Setting Up ADB for Android Development

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a powerful tool used for debugging and testing Android applications. It allows developers to interact with their devices or emulators, install and uninstall applications, and debug their code. However, some users may encounter an error message stating that ‘adb’ is not recognized as an internal or external command. In this tutorial, we will walk through the steps to set up ADB for Android development.

Installing ADB

ADB is included in the Android SDK platform-tools package. To install ADB, you need to download and install the Android SDK from the official Android website. Once installed, you can find the ADB executable file in the platform-tools directory of your Android SDK installation.

Setting Up Environment Variables

To use ADB from any directory in your command prompt or terminal, you need to add the platform-tools directory to your system’s environment variables. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Find the path to the platform-tools directory: The location of this directory may vary depending on where you installed the Android SDK. Common locations include:
   • C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\platform-tools
   • C:\Program Files\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools
2. Open System Properties:
   • On Windows 7 and earlier, go to Start > Control Panel > System > Advanced System Settings.
   • On Windows 8 and later, press the Windows key + Pause/Break on your keyboard or search for "System" in the Start menu.
3. Environment Variables:
   • Click on "Environment Variables".
   • Under "User variables for [your username]", scroll down and find the "Path" variable, then click "Edit".
4. Append the platform-tools path:
   • If there is no semicolon at the end of the existing Path value, add one.
   • Append the path to the platform-tools directory (e.g., %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\platform-tools or C:\Program Files\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools) to the Path variable.

Verifying ADB Installation

After setting up your environment variables, open a new command prompt or terminal window. Type the following command and press Enter:

adb devices

If ADB is installed correctly, you should see a list of connected devices or emulators.

Temporary Solution

If you don’t want to modify your system’s environment variables permanently, you can use a temporary solution. Navigate to the platform-tools directory in your command prompt or terminal and run your ADB commands from there. Alternatively, you can set the Path variable for the current session only:

set PATH=%PATH%;C:\Program Files\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools

Remember that this temporary solution will only work for the current command prompt or terminal session.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have covered the steps to set up ADB for Android development. By installing the Android SDK and setting up environment variables, you can use ADB from any directory in your command prompt or terminal. If you encounter any issues during the setup process, refer to the official Android documentation or seek help from online communities.