08/29/26

To connect an Android device in Appium, follow these steps. This setup will allow Appium to communicate with the device for automated testing.

Prerequisites

Install Java JDK
Install Android Studio or SDK Tools
Install Node.js
Install Appium Server
Install Appium Inspector (optional for inspecting elements)
Enable Developer Options and USB Debugging on your Android device
USB Cable or Wi-Fi ADB connection

Step-by-Step: Connect Android Device to Appium

Step 1: Enable Developer Mode on Android

Go to Settings > About Phone
Tap Build Number 7 times to enable Developer Options
Go to Settings > Developer Options
Enable USB Debugging

Step 2: Connect Device via USB

Use a USB cable to connect your phone to your PC.
Allow the USB debugging prompt on your device.

Step 3: Verify Device Connection with ADB

Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) and run:

adb devices

You should see your device listed:

List of devices attached
emulator-5554   device

If unauthorized, replug the device and allow debugging access.

Step 4: Start Appium Server

You can use either of the two:

Appium Desktop App → Click Start Server
Command Line:

appium

Ensure it’s running on:

http://127.0.0.1:4723/

Step 5: Desired Capabilities to Connect Device

Below is a sample configuration for your test script or Appium Inspector:

{
  "platformName": "Android",
  "deviceName": "Android Device",
  "automationName": "UiAutomator2",
  "udid": "your_device_udid",
  "appPackage": "com.example.app",
  "appActivity": "com.example.app.MainActivity"
}

Use adb devices to get udid
Use adb shell pm list packages to find appPackage
Use adb shell dumpsys window windows | grep -E 'mCurrentFocus' for appActivity

Step 6: Run Your Test

You can now run your Appium test using Java, Python, or any supported language binding. For example, in Java:

DesiredCapabilities caps = new DesiredCapabilities();
caps.setCapability("platformName", "Android");
caps.setCapability("deviceName", "Android Device");
caps.setCapability("automationName", "UiAutomator2");
caps.setCapability("appPackage", "com.example.app");
caps.setCapability("appActivity", "com.example.app.MainActivity");

AndroidDriver driver = new AndroidDriver(new URL("http://127.0.0.1:4723/wd/hub"), caps);

Check if something is not working:

Always check if your device is listed with adb devices

Ensure the Appium version supports your Android version

Restart adb server using:

adb kill-server
adb start-server