Using ADB sideload, you can easily sideload ROM and mod zip files by executing ADB commands. In this guide, learn how to sideload zip files on Android devices.

Android is the most popular mobile operating system which is being used on most smartphones at the moment. Naturally, the Android development scene has grown exponentially over the years as Android grew larger as an ecosystem. The Android SDK is a kit provided by Google and is used to develop a bridge/connection between the Android device and the PC to carry on the development. The Android Software Development Kit comes with a variety of tools and drivers, of which ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is the most powerful and is used for many purposes apart from development. Almost every single Android user would have at least heard about ADB once in their journey with Android.

Setup System-Wide ADB and Fastboot on Windows

ADB is a powerful command-line tool that acts as a bridge between an Android device and a computer facilitating seamless transfer of data. Apart from being used for development, ADB can be used to repair bricked Android devices, install apps and mods and much more. However, you cannot use the ADB tool and its commands until you enable the USB Debugging option found in the Settings > Developers options of Android. The USB debugging opens the port between your device and the ADB interface.

Starting with Android Jellybean, ADB brought in a new mode called the Sideload mode which can be used for a variety of purposes. The ADB sideload allows the user to install Zip files using the ADB command-line tool thereby enabling the user to install ROMs and Mods which are available in ZIP file format. Most of you might find it useless as you can install ROMs from the device itself, however, the Sideload mode is a lifesaver when it comes to a device with internal memory only and there is no ROM in the device to repair a bricked device.

If your device is bricked and there is no way to load a ROM file to the internal storage of your device, then ADB sideload is the only possible option. Today we shall see how to install any Flashable Zip using the ADB Sideload method.

Prepare Your Android Device

• Make sure that your device has at least 60% of battery.
• Make sure you have proper USB drivers installed on your computer.
• Enable USB Debugging on your phone from Settings > Developer options.
• Download ADB and Fastboot Platform-Tools on your computer.

Sideload ROM and Mod Zip via ADB Sideload

1. Download and extract the ADB files on your PC: Download and Install ADB and Fastboot on Windows
2. Open a command prompt in the ADB folder by right-clicking the mouse in the empty space of the folder while holding down the Shift key.
3. Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable and reboot your device into recovery mode. You can do this from the Reboot Manager app: Reboot Manager
4. In the recovery mode, enter the ADB Sideload menu which will be different for different custom recoveries.
   • For TWRP, you can find it in the Advanced > ADB Sideload
   • For CWM, you can find it in the Install > Install Zip from Sideload
5. Copy the Zip file which you want to install to your computer’s folder where ADB and Fastboot are installed.
6. Start the ADB sideload in your recovery. Now enter the following command in the command prompt.

   adb sideload <filename.Zip>

   For instance:

   adb sideload file-name.zip

7. You will see a progress bar in the command prompt indicating that the Zip file is being copied to the device. Once the file is transferred, the Zip will be automatically installed on your device.
8. You can reboot your device once the Zip file is installed successfully on your device.

Done! You can install any flashable Zip file using the ADB sideload mode whenever needed. If you have any questions regarding how to install or sideload zip file using ADB sideload, do let us know your questions in the comments section download below.