Traditionally, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) has been used over a wired connection to issue commands from a computer to an Android phone. You can use this tool over a wireless connection as well, and it’s easier than you might think.

Step 1. Enable Developer Options on Android

The first thing to do is toactivate the Developer Options menu on your phoneto enable wireless debugging. This menu comes disabled by default, but you can unhide it with a few taps.

The exact steps to unhide Developer Options vary by the phone model you use. The following steps give you a general idea of where to find the option.

The ADB folder’s path highlighted in File Explorer.

Start by launching the Settings app on your Android phone. Scroll the menu to the bottom and choose “About Device.” On the following page, select “Version.”

On the Version page, tap the entry named “Build Number” seven times. As soon as you do this, you’ll see a toast message confirming you’re a developer.

The ‘adb pair’ command typed in Command Prompt.

The following screenshot says, “No Need, You Are Already a Developer,” because I’ve already enabled Developer Options on my phone.

And you’re done.

Step 2. Turn On Wireless Debugging

After unhiding Developer Options, turn on the wireless debugging option tosend commands from your computer to your phone.

To do that, launch Settings and select “System Settings.” On the following screen, choose the newly activated “Developer Options” item.

Command Prompt asking for the wireless ADB debugging pairing code.

Scroll down the open menu and enable the “Wireless Debugging” option. In the open prompt, choose “Allow” to allow your phone to be debugged on the current Wi-Fi network.

You’re set.

Step 3. Pair Your Computer With Your Android Phone

It’s time topair your Android phone with your computerso they can communicate with each other. To do that, on your phone, head into Settings > System Settings > Developer Options > Wireless Debugging. Here, tap “Pair Device With Pairing Code” to see a pairing code, your phone’s IP address, and the port number.

The following steps are for a Windows PC. If you’re on Mac or Linux, download the package for your respective operating system.

The ‘adb devices’ command typed in Command Prompt.

Launch a web browser on your PC and head toGoogle’s Platform Tools webpage. Here, download the tool’s Windows version and extract the file on your computer. Open the extracted folder, access the “platform-tools” directory, andcopy the current folder pathfrom File Explorer’s address bar.

Open Windows Search, typeCommand Prompt, and select “Run as Administrator.” In the User Account Control prompt, choose “Yes.”

‘View Advanced System Settings’ highlighted in Windows Search.

On the Command Prompt window, type the following command replacingPATHwith the path you copied and press Enter. This makes ADB the current working directory in CMD.

Next, type then following command replacingIP:PORTwith the actual IP address and the port number displayed on your phone’s screen. Then, press Enter.

‘Advanced’ and ‘Environment Variables’ highlighted in System Properties.

If you get an error running the “adb pair” command, ensure you’re using the latest version of Google’s platform tools.

Command Prompt will ask you to enter the pairing code. Type the code shown on your phone’s screen and press Enter.

‘Path’ and ‘Edit’ highlighted in Environment Variables.

Command Prompt will say that you’ve successfully paired your computer with your phone. You’ll also see your computer as a paired device on your phone.

To now connect your computer to your phone to be able to run commands, use the following command. Here, replaceIP:PORTwith the IP address and the port number displayed on the Wireless Debugging screen on your phone.

‘New,’ ADB’s folder path, and ‘OK’ highlighted in Edit Environment Variable.

Your computer is now connected to your phone.

Step 4. Run ADB Commands Wirelessly

You’re now ready to execute commands on your phone from your computer. To check if ADB recognizes your phone, run the following command:

Your phone should be listed in the device list, confirming ADB recognizes it.

Add ADB to Windows’ System Path

Each time you want to run an ADB command from your computer, you’ll have to make ADB the current working directory. To not have to go through that hassle,add the ADB directory to Windows’ system path. you may then run any adb command from any directory in Command Prompt.

To do that, open Windows Search, typeView Advanced System Settingsand select the item with that name.

Access the “Advanced” tab and choose “Environment Variables.”

In the System Variables section, click “Path” and choose the “Edit” button.

On the open window, click “New” to add a new path. Paste the full path to the ADB folder (where adb.exe exists) and click “OK.”

And that’s it. You can now use ADB commands without making ADB the current working directory in Command Prompt.

Useful ADB Commands You Can Use

ADB offers many commands that you can use to perform tasks on your Android phone. You cansideload applicationsand eventake screenshots on your phonefrom your computer. Here are a few useful commands.

And that’s how you pair with your Android device from your computer over a wireless ADB connection. I hope you enjoy communicating with your phone without the mess of any cables!