USB Debugging and it's uses

WHAT IS USB DEBUGGING MODE?

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USB DEGBUGGING MODE is a developer mode in Android phones that allows newly 

programmed apps to be copied via USB to the device for testing. Depending on the 

OS version and installed utilities, the mode must be turned on to let developers read 

internal logs. 

In short, USB Debugging allows an Android device to communicate with a PC running 

the Android SDK to use advanced operations.

When you develop Android apps, you have to install the Android Software Developer 

Kit (SDK) on your PC. The SDK includes a suite of tools that’s vital for any developer, 

such as a debugger for fixing problems and sample code. Libraries are another key 

component of the SDK.

These allow developers to perform common functions without having to re-code them.

For example, Android has a built-in printing function, so when writing an app, you 

don’t have to come up with a new way to print. You simply call the built-in method 

included in the library when it’s time to do so.

You can do a lot with Android from the device itself. But developers need more options,

especially when collecting detailed error logs. It would be a huge pain to locate and 

move these files manually from the device, so they use tools built into Android Studio 

and the Android SDK to make them painless.

Enabling USB Debugging allows your phone to communicate with a PC so you can take 

advantage of these tools.

Without USB Debugging, you can’t send any advanced commands to your phone via a 

USB cable. The most common reason for enabling USB Debugging is developers 

pushing apps to their devices to test.

Whenever you create a new build of your app in Android Studio and want to test it, you

can push it to your connected device with just a few clicks. After building, it will run and

pop up on your device right away. This is way faster than downloading the APK file and 

installing it manually!

Non-developers commonly enable USB debugging to root their phones. Rooting varies 

by device, but most methods involve some program that you run from your desktop. 

Once you enable USB debugging and connect your phone, you can use a root tool to 

send the root instructions to your device without even touching it. Installing a custom 

ROM involves a similar process.

You also need USB Debugging turned on to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) 

commands. These let you install APKs located on your PC onto your phone, move files 

back and forth, and view device logs for debugging errors. ADB commands and 

Fastboot can also save your bricked device even when you can’t turn it on normally.

In the old days of Android, you needed USB debugging for some other functions too. 

Most notable of these was taking a screenshot over USB, which was just as annoying as

it sounds. This was before Android had a standard command for taking a screenshot. 

Now, you just need to hold your device’s button combination - usually Power and 

Volume Down - to do that.

Want to know how to enable usb deugging mode, click HERE