Real Device Not Connecting with Android Studio on Mac

After updating macOS, many developers face issues where Android Studio stops detecting real Android devices over USB or Wireless Debugging.

Common errors include:

• adb: failed to check server version
• protocol fault (couldn't read status)
• Failed: Unable to start pairing client
• Device not showing in adb devices
• Wireless debugging pairing failed

This issue usually occurs because the macOS update resets permissions, breaks old ADB authorization keys, or conflicts with outdated Android platform tools.

Problem Symptoms

The Android device was previously working correctly, but after updating macOS:

• Android Studio cannot detect the phone
• adb devices returns empty
• Wireless debugging fails
• ADB daemon continuously restarts
• Pairing via Wi-Fi throws pairing client errors

Example error:

Failed: Unable to start pairing client.

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Kill Existing ADB Processes

Run:

adb kill-server
pkill adb

This stops corrupted or stuck ADB background processes.

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2. Remove Old ADB Authorization Keys

Delete old keys:

rm -rf ~/.android/adbkey*

Sometimes old authorization keys become invalid after a macOS upgrade.

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3. Update Android Platform Tools

Update ADB using Homebrew:

brew update
brew upgrade android-platform-tools

Verify installation:

adb version

Recommended:

• Platform Tools 37+
• Latest ADB version

Example:

Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41
Version 37.0.0

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4. Restart Mac and Android Device

Restart both devices to clear cached debugging sessions.

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5. Re-enable USB & Wireless Debugging

On Android:

• Open Developer Options
• Turn OFF:
  • USB Debugging
  • Wireless Debugging
• Restart device
• Turn both ON again

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6. Pair Device Again Using Wireless Debugging

On Android:

• Developer Options
• Wireless Debugging
• Pair device with pairing code

On Mac Use Terminal to enter your own IP address or open Mobile Developer Option then Wireless Debugging and ‘Pair device with pairing code , you will see IP_ADDRESS:PORT:

adb pair IP_ADDRESS:PORT

Example:

adb pair 172.20.10.4:37875

Enter pairing code shown on the Android device.

Successful output:

Successfully paired to 172.20.10.4:37875

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7. Connect Wirelessly

After pairing:

adb connect IP_ADDRESS:PORT

Example:

adb connect 172.20.10.4:39123

Now the device should appear inside Android Studio.

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Additional Fixes if Still Not Working

Allow Permissions on macOS

Go to:

• System Settings
• Privacy & Security

Allow:

• Terminal
• Android Studio

Temporarily disable Firewall for testing.

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Check USB Cable

Some USB cables support charging only and not data transfer.

Use:

• Original cable
• USB data cable
• Direct USB port connection

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Verify Device Detection

Run:

adb devices

Expected:

List of devices attached
RZ8M92RWT device

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Root Cause

macOS updates can:

• Reset developer permissions
• Break ADB authorization
• Corrupt wireless pairing cache
• Cause old platform tools to malfunction

Updating Android Platform Tools and re-pairing the device usually resolves the issue completely.

Final Result

After:

• removing old ADB keys,
• updating Android Platform Tools,
• restarting ADB,
• and re-pairing the device,

the Android real device successfully connected wirelessly to Android Studio on Mac.