Wireless React Native Development via ADB Over Wi-Fi

Why Wireless ADB?

Tired of tangled USB cables? Want to freely hold your device while debugging UI issues in React Native? ADB over Wi-Fi lets you run, debug, and test your app wirelessly once it’s set up correctly.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure of the following:

On your Android phone:

• Developer Options enabled
• USB Debugging turned ON
• Phone is connected to same Wi-Fi as your computer

On your computer:

• Latest ADB installed (comes with Android Studio or install via platform-tools)
• React Native CLI project already set up

Step-by-Step Setup for ADB over Wi-Fi

Step 1: 🔓 Enable Developer Options on Your Phone

If not already done:

• Open Settings → About Phone
• Tap Build Number 7 times
• A message appears: “You are now a developer!”

Step 2: 🐞 Enable USB Debugging

Go to:

• Settings → System → Developer Options
• Turn on USB Debugging

You may also find “Developer Options” directly under Settings on some devices.

Step 3: 🔌 Connect Phone via USB (First-Time Only)

Connect your Android device to your PC with a USB cable.

Then open a terminal and run:

adb devices

🔔 Check your phone screen! A popup should appear:

“Allow USB debugging?”
✔️ [Always allow from this computer]
✅ Tap Allow

Step 4: 🌐 Ensure Both Devices Are on the Same Wi-Fi

• Your computer and phone must be on the exact same Wi-Fi network.
• Hotspot connections sometimes block port communication, so use a router-based Wi-Fi if possible.

You can check the IP address of your phone by running:

adb shell ip addr show wlan0

Look for an IP like 192.168.1.xxx.

Step 5: 🌐 Switch ADB to TCP/IP Mode

Run:

adb tcpip 5555

This restarts ADB in TCP/IP mode on port 5555. You’ll see:

restarting in TCP mode port: 5555

Step 6: 🔌 Disconnect the USB Cable

Now unplug the USB cable. You’re ready to go wireless!

Step 7: 🔗 Connect Over Wi-Fi

Run:

adb connect <your-phone-ip>:5555

Example:

adb connect 192.168.1.105:5555

You should see:

connected to 192.168.1.105:5555

✔️ Your device is now connected wirelessly!

To verify:

adb devices

You’ll see your device listed with its IP and port.

Step 8: 🚀 Run Your React Native App

Now you can use:

npx react-native run-android

And your app will launch wirelessly!

🔄 Switching Back to USB Mode

If you want to switch back:

adb usb

This reverts ADB to USB mode.

🔧 Troubleshooting Tips

🟥 unauthorized in adb devices

• Unlock phone and check for “Allow USB debugging” prompt
• Go to Developer Options → Revoke USB debugging authorizations, then reconnect

🟥 cannot connect or timeout

• Ensure both devices are on same Wi-Fi
• Use adb kill-server and adb start-server to reset adb
• Restart your router if port connections are blocked
• Avoid using mobile hotspot if possible

🟥 Different IP after reboot

• If your phone reboots or changes network, its IP may change. Recheck with:

adb shell ip addr show wlan0

🧼 Clean-Up and Automation Tip

You can automate the setup with this script (after first USB connect):

adb tcpip 5555
adb connect $(adb shell ip route | awk '{print $9}'):5555

📦 Bonus: Persist Wireless ADB Across Reboots (Optional, Root Only)

If your device is rooted, you can run:

setprop service.adb.tcp.port 5555
stop adbd
start adbd

This will enable ADB over Wi-Fi at boot. Otherwise, repeat USB + adb tcpip 5555 each time after reboot.

🧠 Summary

📋 Final Words

Wireless ADB is a huge quality-of-life boost for React Native developers. Once set up, you’ll enjoy a cable-free development flow, great for testing layout, gestures, and real-world app usage.