Connect to ADB running on another Android device over the network
Not recently updated — last update was on 2022-06-28.
This app may no longer be actively maintained.
Remote ADB Shell lets you connect to the ADB shell service on remote Android devices over the network for terminal access and debugging. It supports multiple concurrent connections and keeps sessions alive in the background, all without requiring root, backed by an open-source Java ADB library. Not ranked in any top list, it has 500,000+ total downloads and 2.3K in the last 30 days, and has been available for 4719 days.
Pros & Cons
No root required on either device
Supports multiple simultaneous connections
Background operation keeps sessions alive
Open-source components (BSD license for the ADB library and Apache-licensed source)
Initial connection may require a computer for RSA key acceptance on Android 4.2.2, making setup technical
Non-root targets may require manual configuration via a computer (e.g., enabling ADB over network with adb tcpip 5555)
Requires upfront IP and port configuration to connect to remote devices
About Remote ADB Shell
Remote ADB Shell is a tools app developed by Cameron Gutman.
How many times has Remote ADB Shell been downloaded?
Remote ADB Shell has been downloaded 740 thousand times. In the last 30 days, the app was downloaded 2.3 thousand times.
What is the rating of Remote ADB Shell?
Remote ADB Shell is rated 3.90 out of 5 stars, based on 970 ratings.
Is Remote ADB Shell free?
Remote ADB Shell is free to download. The APK download size is 565.09 kB. The latest version available is 1.7.2. The last update was on June 28, 2022.
What are the requirements for Remote ADB Shell?
Remote ADB Shell requires Android 4.0+ or higher. The app has a content rating of Everyone. The app has been available on Google Play July 2013.
Description
Remote ADB Shell is a terminal app that allows you to connect to the ADB shell service of other Android devices over the network and execute terminal commands. This can be useful for remotely debugging Android devices (running tools like top, logcat, or dumpsys). It supports multiple simultaneous connections to different devices and keeps these connections alive even when the app is in the background. This app does not require root on either device, but root may be helpful to configure the target devices. If the target devices are not rooted, you must use a computer with the Android SDK and Google USB drivers to configure the them (detailed below).
This app is a wrapper around the shell that is exposed over ADB. It maintains a 15 command history which is accessible by long pressing the command box. Long pressing the terminal display itself will give the option to send a Ctrl+C, toggle auto-scrolling, or exit the terminal session.
This works in the exact same way that the "adb shell" command works on a computer. Because this app uses a native implementation of the ADB protocol in Java, it does not require root on either device or any 3rd party apps on the target device. The devices simply speak the same protocol to each other that they would to a computer running the ADB client from the Android SDK.
IMPORTANT: Devices running Android 4.2.2 and later use RSA keys to authenticate the ADB connection. In my testing, devices running 4.2.2 will need to be plugged in to a computer the first time you connect to them (from each device with this app installed). This allows them to display the public key acceptance dialog, which you must accept (and check "Always allow from this computer"). Devices running Android 4.3 and 4.4 seem to have no problem displaying the dialog without a connection to a computer, so it looks like this is a workaround specific to Android 4.2.2.
To configure a stock un-rooted target, plug the target device into a computer that has the Android SDK installed and run "adb tcpip 5555" from the Android SDK's platform-tools folder. This will start ADB listening on port 5555 on the target device. The device can then be unplugged and will remain configured properly until reboot.
For devices that are rooted (although it's not required), you can install one of the several "ADB WiFi" apps to enable the ADB server to listen over the network. Devices with a custom ROM may have an option to enable ADB over the network in the Developer Options pane of Settings. Using either of these methods will properly configure ADB for network access with this app. The extra step for 4.2.2 is still required for the initial connection.
To connect to your remote Android device, type in the IP address of the device and the port number (5555 from the example above) in Remote ADB Shell. Tap Connect and it will attempt to connect to the device and start up the terminal.
Developers: The custom Java ADB library I've written for this app is open-source under the BSD license at https://github.com/cgutman/AdbLib
The source for this app is available under the Apache license: https://github.com/cgutman/RemoteAdbShell
Recent changes: v1.7.2 - Fixed several reported crashes
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Great experience! Problematic when APK added on other device due to not allowed APK file in bin folder kindly change folder path to allow place APK file.
★★★★★Josh· May 17, 2022
Worked exactly as I needed it to for changing some settings on my Amazon fire stick when I didn't have a computer available. Easy, took a couple of minutes and done. 👍 Good job dev.
★★★★☆David Slutsky· Sep 23, 2020
In general doing the job, the app can be improved by adding an option to use adb on another device using OTG and allowing to paste commands to the input box from the clipboard.
★★★★★nikos koumoundouros· Dec 29, 2023
Great app for easy adb commands on my android head unit Ossuret S6. Thank you developer
★★★★★jan harald· Apr 23, 2021
Horrible experience, but it's THE SINGULAR app I've found that has actual on-device adb... consider using a proper terminal, like jackal's one? No persistent command history, very small input and output areas, non-configurabke everything, etc...
★☆☆☆☆C Marx Chako· Dec 10, 2024
Can I use this app on the host phone and do I need to actually install adb lins on my phone or what? I am getting an error msg "/system/bin/sh; adb: inaccessible or not found" When trying to run an adb she'll command "adb shell pm grant com.tribalfs.pixels android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS."
★☆☆☆☆James Reynolds· Oct 21, 2021
Doesn't work. When trying to connect to another device over the Wi-Fi it connects to itself.
Google Play Rankings for Remote ADB Shell
This app is not ranked
Technologies used by Remote ADB Shell
3 permissions·6 libraries
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Trust & Safety: Requested permissions (FOREGROUND_SERVICE, INTERNET, WAKE_LOCK) are standard for background network tools and do not access sensitive user data. The app uses open-source BSD-licensed libraries and Apache-licensed source, reflecting transparent, community-audited components. No root access is required.
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![ADB Shell [Tasker Plugin] icon](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QHkneKsVhJTbNXl7CQiqSjK53Zbr8d82jzZs8QfMeACMjE5MbPlVW8MFI3FY6MH0pkvBNIf-JEnvO-WAQ48LnS4qGNWfskQXh22i=s96-rw)
![Logcat [NO ROOT] icon](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xg7K7BKG_9NMXSPPI2Zz7d1czjQKZf-dbz3ZWD2ycqsBlE8A5qu4kpEpxDlLHHVXqqlJV2FnGdgmxV-oahnJ4R2VOYZtb67LawME=s96-rw)
