How to Install ADB on Windows, Mac, and Linux

ADB comes inside the Android SDK Platform Tools package, which Google maintains directly. You do not need the full Android Studio installation. The standalone package is a small ZIP with everything required.

What you need

• Windows 10/11, macOS 10.14+, or a modern Linux distribution
• At least 100 MB free disk space
• Administrator/root access for system-wide install
• Internet connection to download Platform Tools

Platform Tools contains three components: ADB (device communication, shell access, file transfers, app installs), Fastboot (writing to flash memory: unlocking bootloaders, flashing images), and a few extra utilities (systrace, dmtracedump, etc1tool). The package is backward compatible – the latest version works with older devices too.

Windows

Method 1: Direct download (recommended)

Step 1: Download Platform Tools. Go to developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools, click “Download SDK Platform-Tools for Windows”, accept the terms. The ZIP is about 15 MB.

Step 2: Extract. Create C:\platform-tools\, extract the ZIP into it so it contains adb.exe, fastboot.exe, and the other files.

Step 3: Add to PATH. Win + X, System, “Advanced system settings”, “Environment Variables”. Under “System variables” find “Path”, click “Edit”, “New”, add C:\platform-tools\, then OK everything. This lets you run adb from any directory.

Step 4: Install USB drivers. Windows does not include Android USB drivers by default. Google Pixel/Nexus: download the Google USB Driver from developer.android.com/studio/run/win-usb. Samsung: use Samsung’s official driver from developer.samsung.com/android-usb-driver. Most other modern devices work with drivers Windows installs automatically; if yours is not recognized, check the manufacturer’s site.

Step 5: Verify. Open Command Prompt (Win + R, cmd) and run:

adb version

Expected output:

Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41
Version 37.0.1-12345678

If you see “adb is not recognized”, restart Command Prompt (or reboot) to refresh PATH.

macOS

macOS recognizes Android devices natively, so no drivers are needed.

Method 1: Direct download (recommended)

Step 1: Download “SDK Platform-Tools for Mac” from developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools (~10 MB).

Step 2: Extract and move it into place:

cd ~/Downloads
unzip platform-tools-latest-darwin.zip
sudo mv platform-tools /usr/local/

Step 3: Add to PATH. macOS 10.15+ uses zsh:

nano ~/.zshrc

Add this line at the end:

export PATH="/usr/local/platform-tools:$PATH"

Save (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X), then reload:

source ~/.zshrc

Method 2: Homebrew

brew install android-platform-tools

Homebrew handles PATH for you. To update later:

brew upgrade android-platform-tools

Linux

Method 1: Package manager (easiest)

Distribution	Command
Ubuntu/Debian	sudo apt update && sudo apt install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot
Fedora	sudo dnf install android-tools
Arch Linux	sudo pacman -S android-tools
openSUSE	sudo zypper install android-tools

This configures PATH automatically and keeps ADB updated through the system package manager.

Method 2: Direct download

For the latest version straight from Google:

cd ~
wget https://dl.google.com/android/repository/platform-tools-latest-linux.zip
unzip platform-tools-latest-linux.zip
sudo mv platform-tools /usr/local/
echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/platform-tools:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Linux needs udev rules for non-root USB access:

sudo wget -O /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M0Rf30/android-udev-rules/main/51-android.rules
sudo chmod a+r /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

Test your installation

Enable USB debugging on your device:

1. Settings, “About phone”, tap “Build number” seven times to enable Developer Options.
2. Settings, System, Developer Options, enable “USB debugging”.

Connect and test:

1. Connect the device via USB.
2. Run adb devices.
3. On the device, accept “Allow USB debugging?”, checking “Always allow from this computer”.
4. Run adb devices again. You should see:

List of devices attached
1234567890ABCDEF    device

Common installation issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
“adb: command not found”	PATH not configured	Reload shell config (source ~/.bashrc) or restart the terminal
“adb is not recognized” (Windows)	PATH not set	Add C:\platform-tools\ to System PATH, restart Command Prompt
Device not detected (Windows)	Missing USB drivers	Install manufacturer drivers (Google USB Driver, Samsung USB Driver)
“insufficient permissions” (Linux)	No udev rules	Install 51-android.rules, reload udev, replug device
“device unauthorized”	USB debugging prompt not accepted	Unlock device, accept “Allow USB debugging?” prompt
ADB server out of date	Multiple ADB versions installed	adb kill-server && adb start-server

Install methods compared

Method	Pros	Cons	Best for
Direct download	Latest version, no Android Studio	Manual PATH setup and updates	Most users, one-time setup
Package manager (Linux/macOS)	Auto PATH, auto updates	May lag behind latest version	Users who want automated management
Android Studio SDK Manager	Auto updates, integrated with Studio	Requires full Android Studio (~1 GB+)	Developers already using Android Studio
Homebrew (macOS)	One-line install, auto updates	Requires Homebrew	macOS users with Homebrew

Keeping ADB updated

Google updates Platform Tools every few months. Update via the same route you installed:

• Windows (direct download): re-download from the Platform Tools page and extract over the old files.
• macOS (Homebrew): brew upgrade android-platform-tools
• Linux (package manager): sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade android-tools-adb (Ubuntu/Debian) or sudo dnf upgrade android-tools (Fedora)

References: Android SDK Platform Tools and Android Debug Bridge (adb) – Android Developers (developer.android.com)

Part of the series: The Complete ADB Guide — also in this series: What is ADB? · Essential Commands · Wireless ADB · Troubleshooting