Ever since getting a Nexus device, I never wanted to plug in a USB cable again. Android supports ADB debugging over WiFi, making cable-free development a reality.

Prerequisites

  • Phone and computer on the same local network
  • Developer Options and USB Debugging enabled on the phone
  • ADB tools installed on the computer

Legacy Method (Android 10 and below)

Connect your phone via USB and switch ADB to TCP/IP mode:

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# Make sure adb is running in USB mode
$ adb usb
restarting in USB mode

# Verify the device is detected
$ adb devices
List of devices attached
######## device

# Restart adb in TCP/IP mode on port 5555
$ adb tcpip 5555
restarting in TCP mode port: 5555

Find your phone’s IP address (Settings > About phone > Status > IP address), then connect wirelessly:

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# Connect to the device over WiFi
$ adb connect your_ip
connected to #.#.#.#:5555

# Remove USB cable and confirm the device is still accessible
$ adb devices
List of devices attached
#.#.#.#:5555 device

Now you can debug wirelessly without any cables.

Troubleshooting

If the connection drops or fails:

  1. Make sure both devices are on the same network subnet
  2. Restart ADB and try again:
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$ adb kill-server
$ adb start-server
$ adb tcpip 5555
$ adb connect your_ip

If it still doesn’t work, plug the USB cable back in and repeat the full process.

Android 11+ Native Wireless Debugging

Android 11 introduced a Wireless debugging option that requires no initial USB connection:

  1. Enable Developer Options and Wireless Debugging
  2. Select “Pair device with pairing code”
  3. On your computer, run:
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$ adb pair IP_address:pairing_port
# Enter the 6-digit pairing code
$ adb connect IP_address:connection_port

This method uses TLS-encrypted communication, offering better security than the legacy adb tcpip approach.

References