First-Time Wireless ADB Setup

This section explains how to connect the device to a Windows PC using ADB over Wi-Fi (TCP/IP).

Important

This method is intended for older Android devices that do not have the newer Wireless Debugging / Pairing option.

Step 1 — Enable Developer Options

On your device, open:

Settings → More settings → Developer options

Enable:

text 
USB debugging

If Developer options is not visible:
Settings → About phone → Software version / Build number

Tap the Build number repeatedly until Developer Options are enabled.

Step 2 — Connect the Phone Using USB

Connect your device to your PC using a USB cable.

Check whether ADB detects the device:

bash 
adb devices

Expected:

text 
List of devices attached
b4t543re    device

If the device appears as:

bash 
b4t543re    offline

ADB is not communicating properly with the phone. Try:

bash 
adb kill-server
adb start-server
adb devices

Then reconnect the USB cable.

On the phone, you may see:

text 
Allow USB debugging?

Tap Allow.

You should eventually get:

bash 
b4t543re    device
Warning

Do not continue until the device shows device, not offline.

Step 3 — Enable ADB TCP/IP Mode

Keep the phone connected through USB and run:

bash 
adb tcpip 5555

Expected:

text 
restarting in TCP mode port: 5555

This changes ADB from USB communication to TCP/IP communication over the local network.

Step 4 — Find the Phone's Current IP Address

While USB is still connected, run:

bash 
adb shell ip addr show wlan0

Look for a line similar to:

text 
inet 192.168.1.x/24

For example:

text 
inet 192.168.1.15/24

The 192.168.1.15 address is only an example. Use your phone's current IP address.

Important

Do not permanently use 192.168.1.15. The phone's local IP can change when reconnecting to Wi-Fi.

Step 5 — Disconnect the USB Cable

Once TCP/IP mode has been enabled and you know the phone's IP address, disconnect the USB cable.

Make sure:

  • The PC is connected to Wi-Fi.
  • The device is connected to the same local network.
  • The phone remains powered on.
  • USB debugging remains enabled.

Step 6 — Connect to the Phone Wirelessly

bash 
adb connect PHONE_IP:5555

For example:

bash 
adb connect 192.168.1.15:5555

Expected:

text 
connected to 192.168.1.15:5555

Step 7 — Verify the Wireless Connection

bash 
adb devices

Expected:

text 
List of devices attached
192.168.1.15:5555    device

The important part is device. If you see offline, the wireless ADB connection is not working correctly.

Step 8 — Run React Native

Once the device appears as device, go to your React Native project:

bash 
cd C:\MyProject\ReactNativeProject
npx react-native run-android

React Native should detect the connected device and install the debug APK.

Successful Setup

The complete process is:

flowchart TD A["Enable USB debugging"] --> B["Connect USB"] B --> C["adb devices"] C --> D{"device found?"} D -->|Yes| E["adb tcpip 5555"] D -->|No| C E --> F["Find phone IP"] F --> G["Disconnect USB"] G --> H["adb connect PHONE_IP:5555"] H --> I["adb devices"] I --> J{"PHONE_IP:5555 device?"} J -->|Yes| K["npx react-native run-android"] J -->|No| H

Commands to Remember

text 
adb devices
adb tcpip 5555
adb shell ip addr show wlan0
adb connect PHONE_IP:5555
adb devices
npx react-native run-android
Tip

You normally only need the USB connection for the initial adb tcpip 5555 setup. After that, you can use ADB wirelessly as long as the phone and PC can communicate over the same network.