adb-shell-pm-list
List installed Android packages
TLDR
List all installed packages
Print all users on the system
Print all known permission groups
Print all known permissions
List all test packages
Print all features of the system
Print all the libraries supported by the current device
SYNOPSIS
adb shell pm list <subcommand> [options] [FILTER]
PARAMETERS
-f
Show APK file path for each package
-d
Filter to disabled packages only
-e
Filter to enabled packages only
-s
Filter to system packages only
-3
Filter to third-party packages only
-i
Show installer package name
-u
Include uninstalled packages
-U
Show UID for each package
--user <USER_ID>
Specify user ID for multi-user devices
FILTER
Package name prefix to filter results
DESCRIPTION
The adb shell pm list command is a powerful tool within the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) ecosystem used to query and list various package-related information on an Android device. Primarily, it invokes the Android Package Manager (pm) shell command to enumerate installed applications, permissions, libraries, and more. The most common usage, pm list packages, displays all installed package names, helping developers, testers, and administrators identify apps by their unique identifiers.
This command is essential for debugging, automation scripts, and device management. Options allow filtering by enabled/disabled status, system vs. user apps, or including paths and UIDs. It supports multiple subcommands like packages, permissions, features, making it versatile for comprehensive package audits. Output is plain text, easily parsable for scripting with tools like grep or awk.
Executed over ADB, it requires a connected device with USB debugging enabled, making it invaluable in development workflows without physical root access.
CAVEATS
Requires ADB setup with device connected and USB debugging enabled.
Some options need shell root privileges.
Not for listing on host system; device-only.
COMMON SUBCOMMANDS
packages: List installed packages.
permissions: List permissions.
features: List device features.
libraries: List native libraries.
instrumentation: List instrumentation components.
EXAMPLE USAGE
adb shell pm list packages – Lists all packages.
adb shell pm list packages -s – System packages only.
adb shell pm list packages | grep com.example – Filter via pipe.
HISTORY
Part of Android SDK since Android 1.0 (2008). ADB tools evolved from initial AOSP releases; pm list enhanced in Android 4+ for better filtering and multi-user support.
SEE ALSO
adb(1)
