We have written numerous articles on this blog about using the ADB command to customize or modify the Android operating system in ways that we simply cannot do with the user-facing features of Android. This can range from rebooting into Fastboot mode to uninstalling bloatware from the default user account but all this can be done with the help of a PC.
However, not everyone has a PC on hand to execute these commands and until recently we’ve always needed a PC connected to the phone via a USB cable in order to run these commands. A couple of years ago a developer that goes by TyTy Draco released an application called LADB which stands for local ADB. With this application, we can execute ADB commands locally right on our smartphone.
So, with this application setup, we no longer need a laptop or a desktop PC in order to run some of these ADB Commands on our smartphones. This is all possible thanks to the wireless debugging feature that was added to Android a few years ago. But before going further we first need to enable developer mode on our smartphone.
If you haven’t done this already and need help with this step then we have already written articles in which we had told you how to enable developer mode on a smartphone. You can check the article to enable developer mode on your smartphone.
Once developer mode has been enabled, then we need to download and install the LADB application on our smartphone. This application is available on the Google Play Store but it’s not free and you have to pay a few bucks to download it. It is also open source so you could compile the APK from the source as well but if you’re wanting if to grab a free copy of this APK, we will be including a download link to the file. This file has been provided to the community thanks to GitHub user BTR Tech who has recently begun compiling the application from the source for everyone.
This application is a bit buggy but after multiple attempts and once we rebooted the phone we were able to get LADB working on our Google Pixel 6 running on the latest Android 13 QPR beta update.
In order to set up LADB, it requires some very specific steps. First, we are going to open up the settings application, and then we are going to minimize it. Then we are going to open up the LADB application and we should be greeted with this pairing information box. It tells us that we must use split-screen mode or else the codes will not work and we need to grab the port and the pairing code from Wireless debugging.
- After we open up LADB, bring the recent page to your smartphone.
- Tap on the LADB icon at the top and enable split screen mode.
- Then, tap on the settings application and open it at the bottom in the split screen mode.
- In the settings app, scroll down to the bottom and navigate developer options.
- In developer options, scroll down and navigate for the wireless debugging option.
- By default the wireless debugging option is disabled. Tap on the toggle next to it to enable the option.
- Tap on the Wireless debugging option to open a new window where we can find the “Pair device with pairing code” option.
- Tap on Pair device with pairing code” option to see the pairing code, IP address, and port number.
- Just type the WI-Fi pairing code on the LADB window in the box where it says pairing code.
- Next, type the port number in the LADB window. The Port number is the number after the colon below the IP address in the wireless debugging option and tap on Okay in the LADB window.
You may be told that it can take up to two minutes to pair and that is normal. You have to wait and if everything goes correctly you should see the text “ADB shell success”. This means everything has worked and you can now execute some ADB Commands directly from here.
If the application does not overtake the entire page then you can swipe down and make sure that the LADB application is now overtaking the entire page.
Now we are in an ADB shell prompt and we can execute any ADB Commands that we want. You just have to remember that we are currently in an ADB shell so using the letters ADB at the beginning of the command is usually not required.
For example, we can reboot the phone over into Fastboot mode. The command usually is ADB reboot bootloader, but since we are already in an ADB shell, we don’t need to use ADB at the beginning of the command.
We are just going to type “reboot bootloader” and tap on the enter key on the keyboard. After a few seconds, you should see the phone reboot and it will take you to the Fastboot mode AKA bootloader mode.
This is just an example. Remember we can execute any ADB command from here, so again if you wanted to uninstall some bloatware, enable some hidden developer features, any other ADB command that you would normally do with an extra desktop or laptop PC you can now do thanks to the LADB application.
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issue.
