22 April 2024 Leave a comment Tech-Help
When working with Android devices and the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a common challenge developers face is ensuring that their devices are properly recognized and listed by the ADB tool. This guide provides a comprehensive solution to address the issue where an Android device does not appear in the list of ADB devices.
Initial Steps for Device Detection
- Ensure that USB debugging is enabled on your Android device.
- Connect your device to your computer via a USB cable.
- Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where your ADB executable is located. This is typically within the SDK’s
platform-toolsdirectory.
Restarting the ADB Server
At times, simply restarting the ADB server can resolve connectivity issues. Execute the following commands:
adb kill-server
adb start-server
adb devices
After restarting the ADB server, your device should be listed under “attached devices.”
Additional Troubleshooting Tips
- If your device is still not detected, try toggling the USB debugging option off and on again.
- Check the USB connection mode on your device. It should typically be set to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). However, some users have found success with the PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) setting, especially on devices with Android 8 Oreo.
- Try using a different USB port on your computer or a different USB cable. The issue might be with the physical connection rather than the software.
- For specific devices, such as the Galaxy S6, enabling Developer options from the device settings might be necessary. This can often be done by tapping the Build number in the About section of your device settings multiple times.
- If you’re on a Mac and experiencing issues, ensure that the device is connected directly to the computer and not through a dongle or hub.
When to Consider Hardware Issues
In some cases, the problem might be hardware-related. If you’ve tried all software troubleshooting steps, consider the following:
- Test with a different USB cable, preferably an official cable from the device manufacturer.
- Inspect the USB ports on both the device and the computer for any physical damage or debris.
How “Repeato” Can Assist
Once your device is successfully connected, you can streamline your testing process with “Repeato”. This no-code test automation tool for iOS and Android allows you to create and run automated tests efficiently. Its ability to work with different app frameworks and execute ADB commands through script steps can significantly aid in automating and maintaining tests for your applications.
For those who are interested in further enhancing their ADB skills, consider reading our articles on topics such as troubleshooting ADB device unauthorized issues, launching Android applications via ADB, and managing ADB shell with multiple connected devices.
