ADB is one of the most powerful tools in an Android developer's arsenal — and one of the most underused. Most developers know adb install and adb logcat. Here are five less-known tips that will save you real time.
1 Connect to Multiple Devices Simultaneously
Most developers don't realize ADB can manage multiple devices at once. Use -s flag to target a specific device:
# List all connected devices
adb devices
# Output: emulator-5554, 192.168.1.5:5555
# Target specific device
adb -s emulator-5554 logcat
adb -s 192.168.1.5:5555 install app.apkNo need to disconnect one device to work with another. Both can run simultaneously.
2 Screen Record Directly via ADB
You don't need a third-party app to record your Android screen. ADB has it built in:
# Start recording (press Ctrl+C to stop)
adb shell screenrecord /sdcard/demo.mp4
# Pull the video to your computer
adb pull /sdcard/demo.mp4 ./demo.mp4Records directly to the device, then pulls to your computer. Quality is excellent — same as what Android's built-in screen recorder produces.
Pro tip: You can also set a maximum recording time:
adb shell screenrecord --time-limit 30 /sdcard/demo.mp43 Take Screenshots Without Touching Your Phone
Perfect for documentation, bug reports, and demos:
adb exec-out screencap -p > screenshot.pngOne command. Screenshot saved directly to your computer. No need to pull from device storage.
Why exec-out? It streams the data directly to stdout, making it perfect for piping to a file on your computer.
4 Forward Ports for Local Server Testing
Testing a web app running on localhost? You don't need to find your computer's IP. ADB port forwarding lets your phone access your computer's localhost:
adb reverse tcp:3000 tcp:3000After this, your Android app can hit http://localhost:3000 and it will reach your computer's port 3000.
Works wirelessly too — extremely useful for React Native and Flutter web development.
5 Install APK and Launch App in One Command
Instead of installing and then manually finding and opening the app:
adb install app.apk && adb shell monkey -p com.your.package 1The monkey command with count 1 just launches the app. Combine with install and you have a one-liner deploy-and-launch workflow.
Even faster: Use the -r flag to reinstall (update) an existing app:
adb install -r app.apk && adb shell monkey -p com.your.package 1Bonus: Skip the Commands Entirely
All of these assume you're comfortable with the terminal. If you want wireless ADB without any commands — that's exactly what AirADB is for.
One click. Wireless connection. No terminal needed.