adb-forward

Android device port forwarder

TLDR

Forward local port to device port

$ adb forward tcp:[8080] tcp:[8080]

Forward to a Unix abstract domain socket

$ adb forward tcp:[8080] localabstract:[socket_name]

List all forwarded ports

$ adb forward --list

Remove a specific forward

$ adb forward --remove tcp:[8080]

Remove all forwards

$ adb forward --remove-all

Forward to a specific device by serial number

$ adb -s [serial] forward tcp:[8080] tcp:[8080]

SYNOPSIS

adb forward [--no-rebind] local remoteadb forward --list | --remove local | --remove-all

adb forward sets up port forwarding from a local port on your computer to a port on the connected Android device. This enables connecting to services running on the device as if they were running locally.Common uses include debugging apps with remote debuggers, accessing development servers running on the device, or connecting to app-specific sockets.

PARAMETERS

tcp:port

TCP port number. Remote may be "tcp:0" to pick any open port.

localabstract:name

Unix domain socket in abstract namespace.

localreserved:name

Unix domain socket in reserved namespace.

localfilesystem:name

Unix domain socket in filesystem namespace.

jdwp:pid

JDWP (Java Debug Wire Protocol) for process ID.

vsock:CID:port

vsock address (CID and port).

--no-rebind

Fail if local port is already forwarded

--list

List all active port forwards

--remove local

Remove specific forward rule

--remove-all

Remove all forward rules

CAVEATS

Port forwards persist until removed, the device disconnects, or the adb server restarts. Both local and remote ports must be available. Firewalls may block forwarded connections.

HISTORY

Port forwarding has been a core adb feature since Android's initial release in 2008, essential for remote debugging of Android applications through JDWP and other protocols.