this with adb shell dumpsys bluetooth_manager | grep -i <device_name_or_mac> to filter results.

📦 App Management​

adb install myapp.apk
adb shell pm install -g "/sdcard/application.apk" --user all    # Installs an apk with all permissions grantes for all users
adb shell pm list packages      # List installed packages
adb shell pm list packages -3   # List installed 3rd-party packages
adb shell dumpsys window windows | grep mCurrentFocus   # Find the app currently on screen
🚀 Launch an App​
  1. Get the ActivityName of the app:
adb shell dumpsys package <packageName> | grep Activity
  1. Start the app using:
adb shell am start -n <ActivityName>

📌 Example – Launch BT Pairing

adb shell dumpsys package com.tellnext.bluetooth_pairing | grep Activity
adb shell am start -n com.tellnext.bluetooth_pairing/com.tellnext.StarterActivity
♿ Accessibility Services​
  • Enable Service
  1. Find the service name:
adb shell dumpsys package <packageName>
  1. Enable it:
adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services <serviceName>

📌 Example – Enable BT Pairing Service

adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.tellnext.bluetooth_pairing/com.tellnext.accessibility_service.BTAccessibilityService

💡 If enabling multiple services, separate them with a colon ::

adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services service1:service2
  • Disable Accessibility by Stopping App
adb shell am force-stop <packageName>
❌ Kill an App​
adb shell am force-stop <packageName>

📌 Example – Kill BT Pairing

adb shell am force-stop com.tellnext.bluetooth_pairing
🔔 Notifications​
  • Disable notifications:
adb shell cmd appops set <packageName> POST_NOTIFICATION ignore
  • Enable notifications:
adb shell cmd appops set <packageName> POST_NOTIFICATION allow

📌 Example

adb shell cmd appops set com.google.android.talk POST_NOTIFICATION ignore
✅ Grant Specific Permissions​
adb shell cmd appops set <packageName> <permission> allow

📌 Example

adb shell cmd appops set com.telelogos.mediacontact WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE allow
🔐 Set Device Owner / Admin​
adb shell dpm set-active-admin com.telelogos.mediacontact/.McDeviceAdminReceiver
adb shell dpm set-device-owner com.telelogos.mediacontact/.McDeviceAdminReceiver
  • set-active-admin: Activates admin rights for a component
  • set-device-owner: Makes app the device owner
  • set-profile-owner: Assigns profile owner for a user
⏳ Wait for an Activity to Appear​

Example using batch scripting to wait for a specific screen (e.g., KLMS confirmation):

:WAITING_FOR_KLMS
SET KMLS_ACTION=0
echo "---- PENDING ACTION BEFORE KLMS SCREEN APPEARS -----"
timeout /t 1 > NUL
for /f "delims=" %%i in ('%adb% shell "dumpsys activity activities | grep -c \".activities.ConfirmDialog\""') do Set KMLS_ACTION=%%i
if %KMLS_ACTION% EQU 0 (goto WAITING_FOR_KLMS)

🦓 Zebra devices​

Identify MC33 keypad model​
adb shell getprop ro.config.device.keyboard

*Possible responses: 7 (29-key device) / 6 (38-key device) / 5 (47-key device)

🍯 Honeywell devices​

Identify CK65 keypad model​
adb shell getprop ro.hon.plat.keypad

📌 Example

adb shell getprop ro.hon.plat.keypad
qwerty

*Possible responses: qwerty (51-key alpha) / numeric (38-key numeric)