Installing Android Apps Using ADB

Starting in September 2026, Google is modifying the Android OS to prohibit side-loading of apps on your phone in any way but using the official Google Play Scam Store or via a computer and Android Debug Bridge ADB program. They say it’s to prevent viruses from being installed on your phone, but the real truth is it’s to prevent ad blockers and unapproved third party apps like Brave Pipe from being easily installed on your phone.

While somewhat inconvient to have to plug your phone into a computer or pair via Wi-Fi, it’s actually not that challenging to continue to sideload apps using a ADB. For installing Android apps using ADB on Linux, use the adb install command followed by the path to your APK file.

1. Install ADB on Linux

First, open your terminal and install the ADB tool using your distribution’s package manager:

Ubuntu / Debian: sudo apt update && sudo apt install android-sdk-platform-tools
Fedora:sudo dnf install android-tools
Arch Linux: sudo pacman -S android-tools

For comprehensive platform details, read the guide on how to install ADB on Windows, macOS, and Linux on XDA. Alternatively, you can read the step-by-step setup overview on It’s FOSS.

2. Prepare Your Android Device

Open Settings on your phone.
Navigate to About Phone and tap Build Number 7 times to unlock Developer Options.
Go back to the main settings menu, enter Developer Options, and toggle USB Debugging to ON.
Connect your phone to your Linux PC via a USB cable.

3. Authorize the Connection

Verify your computer can communicate with the phone by typing:

adb devices

Check your Android phone screen. A prompt will appear asking you to Allow USB Debugging. Check the box for “Always allow from this computer” and tap Allow. The terminal output should change from unauthorized to device.

4. Install the App

To deploy the application, run the installation command pointing to the exact path of the downloaded .apk file on your computer:

adb install /path/to/your/app.apk

Tip: If you are already in the directory where the APK file is stored, just use adb install app.apk.
Success Indicator: The terminal will show Performing Streamed Install and then output Success once finished.

Useful Variations

Update an existing app: Use adb install -r app.apk to reinstall or update an app while keeping its local data.
Install multiple APKs / Split APKs: Use adb install-multiple app1.apk app2.apk if your app comes packaged in multiple segments.
Downgrade an app: Use adb install -d app.apk to replace a newer version with an older version.