adb-mcp — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, how to install
Controls Android emulators and physical devices over adb. It captures screenshots, inspects UI hierarchies, and runs Gradle builds.
claude mcp add adb-mcp-android-emulator-and-device-control-over-adb -- docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/iksnerd/adb-mcp:0.24.3What adb-mcp: Android emulator and device control over adb does
This server provides 80 tools via stdio to interact with Android hardware and virtual devices. An agent can boot AVD instances, execute Gradle test suites, stream logcat logs, and trigger touch events like taps or swipes.
Element centers are reported in real device pixels by describe_ui. Because of this, the agent never has to estimate touch targets from scaled images. Screen capture runs via exec-out screencap to eliminate CRLF byte corruption, automatically resizing output for vision models.
Your system must have the Android SDK with platform-tools and emulator present. If $ANDROID_HOME is missing from the environment, pass the folder path using --sdk so the server can locate adb.
What it helps with
- capture clean Android screenshots without CRLF corruption
- find exact UI element coordinates using describe_ui
- dispatch taps, swipes, and text input to an emulator
- execute Gradle builds and run automated test suites
- inspect logcat output to triage application crashes
Example prompts for the agent
- Start the Android emulator and capture a screenshot of the home screen
- Inspect the current UI with describe_ui and tap the login button
- Run Gradle test tasks and check logcat for runtime exceptions
How to install adb-mcp: Android emulator and device control over adb
Platform CLI
claude mcp add adb-mcp-android-emulator-and-device-control-over-adb -- docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/iksnerd/adb-mcp:0.24.3Platform CLI
codex mcp add adb-mcp-android-emulator-and-device-control-over-adb -- docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/iksnerd/adb-mcp:0.24.3Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"adb-mcp-android-emulator-and-device-control-over-adb": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"ghcr.io/iksnerd/adb-mcp:0.24.3"
]
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"adb-mcp-android-emulator-and-device-control-over-adb": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"ghcr.io/iksnerd/adb-mcp:0.24.3"
]
}
}
}Platform CLI
gemini mcp add adb-mcp-android-emulator-and-device-control-over-adb docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/iksnerd/adb-mcp:0.24.3Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about adb-mcp: Android emulator and device control over adb
How do I install adb-mcp: Android emulator and device control over adb in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add adb-mcp-android-emulator-and-device-control-over-adb -- docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/iksnerd/adb-mcp:0.24.3 in your terminal.
What does this MCP server do?
It connects your AI client to Android Debug Bridge. The agent gains direct controls to boot emulators, inspect views, tap elements, and view logs.
Is a local Go compiler required?
No. Go is only necessary if you build the binary from the source repository. Standard setups use precompiled binaries or the Docker container.
