Initial Checks
Before diving into advanced troubleshooting steps, perform some initial checks to ensure the problem isn't due to a simple oversight.
Enable USB Debugging
Ensure USB debugging is enabled on your device. This can usually be found in the Developer Options menu. If you cannot find it, enable Developer Options by going to Settings > About phone and tapping on the Build number seven times.
Check USB Cable
Verify that the USB cable is not faulty. Try using a different cable to see if the issue persists.
Restart Device and Studio
Sometimes, a simple restart of both the device and Android Studio can resolve connectivity issues.
Connect as PTP and MTP
Attempt connecting the device as both a PTP (Camera) and MTP (Media device) device. This can sometimes prompt an authorization dialog on your device.
Advanced Troubleshooting Steps
If the initial checks do not resolve the issue, follow these advanced troubleshooting steps methodically:
Disable and Re-enable USB Debugging
Disable USB debugging in the device settings, then re-enable it. This can sometimes resolve authorization issues.
Restart ADB Server
Use the commands adb kill-server and adb start-server in the terminal to restart the ADB server.
Revoke USB Debugging Authorizations
Revoke USB debugging authorizations in the device’s Developer options, then replug in the device and accept the authorization prompt.
Check USB Port
If using a USB3 port, try connecting to a USB2 port instead. Sometimes, a different port can resolve connectivity issues.
Change USB Preferences
Change your USB preferences on the device to ‘File Transfer’ mode if it’s set to a different option.
Install Device-Specific Drivers
Ensure that your device’s official drivers are installed. For example, Samsung devices may require drivers from the Samsung developer site.
Use Third-Party Software
Software such as PdaNet+ can help establish a connection between your computer and Android device. After installation, unplug and replug your device.
Use Companion Software
For some devices, using companion sync software like Huawei HiSuite can help install the necessary ADB interface.
On Mac Systems
If you’re using a Mac, starting “Android File Transfer” can prompt the necessary authorization dialog on your device.
Troubleshooting Specific Issues
Connection Assistant
Android Studio provides a Connection Assistant to help you set up and use a device over the ADB connection. To start the assistant, choose Tools > Troubleshoot Device Connections. The Connection Assistant provides step-by-step instructions, in-context controls, and a list of connected devices in a series of pages in the Assistant panel. Use the Next and Previous buttons at the bottom of the Assistant panel to work through the pages as needed.
Connect Your Device Over USB
The Connection Assistant first prompts you to connect your device over USB and provides a Rescan USB devices button where you can start a new scan for connected devices.
Enable USB Debugging
The Connection Assistant then tells you how to enable USB debugging in the on-device developer options.
Restart ADB Server
If you still don't see your device on the list of available devices, use the Restart ADB server button on the last page of the Connection Assistant. Restarting the ADB server also causes ADB to scan for devices again.
Project Sync Issues
Sometimes, you may encounter project sync issues when attempting to sync your project with Gradle files. One common error message is "Connection to the Internet denied. ('Permission denied: connect')". You can resolve this error by adding the system property -Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true to your gradle.properties file in Android Studio as follows:
Open Gradle Properties File
Open your gradle.properties file in Android Studio.
Add System Property
Add the following line to the file:
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org.gradle.jvmargs=-Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true
If you have already added other Gradle JVM arguments to your gradle.properties file, you can add this property to the same line as shown in the following example:
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org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx2048m -XX:MaxPermSize=512m -Djava.net.preferIPv4Stack=true
Restart Android Studio for your changes to take effect.
Sync Project with Gradle Files
Click Sync Project with Gradle Files to sync your project.
Incorrectly-Sized Elements on High-Density Displays
If the entire Android Studio UI is the wrong size on your high-density display, or if some elements of the Android Studio UI are incorrectly sized, you may need to adjust the scaling factor settings or the editor font size.
Adjust Scaling Factor Settings
If the entire UI is incorrectly sized, check the scaling factor settings. You can adjust these settings by going to File > Settings, then clicking on Appearance & Behavior > Appearance, and adjusting the scaling factor.
Adjust Editor Font Size
If some UI elements are correctly sized but others are too small or too big, you may need to adjust the editor font size. To do this, go to File > Settings, then click on Editor > Colors and Fonts > Font, and change the size of the editor font. Note that when the default scheme is active, the editor font size is scaled automatically (see bug 186920).
Directories Used by Android Studio
Android Studio uses several directories to store settings, caches, plugins, and logs. Here are the directories used by Android Studio on different operating systems:
Windows
- Configuration (idea.config.path):
%APPDATA%\Google\AndroidStudio\VERSION - Plugins (idea.plugins.path):
%APPDATA%\Google\AndroidStudio\VERSION\plugins - System (idea.system.path):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\AndroidStudio\VERSION - Logs (idea.log.path):
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\AndroidStudio\VERSION\log
macOS
- Configuration (idea.config.path):
~/Library/Application Support/Google/AndroidStudio/VERSION - Plugins (idea.plugins.path):
~/Library/Application Support/Google/AndroidStudio/VERSION/plugins - System (idea.system.path):
~/Library/Caches/Google/AndroidStudio/VERSION - Logs (idea.log.path):
~/Library/Logs/Google/AndroidStudio/VERSION
Linux
- Configuration (idea.config.path):
~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio/VERSION - Plugins (idea.plugins.path):
~/.local/share/Google/AndroidStudio/... - System (idea.system.path):
~/.cache/Google/AndroidStudio/... - Logs (idea.log.path):
~/.local/share/Google/AndroidStudio/...
Clearing Caches
If Android Studio starts freezing up or crashing even after rebooting the IDE or your computer, your Studio has likely become corrupted. The best way to resolve this is to clear all the caches by removing all the following folders:
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~/Library/Application Support/AndroidStudio
~/Library/Caches/AndroidStudio
~/Library/Logs/AndroidStudio
~/Library/Preferences/AndroidStudio
Uninstall Android Studio and re-install the latest stable version. This should allow you to boot Android Studio again without errors.
Resolving Specific Errors
Unable to Execute Dex: Method ID
When compiling, you might encounter an error like "Unable to execute dex: method ID not in [0, 0xffff]: 65536" or "com.android.dex.DexIndexOverflowException: method ID not in [0, 0xffff]: 65536". This error occurs when the total number of references within a single bytecode file exceeds the 65,536 method limit. This usually means you have a substantial amount of code or are loading a large number of libraries.
To resolve this issue, you need to selectively include services instead of including the entire Google Play Services library. Open up your app gradle file and look for this line:
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implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services:X.X.X'
Remove that line and instead include the services selectively as outlined there. For example:
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dependencies {
implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-maps:8.3.0'
implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:8.3.0'
}
Troubleshooting device connectivity issues in Android Studio can be challenging but is often resolved by following a systematic approach. By performing initial checks, using the Connection Assistant, adjusting settings, and clearing caches, you can resolve most common issues. Additionally, understanding specific errors and how to manage them can significantly improve your development workflow. With these steps, you should be able to effectively troubleshoot and resolve device connectivity issues in Android Studio, ensuring smoother development and testing processes for your Android applications.
