Automating Android Devices with Python and ADB

Python can be used to control an Android phone through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), allowing you to automate touches, swipes, and other actions. This guide shows how to install the required tools, enable developer options, and write Python scripts that interact with ADB.

1. Installation prerequisites

Install the ADB tool (bundled with Android Studio or available from the official documentation) and then install the Python library that provides an ADB interface:

pip install pure-python-adb  # install pure-python-adb library

Optionally, install scrcpy to mirror and control the device from your computer; add its directory to your system PATH.

2. Getting started

Connect the phone via USB, enable USB debugging in the developer options, and start the ADB server with adb start-server . If scrcpy is installed, run scrcpy to view the device screen.

3. Basic script structure

Import AdbClient from the library, create a client object, and retrieve the list of connected devices. The first device in the list is typically the one you will control.

4. Creating a selfie timer

Define a connect() function that returns the device and client objects, then use the device object to launch the camera app, wait a few seconds, and trigger a photo capture.

5. Building a definition finder

Use ADB shell commands to simulate taps at the coordinates of the browser’s search bar (e.g., (440, 200)), input a query, wait, and then capture a screenshot of the result. The script opens the browser, enters the search term, and saves the screenshot as a PNG file.

These examples demonstrate that, with Python and ADB, you can automate virtually any interaction you would normally perform manually on an Android device.