Use ADB to Push Files / Install APKs and Control Android Devices with Scrcpy

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a versatile command-line tool that allows users to interact with Android devices.

scrcpy is a powerful tool that allows users to control and mirror Android device’s screen on computer.

Prerequisites:

1. Enable Developer Options on Android device:

   

   • Go to Settings > About phone.
   • Tap Build number 7 times until you see a message saying “You are now a developer!”

2. Enable USB Debugging:

   

   • Go to Settings > System > Developer options.
   • Enable USB debugging.

3. Install ADB on computer:

• Windows Platform (via Chocolatey)

  Open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as Administrator).

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@"%SystemRoot%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" -NoProfile -InputFormat None -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))" && SET "PATH=%PATH%;%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\chocolatey\bin"

Close and reopen the Command Prompt to ensure the installation is recognized.

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choco install adb
adb --version

• Linux Platform (Ubuntu/Debian)

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sudo apt install adb -y
adb version

Part 1: Pushing Files to an Android Device Using ADB

1. Connect Android device to computer via USB.

   • Make sure the device is recognized by running:

     1	adb devices

   • If device is listed, you’re ready to proceed. If not, check USB connection and drivers.

2. Push File(s) to the device:

   • Use the adb push command to copy the file to a directory on device. For example:

     1	adb push path/to/app.apk /sdcard/

   

   1	adb push .\Cover.jpeg /storage/emulated/0/Backup/

   This command copies Cover.jpeg to the /storage/emulated/0/Backup/ directory on device.

3. Install the APK:

   • Use the adb install command to install the APK directly:

     1	adb install path/to/app.apk

   • If the APK is already on the device (e.g., in /sdcard/), you can install it using:

     1	adb shell pm install /sdcard/app.apk

4. Verify the installation:

   • Check if the app is installed by searching for it on device or using:

     1	adb shell pm list packages | grep package.name

Notes:

• If you encounter permission issues, you may need to remount the system partition as read-write (requires root access):

  1 2	adb root adb remount

• For system apps, you may need to push the APK to /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/ and set the correct permissions.

Example:

• Push the APK to the device

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adb push app.apk /sdcard/

• Install the APK

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adb install /sdcard/app.apk

• Alternatively, install directly from computer

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adb install path/to/app.apk

That’s it! You’ve successfully pushed and installed an APK using ADB.

Part 2: Using Scrcpy to Mirror and Control Android Device

Prerequisites

1. Enable USB Debugging on Android device:

   

   • Go to Settings > About phone > Tap Build number 7 times to enable Developer Options.

   

   • Go to Settings > System > Developer options > Enable USB debugging (also with Wireless debugging).

2. Install ADB and scrcpy:

   Windows via Chocolatey(Run as Administrator)

   1	choco install adb scrcpy -y

   Linux Platform (Ubuntu/Debian)

   1	sudo apt install adb scrcpy -y

Use scrcpy via ADB

1. Connect Android device to computer via USB.

   • Ensure the device is recognized by running:

     1	adb devices

   • If device is listed, you’re ready to proceed. If not, check USB connection and drivers.

2. Run scrcpy:

   • Open a terminal or command prompt and simply run:

     1

     scrcpy

   • This will launch the scrcpy window, mirroring Android device’s screen.

3. Wireless Connection (Optional):

   • If you want to use scrcpy wirelessly, follow these steps:

     1. Connect device via USB initially.

     2. Enable wireless debugging:

        

        • Go to Settings > Developer options > Enable Wireless debugging.

     3. Pair device with computer:

        

     1	adb pair <IP>:<PORT>

     (Replace <IP> and <PORT> with the values shown in the Wireless debugging settings on device.)

     1	adb pair 172.16.8.56:34121

     Enter pairing code: 672265

     Successfully paired to 172.16.8.56:34121 [guid=adb-DYDMMFWC6XFAX4MN-2bJXjj]

     4. Disconnect the USB cable.

     5. Connect wirelessly:

        

        1	adb connect <IP>:<PORT>

        1	adb connect 172.16.8.56:34121

        connected to 172.16.8.56:34041

     6. Run scrcpy as usual:

        

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        scrcpy

     7. Run scrcpy with TCP/IP:

        1	scrcpy --tcpip=<IP>:<PORT>

        1	scrcpy --tcpip=172.16.8.56:34121

        scrcpy --tcpip=<IP>:<PORT> allows direct connection to Android device over Wi-Fi.

Common scrcpy Commands and Options

scrcpy supports many command-line options for customization. Here are some useful ones:

• Reduce resolution:

  1	scrcpy -m1024

  (Scales the device screen to a maximum width of 1024 pixels.)

• Limit frame rate:

  1	scrcpy --max-fps 30

  (Limits the frame rate to 30 FPS.)

• Record the screen:

  1	scrcpy --record file.mp4

  (Records the screen to a file named file.mp4.)

• Disable screen mirroring (only control):

  1	scrcpy --no-display

  (Useful for controlling the device without displaying its screen.)

• Turn off the device screen:

  1	scrcpy --turn-screen-off

  (Mirrors the device but turns off its screen.)

• Copy device clipboard to computer:

  1	scrcpy --forward-all-clipboard

  (Syncs the clipboard between the device and computer.)

• Rotate the device screen:

  1	scrcpy --rotation 1

  (Rotates the device screen. Values: 0 (no rotation), 1 (90°), 2 (180°), 3 (270°).)

Keyboard and Mouse Controls

• Right-click triggers BACK
• Middle-click triggers HOME
• Alt+f toggles fullscreen
• There are many other shortcuts

Conclusion

ADB and Scrcpy are powerful tools for managing and controlling Android devices.

With ADB, can push and install APKs, while Scrcpy allows to mirror and control device’s screen with ease.

Reference

• https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy

Related

• SCRCPY 軟件 - 電腦鏡像及控制手機