ADB Transfer CLI

A bidirectional command-line tool for transferring files and folders between your PC and Android device via ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

Features

• Bidirectional transfer: PC → Phone and Phone → PC
• Multi-path support: Register and save frequently used paths
• Manual path input: Enter custom paths on-the-fly
• Interactive selection: Browse and select files/folders with @clack/prompts
• Nested browsing: Choose to copy entire directories or select files inside
• Real-time progress: Transfer statistics (size, time, speed)
• Auto-save paths: Automatically save manually entered paths for future use

Prerequisites

1. Bun Runtime

Install Bun if you haven't already:

curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash

2. ADB (Android Debug Bridge)

Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install adb

Fedora/RHEL

sudo dnf install android-tools

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S android-tools

macOS

brew install android-platform-tools

Windows

1. Download Android SDK Platform Tools
2. Extract the ZIP file
3. Add the folder to your system PATH

Verify ADB installation:

adb --version

Android Device Setup

1. Enable Developer Options

1. Open Settings on your Android device
2. Go to About Phone
3. Tap Build Number 7 times until you see "You are now a developer"

2. Enable USB Debugging

1. Go back to Settings
2. Open Developer Options (or System > Developer Options)
3. Enable USB Debugging

3. Connect Your Device

1. Connect your Android device to your computer via USB
2. On your device, a prompt will appear asking to "Allow USB debugging"
3. Check "Always allow from this computer" and tap OK

4. Verify Connection

adb devices

You should see your device listed:

List of devices attached
XXXXXXXXXX    device

If you see "unauthorized", check your phone for the authorization prompt.

Installation

1. Clone or download this project:

git clone <repository-url>
cd adb-transfer-cli

2. Install dependencies:

bun install

3. (Optional) Pre-configure paths in app.config.json:

{
  "pcPaths": [
    "/home/user/Documents/Files",
    "/home/user/Downloads"
  ],
  "phonePaths": [
    "/sdcard/Download",
    "/sdcard/DCIM"
  ]
}

Note: You can also add paths during runtime via manual input, which will be automatically saved to the config file.

Usage

Run the tool:

./index.ts

Or:

bun start

Or:

bun run transfer

Interactive Flow:

1. Select transfer direction:

   ◆ Select transfer direction:
   │  ○ Copy from PC to Phone
   │  ○ Copy from Phone to PC
   └
   

2. Select source path (from registered paths or manual input):

   ◆ Select PC path:
   │  ○ /home/user/Documents
   │  ○ /home/user/Downloads
   │  ○ + Enter path manually
   └
   

3. Select files/folders from source:

   ◆ Select items to transfer:
   │  ☑ 📁 Photos
   │  ☑ 📄 document.pdf
   │  ☐ 📁 Videos
   └
   

4. For directories: Choose to copy whole or browse inside:

   ◆ "Photos" is a directory. What would you like to do?
   │  ○ Copy entire directory
   │  ○ Select files inside
   └
   

5. Select destination path (from registered paths or manual input)

6. Transfer with progress:

   ⠋ Transferring: Photos
   ✓ Photos - 245.67 MB - 12.3s - 19.97 MB/s
   

Troubleshooting

Device Not Found

# List connected devices
adb devices

# Restart ADB server
adb kill-server
adb start-server

Permission Denied

• Ensure USB debugging is enabled
• Re-authorize your computer on the device
• Try a different USB cable or port
• Check USB connection mode (should be "File Transfer" or "MTP")

Cannot Write to Target Folder

# Test if target folder is writable
adb shell ls -la /sdcard/

# Create target folder manually
adb shell mkdir -p /sdcard/Manga

Transfer Speed Is Slow

• Use USB 3.0 port if available
• Close other ADB connections
• Avoid USB hubs
• Enable "USB Tethering" on some devices for faster transfers

"No items found" Error

• Verify the path exists and is accessible
• Check permissions for PC folders
• For phone paths, ensure the device is connected and authorized

Project Structure

adb-transfer-cli/
├── app.config.json     # Path configuration
├── index.ts            # Main entry point
├── package.json        # Project dependencies
├── src/
│   ├── config.ts       # Config management
│   ├── transfer.ts     # Transfer logic
│   ├── ui.ts           # Interactive UI
│   └── utils.ts        # Helper functions
└── README.md           # This file

Technical Details

• Runtime: Bun
• Language: TypeScript
• UI Library: @clack/prompts
• Transfer Method: ADB push/pull commands
• Transfer Mode: Sequential (one item at a time)
• Direction: Bidirectional (PC ↔ Phone)

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.