Definition
Plain language
A developer tool that lets you control an Android phone by typing text commands from a computer.
As stated in the literature
ADB — a command-line interface to an Android device's underlying Linux system, exposing the filesystem, databases, and system services as text; the channel terminal-based mobile agents use instead of reading the screen.
Also called: ADB
Why it matters: It gives agents and developers direct text control over a phone's internals, bypassing the slow and error-prone tapping of on-screen buttons.
For example, a developer can plug in a phone and type a single command to copy a file off it without ever touching the screen.
Heard on the show
“Underneath the pretty interface, it's a Unix-like system with a full command line, reachable through a developer tool called the Android Debug Bridge.”Episode 157 — When an AI Coding Agent Drives a Phone Through the Terminal, No Screen Needed