The Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a command-line tool that allows users to communicate with an Android device. With the developer tool, you can perform a number of actions, including installing and debugging apps, and also run nifty shell commands.

Instead of installing ADB on your computer, XDA Forum Member SteelToe has released a new website (www.webadb.com) that allows users to perform all of the functionality provided by the tool right from your web browser. “No installation, no drivers, nothing,” SteelToe said. “All you need is a web browser that supports web USB such as Chrome or the new Microsoft Edge and you are good to go.” The WebUSB API provides access to USB devices from web pages, and it's enabled by default on Chromium-based browsers.

The current features of Web ADB include:

  • APK installation
  • Interactive shell
  • Screen recording
  • SCRCPY — Control your device from your browser
  • Device information
  • File manager
  • Enabling ADB over WiFi

WebADB XDA Forum Thread ||| Source Code on GitHub

If you need help installing ADB locally on your machine, we have a guide for that. Otherwise, if you want a less involved experience, you can use the Web ADB portal. The website has a few instructions if you run into issues, including if you get an access denied error.

Keep in mind that you would still need to enable USB Debugging on your smartphone, which is located within Developer Settings, accessed through Settings > Tapping "About Phone" seven times.

ADB is a very versatile command-line tool, especially if you deal with Android smartphones a lot. While having the utility installed on your usual machine is recommended, there can be instances when you need just a few commands in a pinch. This is when tools like Web ADB come in. With the usual ADB commands, you can install apps, copy a file or directory from the device and to the device, set up port forwarding, and more. These commands by themselves may not appear to be accomplishing all that much, but depending on what restrictions your smartphone OEM may have placed, ADB can come in quite handy with these commands to turn things around the way you would like them to be on your device.