But for the last case, the adb just connect the first plugged in. It seems we could only change the serial number at. You can use Android Debug Bridge (adb) to connect your Fire tablet to your computer. If Developer Options is hidden on your tablet, tap the device serial number. In your user directory, which you can find by typing cd (change to your user.
An International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI) number is a series of numbers used to identify a device that utilises terrestrials cellular networks i.e. your mobile data network provider---each device should have its own unique IMEI number. You can even go as far as saying that it is your device's calling card.
There are several uses of the IMEI number:
- As the use of mobile devices increases, the statistics of stolen and lost devices have been increasing as well. Users are able to block stolen or lost devices for further usage if they know their IMEI number. All users need to do is call their network carrier and report that the device is stolen or lost. The carrier can block the specific device from running on their network and notify other carriers.
- The 15-digit IMEI number indicates the origin and model of the device. The first eight digits indicate the device's origin and its model while the last six digits identify the manufacturer of the device.
- If you subscribe to a mobile tracking service, you can use the IMEI number to track the device---even it uses a different SIM card.
Since its primary use is to identify a mobile device no matter where they are, many people are a bit paranoid about secret societies watching over them. Many people believe that if you change IMEI Android numbers, you will not have anyone spying on you.
Part 1: Reasons to change IMEI number
Like many other things out there, changing Android IMEI has both advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of them:
Advantages
- Make your Android untraceable. By changing your IMEI constantly, you will throw off the tracks of people who are using it to stalk you!
- Fix any invalid IMEI-related issues such as lost or invalid IMEI numbers. Once you change your IMEI, your Android device with the same benefits and features.
- Obtaining a completely new device ID.
- Sometimes, your Android device model may not be able to get the newest OS updates because it is an older device. Changing the IMEI number to a one that indicates it is a newer model you will be able to enjoy new OS updates by resetting, repairing and updating your Android device.
- Have you ever yearn for that cheap BlackBerry plan your network carrier keeps on promoting? The 15-digit IMEI indicates the origin and model of your device. Therefore, by changing your Android's IMEI number to that of a BlackBerry's, you will be able to subscribe to a cheaper mobile plan.
Disadvantages
- In some countries, it is illegal---so do check if it is legal in yours. As far as we know, it is legal in Africa and Asia, and illegal in Europe.
- The IMEI number is hard coded into your device. Therefore, changing the numbers could damage your device in the process.
- Legally, you have forfeited your ownership of your mobile device. When you purchase your device, the seller will jot down the original IMEI number on your receipt. So if you change your IMEI and lost it, you may not be able to make a claim on it. This is because authorities cannot see if it is truly yours because the IMEI numbers no longer correlate with each other.
Part 2: Change Android IMEI Number without Root
Change IMEI Android numbers without rooting can be a bit daunting if you have no idea how to do it yourself because it is a very complex procedure. You can tell by the disadvantages of changing your IMEI numbers in the section above.
Here is how you can do it---just remember that this will erase everything from your device, so make sure you have backed up everything:
- Open your Android device's Settings module.
- Find Backup & Reset and tap on it.
- On the next menu, find Factory Data Reset and tap on it.
- You will then get a notification. Click on Create new (random) Android ID.
Part 3: Top 3 Android IMEI Change Apps
For a non-data-erasing procedure without rooting your Android device, you will need an Android IMEI changer. We have listed the Top 3 Android IMEI change apps below based on the level of complexity and effectiveness.
![Android emulator change serial number Android emulator change serial number](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126379664/986010489.png)
- XPOSED IMEI Changer Pro - Click here to download.
This IMEI changer Android app is built to allow a user to change the series of numbers that make up their devices' IMEI identification. Randomised IMEI numbers will be generated every time the app is used. However, users can type in a new IMEI number in the text field if they have a specific number in mind. This no-ads app is really simple to use---to complete the change, a user will only need to click the 'Apply' button and restart their devices. Its interface is also simple enough for easy navigation. - Mobile Uncle Tools App--Click here to download.
