Android real device

Connect a real Android phone or tablet over USB — developer options, USB debugging, and the adb check that answers most problems.

Enable USB debugging, connect the device by USB, confirm adb sees it, unlock it, connect from Drizz.

Platforms	Android (physical device, over USB)
Requires	Developer options and USB debugging enabled on the phone
The check	adb devices must list it as device
Lock state	The device must be unlocked. Drizz refuses a locked device
Watch out	unauthorized means the debugging prompt on the phone hasn't been accepted

Prerequisites

• Drizz desktop app installed and signed in

• An Android phone or tablet

• A data-capable USB cable — charge-only cables carry no data

• adb on your PATH — see Android setup

• A raised screen timeout on the device

Copy this

# Should print your device's serial followed by the word "device"
adb devices

# If it's missing entirely, restart the adb server and check again
adb kill-server && adb start-server
adb devices

Set it up

1. Enable Developer options on the phone: Settings → About phone → tap Build number seven times. The menu path varies by manufacturer.

2. Enable USB debugging in Settings → System → Developer options.

3. Connect the phone to your Mac by USB.

4. Accept the "Allow USB debugging?" prompt on the phone, and tick Always allow from this computer.

5. Run adb devices and confirm the phone lists as device, not unauthorized.

6. Unlock the phone. Drizz checks lock state before connecting and refuses a locked device.

7. In the desktop app, open Connect Device and select your phone.

8. Choose the app under test.

9. Confirm the device panel shows the phone as connected.

Reading adb devices

Output	Cause	Fix
<serial> device	Ready	Connect from Drizz
<serial> unauthorized	The debugging prompt hasn't been accepted	Unlock the phone and accept it. Tick "always allow"
<serial> offline	adb has lost the connection	adb kill-server && adb start-server, or replug
Nothing listed	The Mac can't see the device at all	Try another cable — many charge-only cables carry no data. Then another port
A device you don't recognize	A running emulator	No action. Emulators and physical devices both appear in the list

Keep the device unlocked and plugged in for the whole run. A screen lock mid-run ends the session.

Disable the soft keyboard

Required on physical devices as well as emulators. An open keyboard covers the next element and makes the tap after a Type step fail.

adb shell ime disable com.google.android.inputmethod.latin/com.android.inputmethod.latin.LatinIME
adb shell settings put global show_ime_with_hard_keyboard 0

For a phone that ships a different keyboard, substitute its package name.

Common mistakes

What you do	What happens
Use a charge-only USB cable	The device never appears in adb devices. Nothing about the error says "cable"
Miss the debugging prompt on the phone	unauthorized. Unlock, replug, and accept it
Leave the screen locked	Drizz refuses to connect. Unlock before connecting
Let the screen lock mid-run	The run dies partway. Raise the screen timeout on your test device
Forget to turn off the soft keyboard	Taps right after a Type step fail as undoable
Assume Drizz is broken when the device is missing	Run adb devices first. If adb can't see it, Drizz can't either

Next

• Android setup (manual)

• Set up a device: guided wizard

• Report an issue

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Last updated: 6 August 2026