ADB
Also called: android debug bridge, adb shell
ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is the command-line tool for communicating with an Android device — installing packages, reading logs, running shell commands and automating input. It is the standard interface for controlling a device programmatically.
ADB has three parts: a client on your machine, a daemon on the device, and a server brokering between them. Once connected — over USB or over the network — it exposes the device to scripting. This is how developers install debug builds, how test suites drive apps, and how anyone operating devices at scale automates work that would otherwise be manual tapping.
What it is used for
- adb install — push an APK onto the device without an app store.
- adb shell — run commands directly on the device, including input events.
- adb logcat — read system logs, which is where app crashes and errors surface.
- adb pull and push — move files between device and host.
ADB in a cloud environment
When devices live in a datacenter rather than on your desk, ADB access is usually offered over the network. That makes the same tooling work — existing test scripts, Appium suites and custom automation run unchanged against a remote device. It is worth confirming a provider offers real ADB rather than only a proprietary API, because it determines whether the tooling you already have will transfer.
Note that enabling ADB is itself a device state an app can observe. A device with developer options and USB debugging permanently on is not in a default configuration, which matters for some workloads and not for others.