The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a command-line tool from Google that allows direct communication between a computer and an Android device. Wireless Debugging is a native feature introduced in Android 11 that allows wireless ADB connections directly from the device's settings, with no need to start over USB. It's the most modern and practical method for Players without an accessible USB port or that operate entirely wirelessly.
Prerequisites
- Device with Android 11 or newer
- Device and computer on the same Wi-Fi network
- ADB installed on the computer (version 30.0.0 or newer recommended)
- Developer Mode enabled
- "Wireless Debugging" option enabled in Developer Options
Steps
- On the device, go to Settings > Developer Options > Wireless Debugging and enable it.
- Inside the Wireless Debugging screen, tap "Pair device with code". The device will display:
- An IP address and pairing port (e.g.
192.168.1.100:37001) - A 6-digit pairing code (e.g.
123456)
- An IP address and pairing port (e.g.
- On the computer, run the pairing command with the IP and port shown on the screen:
adb pair 192.168.1.100:37001 # Enter the code when prompted: 123456 - After pairing, go back to the Wireless Debugging screen and note the connection IP and port shown — this port is different from the pairing port (e.g.
192.168.1.100:42389). - Connect to the device using this connection port:
adb connect 192.168.1.100:42389 - Confirm the connection:
adb devices
Notes:
- The connection port changes with every Wireless Debugging session — always check the current port on the device when reconnecting.
- Pairing (
adb pair) only needs to be done once per computer; subsequent reconnections only needadb connectwith the current port.
Troubleshooting
-
Device doesn't appear in
adb devicesafteradb connect— The connection port may have changed; check the current IP and port in Developer Options > Wireless Debugging and runadb connectagain with the current values. -
adb pairreturns an authentication error — The pairing code expired; generate a new one via "Pair device with code" and try again. The code is single-use and expires within a few minutes. - Wireless Debugging option doesn't appear in Developer Options — Check the Android version in Settings > About device; this feature requires Android 11 or newer. If the device runs Android 10 or earlier, use ADB via Wi-Fi instead.
-
ADB is not recognized as a command in the terminal — Download Android Platform Tools and extract it to an easily accessible folder. Add the folder path to the OS PATH: macOS/Linux — add
export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/platform-toolsto~/.bashrcor~/.zshrc. Windows — add it via Control Panel > System > Environment Variables. Restart the terminal and confirm withadb version.