Software⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-05-30

How to Fix: How to use ADB Shell when Multiple Devices are connected? Fails with "error: more than one device and emulator"

Use the -P option to specify a port number for ADB, or use the -P option with adb shell to connect to a specific device.

Quick Answer: Use the -P option with adb shell to connect to a specific device, e.g. $ adb shell -s 7f1c864e -P 5555

When using ADB Shell with multiple devices connected, you might encounter the error 'error: more than one device and emulator'. This occurs because ADB can't determine which device to use when there are multiple options available.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Method 1: Selecting a Device Manually

  1. Step 1: Open the ADB Devices window by running the command $ adb devices.
  2. Step 2: Identify the serial number of the device you want to use and append it to the 'adb shell' command, for example: $ adb shell -s .

Method 2: Disabling Emulators

  1. Step 1: Open the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) settings by running the command $ adb devices.
  2. Step 2: Look for the 'Emulated' option and disable it, or select a device from the list to use instead.

💡 Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the 'error: more than one device and emulator' issue when using ADB Shell with multiple devices connected.

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