Last week, we showed youhow to install ADB and fastboot on any OS.
Theyare not direct instructionsand not all commands work on all devices.
It’s perhaps better to think of this as a glossary.
Be sure to research your specific phone or tablet before throwing commands at it.
you could use ADB while your phone is plugged in to a computer.
you could also use ADB with your machine wirelessly by followingthese instructions.
adb devicesFunction:Check connection and get basic information about devices connected to the computer.
When using ADB, this is probably the first one command you’ll run.
It will return a list of all devices that you have connected to your setup.
adb reboot recoveryFunction:Reboot your phone into recovery mode.
A lot of functions likeflashing ROMs to your phonerequire you to boot into recovery mode.
This command allows you to boot directly into recovery mode without performing the complex finger dance of your people.
adb reboot-bootloaderFunction:Reboot your phone into bootloader mode.
Once you’re in the bootloader, ADB won’t work anymore.
That’s where fastboot comes in (which we’ll get to in a bit).
adb push [source] [destination]Function:Copy files from your gear to your phone.
The push command allows you to copy files from your box to your phone without touching your gadget.
This is particularly handy for copying large files from your rig to your phone like movies or ROMs.
adb pullFunction:Copy files from your phone to your gear.
When pulling files, you’re able to choose to leave out the destination parameter.
In that case, the file will be copied to the folder on your box where ADB itself lives.
you might then move it to wherever you’d prefer like normal.
adb install [source.apk]Function:Remotely install APKs on your phone.
you’re free to use this command to install an app on your phone without touching it.
adb shell [command]Function:Open or run commands in a terminal on the host Android equipment.
Welove the terminalhere at Lifehacker.
There areso many great thingsyou can do with it.
However, the adb shell command allows you to open up a full terminal on the host gear.
adb backupFunction:Create a full backup of your phone and save to the computer.
Backing up your Android phone is already something youcan and should be doing automatically.
you’re free to read more about the parameters for this commandand there are a lot of themhere.
adb restoreFunction:Restore a backup to your phone.
adb sideloadFunction:Push and flash custom ROMs and zips from your setup.
This command is a relative newcomer to the ADB field and is only supported by some custom recoveries.
These commands are just some of the more useful ones you might use with ADB installed on your setup.
That being said, here are some of the most useful tools in fastboot’s arsenal.
fastboot oem unlockFunction:Unlock your bootloader, making root access possible.
With a Nexus unit, you could unlock your bootloader with a single command.
From there, you’ll be allowed to install custom recoveries or give yourself root access.
It should be noted, this command will also completely wipe your phone.
fastboot devicesFunction:Check connection and get basic information about devices connected to the computer.
This is essentially the same command as adb devices from earlier.
However, it works in the bootloader, which ADB does not.
Handy for ensuring that you have properly established a connection.
fastboot flash recoveryFunction:Flash a custom recovery image to your phone.
Flashing a custom recovery is an essential part of theROM-swapper lifestyle.