The app is a simple Android application that is able to retrieve your Android device's information, backup IMEI, change its IMEI and search for your device's recovery files. It will also be able to assist you with any rebooting needs and many more! - MTK Engineering Mode--Click here to download.
It is like having multiple apps once you have this installed on you Android. It was specifically made for Taiwanese device manufacturers such as Tecno, Infinix, Elephone, Oppo, Chuwi etc. While not fully recommended, there have been reports that it works with Android devices made by non-Taiwanese manufacturers. It's clean interface makes navigating the app seamlessly.
Part 4: Best SIM Unlock Service
You will also need the IMEI number if you want to SIM unlock your phone and use it on another carrier provider. There are a lot of SIM Unlock services out there. It is important to choose a trust-worthy and workable service to unlock your phone. SIM Unlock Service is definitely one of the best. It can help you unlock the phone permanently and you can use the phone on any carrier providers in the world.
How to use SIM Unlock Service
Step 1. Go to SIM Unlock Service official website, and click on Select Your Phone button. Then select your phone brand among all the smartphone brands.
Step 2. On the following page, fill in your phone information, including IMEI number, phone model and your contact information, etc.
Once your order is processed, the system will send you the unlock code and instruction to unlock your phone. The unlocking process does not require any technical skills and everything can manage it.
By using the Android IMEI changer, you will neither lose your data nor need to root your device in your pursuit of changing your device's IMEI number. However, do remember that every situation is different and there will come a time that you need to root your device before changing your Android's IMEI number.
Android Debug Bridge or better known as ADB is a command line tool to access your Android Phone. It is a powerful and pretty versatile tool. You can do a range of things like pulling out logs, installing/uninstalling apps, transferring files, rooting and flashing custom ROMs, creating device backups, etc. Moreover, adb is a life-saver when your Android device gets bricked because the phone is unusable at that time.
Though the adb command shell looks intimidating and complex, it is fairly simple. So, here is a list of adb commands to get you started and do some useful things in the process.
Related: 4 Ways to Open Command Prompt Effectively
Install ADB on Windows
Unlike in previous versions, you don’t have to install complete Android SDK to install ADB. Simply download the standalone ADB zip file, extract it to a folder of your choice and you are done.
To access adb, open command prompt by searching it on the start menu. To run ADB commands, you need to navigate to the adb folder using the below command.
Where in C:/ADB is the folder location of the extracted ADB file.
Tip: You can also open the Command Prompt from the same directory. Hold down your Shift key and Right-clicking within the folder then click the “open command prompt here” option
Now, connect your Android device via USB and you can proceed to test the below commands. For further reference, you can check this guide on how to properly install and test adb on Windows.
Related: 4 Ways to Turn Your Windows Computer into a WiFi Hotspot
Top 15 ADB Commands Every Android User Should Know
1. Start or Stop ADB Server
Obviously, the first command you should know is how to start and stop the adb server. This enables you to interact with your connected Android device. To start the adb server, use the below command.
Once you are done with your work, you can use the command below to stop the adb server.
2. Restart ADB in USB Mode
If the ADB server is already started and for some reason, the commands are still not working. You can try an ADB restart on the USB. There is no standalone ADB restart command. But the following command will reestablish the ADB connection via USB. This, in turn, will cause the ADB server to restart.
3. ADB Version
This is a very handy command because few commands work with the latest ADB versions. Like for example, the older versions of ADB don’t let you run flashall command. So, when you have a command in error, the first step is to check the adb version. You can then verify whether the command is supported in that version. Following is the command to check the adb version.
4. List Connected Android Devices
This is one of the most famous commands. When you connect your device to the computer via USB, use this command to verify if adb can find the connected device.
If your device is properly connected to your system, the above command will start the daemon service, scans the system and lists all the connected Android drives. The good thing about this command is that it lists both the state of the device and its serial number.
5. Status of Your Device
As you can tell from the name itself, this command can be used to know the device state. When the command is executed, it shows whether your device state is in offline, bootloader or in device mode. For a normal Android device, you will see your Android state as “device”, just like in the below image.
