Overview
ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands are useful for various tasks, such as installing apps, accessing device files, and debugging Android devices. This guide will walk you through the steps to use ADB commands for your Android-based VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) devices as well as Android phones and tablets in SideQuest, a popular tool for managing VR content.
⚠️ WARNING: Exercise caution when using ADB commands, as some commands can have significant effects on your device.
Prerequisites
Install Sidequest (Advanced Installer is recommended, and ADB comes installed with Sidequest).
Android's USB Debugging is enabled (included under Developer Mode, for devices like Meta Quest). Refer to the device manufacturer's documentation for instructions or see our USB Debugging Collection for help enabling Developer Mode/USB Debugging.
Using ADB Commands in SideQuest
With SideQuest installed, launch it on your computer and connect your VR device via USB. Once your device is connected, you should see a green circle and your device type in the upper-left corner, like so:
Next, click the Run ADB Command button in the upper-right.
Click Custom Command.
Type the desired ADB command in the text box and click Run Command to execute it. For example, you can use the command
adb devicesto list all devices connected the computer at the time the command is run:
💡 NOTE: Sidequest comes with a few commands preloaded (e.g. - List Devices, Reboot Headset, etc), and provides the means to add custom commands as well for repeated use. You can find these under the Custom Command option under the Run ADB Commands mentioned above in Step 2. If you have any questions or need help with running a specific ADB command, contact ArborXR Support.
Useful ADB Commands
As ADB is an expansive tool that allows you to perform a variety of functions on your USB Debugging-enabled devices, we won’t go into depth with all of the commands available for ADB. To learn all the available commands for ADB, in the Run ADB Command screen from Step 4 above, type in adb help then click the Run Command button. See Android’s ADB documentation as well to learn more. Below are some of the more commonly used ones that you might find useful!
adb devices
Lists all Android-based devices with USB Debugging enabled that are currently connected to your computer via USB.
adb shell pm list packages
Gathers a list of all APKs installed on devices connected to your computer. This is particularly useful when gathering Package Names for installed applications for our Unmanaged Apps feature.
Alternatively, you can use flags
-3and-sto filter specific types of applications:Third-party applications (apps downloaded from your device’s respective app store:
adb shell pm list packages -3
System applications:
adb shell pm list packages -s
adb logcat > logcat.log
A useful troubleshooting tool for developers. Once run, it will capture most device activity occurring on the device and send the data to a text file. You’ll typically only need this when working with ArborXR Support and they request a logcat for troubleshooting/debugging purposes. To learn more about using this command in the context of ArborXR, see our article Gather Local Device Logs!
By following this guide, you can effectively use ADB commands in SideQuest to manage and interact with your Android device!