Android Basics: How to Install ADB & Fastboot on Mac, Linux, & Windows

Android Basics: How to Install ADB & Fastboot on Mac, Linux, & Windows

ADB and Fastboot are probably the most important tools for any Android aficionado. They can do everything from backing up your device and changing your screen resolution to rooting your phone and opening it up to hundreds of tweaks and customizations. What's even better is that they can be downloaded and installed on any of the three major computer operating systems in just a few clicks.

If you are not a developer and only need ADB and Fastboot instead of the entire Android Studio suite, then this is the guide for you. With these installation instructions, you'll be able to get a slimmed down version that forgoes all the extras to give you a quick way to get up and running with the Android development tools.

Installation for Windows

Thanks to snoop05, there is a quick and painless way to install ADB and Fastboot to your entire system in a couple keystrokes.

All you have to do is download his ADB installer (.exe) and select whether you want it to install system-wide (which I recommend since it will be able to run on any user's profile on your PC) and if you want to install the Google Drivers (which I also recommend for anyone that has never had ADB or Fastboot installed).

If you'd rather have ADB and Fastboot only installed on the user that you are currently using, type N when given the option to install it system-wide.

Know that this will allow ADB and Fastboot commands to run from any directory you open a command prompt from, so that means no more worrying about making sure you have a command prompt open in the same folder you have the ADB or Fastboot files in.

Installation for Mac & Linux

If you are using a Mac or Linux computer, you won't have the luxury of using a program to install ADB and Fastboot. Instead, you will have to use a Terminal command.

However, just like with the Windows installation, this will install ADB and Fastboot in a way that allows you to use them from any directory so you don't have to worry about entering a "cd" command to get ADB or fastboot commands to run properly.

To get ADB and Fastboot to install, you'll need to run a script created by corbin052198. There is no actual file to download since Terminal will handle the downloading and installation. To get ADB and Fastboot installed, just use this command.