The connection state of the device can be one of the following:
- offline: The device is not connected to adb or is not responding.
- device: The device is now connected to the adb server.
- no device: There is no device connected.
6. Get Device Serial Number
![Android adb change serial number Android adb change serial number](/uploads/1/2/6/3/126379664/669994024.jpg)
This command lets you know the device serial number of the connected device. On your phone or tablet, you can see the device serial number by navigating to “Settings > About Phone > Status”.
7. List Files
In order to copy or send files, you need to know the exact location of the directory. Normally, the phone internal memory is named as sdcard. So, all the phone internal folders are under the /sdcard directory. Still, if you want to know the exact location or locate a particular file, you can use the “ls” command. ls command lists out the files under the directory.
Eg: adb shell ls /sdcard/Downloads
8. Copy Files from Computer to Phone
If you want to copy files from your computer to phone using adb then you can use this command. Do forget to replace [source] and [destination] with actual file paths.
Once you replace the above command with actual file paths, this is how it looks like.
9. Copy Files from Phone to Computer
Just like you can copy files from your computer to Android device, you can copy files from your phone to computer. To do that simply use the below command. Replace [source] and [destination] with actual file paths.
Once you replace the above command with actual file paths, this is how it looks like.
10. Install/Uninstall Apps
Besides from moving files back and forth, you can actually install apk files with just a single command. To install an app you have to specify the full path of the apk file. So, replace “path/to/file.apk” with the actual apk file path.
If you have multiple devices attached to your computer and only want to install the apk file on just one device then use the below command. Replace [serial-number] with the actual device serial number. You can get the device serial number using the fourth command above.
To uninstall an app, simply execute the below command. Replace <package-name> with the actual fully qualified package name of the app.
adb uninstall <package-name>
11. List all Installed Packages
Now, uninstalling packages would require you to get the exact package name. The package name is actually different from the installed app name. So, to find that below is the adb command.
Now the resulting output is pretty vast. So if you want to list a particular apk, you can try filtering by the app name. For example, I want to search the package name for FDroid, so I will use the following command.
12. Backup Android Device
To backup all the device and app data you can use the below command. When executed, it will trigger the backup, asks you to accept the action on your Android device and then creates “backup.adb” file in the current directory.
13. Restore Android Device
To restore a backup, use the below command. Don’t forget to replace “path/to/backup.adb” with the actual file path.
14. Reboot Android Device into Recovery Mode
The recovery mode helps you repair or recovery the Android device using the tools built into it. Generally, you can boot into recovery mode using the volume and power button combination. Alternatively, you can also connect your device to the system and use the below command to boot into recovery mode.
15. Reboot Android Device into Bootloader Mode
The below command lets you boot into bootloader mode. Generally, the bootloader mode is very similar to the fastboot mode.
16. Reboot Android Device into Fastboot Mode
The fastboot mode is generally used to flash custom ROMs, bootloader, and even kernels. Use the below command to boot into fastboot mode.
adb reboot fastboot
17. List Connected Fastboot Devices
This is one of the lesser known commands. When you boot the device in fastboot mode, in order to check if the device is connected you can use the following command.
18. Start Remote Shell
This command starts the remote shell and lets you control and configure your device using the shell commands.
19. Take Screenshots
It is nothing hard to take a screenshot on and Android. All you have to do is press the Power button and Volume Down button at the same time. Alternatively, you can also use this command to take a quick screenshot. Replace “/path/to/screenshot.png” with the actual destination path. If you want to, you can customize the file name by changing “screenshot” with whatever name you want.
Once you replace the destination path, this is how the command looks like.
20. Record Android Screen
Apart from screenshots, you can record the Android device screen using the below command. Again, replace “/path/to/record.mp4” with the actual destination path. Of course, you can customize the file name by changing “record” with whatever name you want.
That’s all for now. Comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences about using the above adb commands on your Android device.
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