How to install an APK with adb from a computer

2 min read · Updated 2026-09-05

When adb is the better tool

Installing from a computer avoids the phone's installer entirely, shows the real error code when something fails, handles split bundles without a third-party app, and is the only way to install on Android TV boxes without a file manager.

Setup

Get the platform tools: brew install --cask android-platform-tools on macOS, sudo apt install adb on Debian and Ubuntu, or download SDK Platform-Tools from Google for Windows and unzip it.
On the phone, enable Developer options by tapping Build number in Settings › About phone seven times, then turn on USB debugging.
Connect the cable, run adb devices, accept the prompt on the phone. The device should list as device, not unauthorized.

Wireless: Android 11 and later have Wireless debugging in Developer options with a pairing code; adb pair <ip:port> then adb connect <ip:port>.

Commands

Task	Command
Install an APK	`adb install app.apk`
Reinstall keeping data	`adb install -r app.apk`
Install a split bundle	`adb install-multiple base.apk split_config.arm64_v8a.apk split_config.en.apk`
Install an XAPK or APKS	Extract it first (it is a zip), then `install-multiple` on the APKs inside
Install to a specific user	`adb install --user 0 app.apk`
Uninstall	`adb uninstall <package name>`
Check the installed version	`adb shell dumpsys package <package name> \	grep version`

Downgrades

adb install -r -d app.apk allows a lower version code on debuggable builds only; on a normal app the -d flag is ignored and the install fails with INSTALL_FAILED_VERSION_DOWNGRADE. Uninstall first, as described in how to downgrade an app.

Reading errors

adb prints the reason, unlike the phone's installer: INSTALL_FAILED_UPDATE_INCOMPATIBLE is a signature mismatch, INSTALL_FAILED_NO_MATCHING_ABIS means the package has no native code for your CPU, INSTALL_FAILED_OLDER_SDK means the app needs a newer Android, INSTALL_FAILED_MISSING_SPLIT means you installed the base APK of a bundle alone.

OBB data

adb does not place expansion files. Copy them with adb push main.1234.com.example.obb /sdcard/Android/obb/com.example/.

This guide describes general Android behaviour; menu names vary by manufacturer and Android version. Downloads on this site come from established third-party mirrors and are never modified by us.