How to Use ADB and Fastboot for Android

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Introduction to ADB and Fastboot
• Chapter 2: How to Install ADB and Fastboot
• Chapter 3: Basic ADB and Fastboot Commands Usage
• Chapter 4: Common ADB and Fastboot Troubleshooting

Introduction to ADB and Fastboot

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and Fastboot are powerful tools that allow communication with the Android operating system. They provide the ability to control various functions of smartphones and tablets, not only for developers but also for general users.

What is ADB?

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a tool that enables developers to send various commands to a device, debug applications, and transfer data. It allows developers to transfer files from a PC to a smartphone, install applications, extract logs, and perform other tasks.

What is Fastboot?

Fastboot, like ADB, is a protocol for communication between Android devices and computers. However, Fastboot is typically used in bootloader mode and is primarily used for tasks such as replacing system images or accessing recovery partitions.

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How to Install ADB and Fastboot

To use ADB and Fastboot, you need to install them on your computer first. This chapter provides instructions on how to install ADB and Fastboot.

Installation on Windows

Windows users can easily install ADB and Fastboot through Google's Android SDK Platform-Tools. Here is a simple installation process:

1. Go to the Android SDK Platform-Tools page.
2. Click the "SDK Platform-Tools for Windows" link to download the files.
3. Extract the downloaded files to the desired location.
4. Add the path to the extracted folder to the system environment variables.

Installation on macOS

macOS users can also install ADB and Fastboot through a similar process:

1. Go to the Android SDK Platform-Tools page.
2. Click the "SDK Platform-Tools for Mac" link to download the files.
3. Open Terminal, navigate to the download folder, and use the 'unzip' command to extract the files.
4. Add the path to the extracted folder to the system environment variables.

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Basic ADB and Fastboot Commands Usage

After installing ADB and Fastboot, you can control Android devices using various commands. This chapter introduces some of the basic commands.

Basic ADB Commands

Here are some commonly used basic commands in ADB:

adb devices - List connected Android devices.
adb install [filename] - Install an APK file on the device.
adb pull [device path] [PC path] - Copy a file from the device to the PC.
adb push [PC path] [device path] - Copy a file from the PC to the device.

Basic Fastboot Commands

Here are some commonly used basic commands in Fastboot:

fastboot devices - List connected Android devices in Fastboot mode.
fastboot flash recovery [filename.img] - Replace the recovery image.
fastboot reboot bootloader - Reboot into bootloader mode.
fastboot oem unlock - Unlock OEM, erasing all data. 

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Common ADB and Fastboot Troubleshooting

While using ADB and Fastboot, you may encounter various issues. This chapter introduces some common problems and their solutions.

"adb is not recognized as an internal or external command"

This message appears when ADB is installed but the system cannot find its location. In this case, you need to add the path to ADB to the system environment variables.

"device not found" or "waiting for device"

These messages appear when the computer cannot detect the Android device. Make sure USB debugging is enabled and check for any issues with the USB port or cable.

"FAILED (remote: 'unlock operation is not allowed')"

If you encounter this message when attempting to unlock OEM in Fastboot, you need to enable OEM unlock in the device settings.

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