How to use the command 'adb reverse' (with examples)

Android Debug Bridge (adb) reverse is a command-line tool that allows reverse socket connections from an Android emulator instance or connected Android devices. It provides a way to communicate between the host machine and the emulator or device.

Use case 1: List all reverse socket connections from emulators and devices

Code:

adb reverse --list

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to check the current reverse socket connections from emulators and devices. It helps in identifying which ports are being forwarded from the emulator or device to the host machine.

Explanation:

• adb reverse is the command to initiate reverse socket connections.
• --list is an argument used to list all reverse socket connections.

Example output:

5555 tcp:8080

In this example output, it shows that the emulator or device is forwarding the TCP port 5555 to localhost port 8080.

Use case 2: Reverse a TCP port from an emulator or device to localhost

Code:

adb reverse tcp:remote_port tcp:local_port

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to forward a TCP port from an emulator or device to a specific port on the host machine. It allows you to access services running on the emulator or device from your local environment.

Explanation:

• adb reverse is the command to initiate reverse socket connections.
• tcp:remote_port specifies the port on the emulator or device that you want to reverse.
• tcp:local_port specifies the port on the host machine that you want to forward to.

Example output:

No output is displayed if the command is successful.

Use case 3: Remove a reverse socket connection from an emulator or device

Code:

adb reverse --remove tcp:remote_port

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to remove a specific reverse socket connection from an emulator or device. It helps in cleaning up the forwarding of ports when they are no longer needed.

Explanation:

• adb reverse is the command to initiate reverse socket connections.
• --remove is an argument used to remove a specific reverse socket connection.
• tcp:remote_port specifies the port on the emulator or device for which the reverse socket connection should be removed.

Example output:

No output is displayed if the command is successful.

Use case 4: Remove all reverse socket connections from all emulators and devices

Code:

adb reverse --remove-all

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to remove all reverse socket connections from all emulators and devices. It cleans up all the existing port forwarding configurations.

Explanation:

• adb reverse is the command to initiate reverse socket connections.
• --remove-all is an argument used to remove all reverse socket connections from all emulators and devices.

Example output:

No output is displayed if the command is successful.

Conclusion:

The adb reverse command is a powerful tool for managing reverse socket connections in Android emulators and devices. It allows you to list, create, and remove reverse socket connections, providing flexibility in accessing services running on emulators or devices from the host machine.