ADB command

Use this action to send a key command (such as HOME or UP) or a raw ADB shell command to your Android or Fire TV device. If the command returns any output, it is stored in the adb_response attribute of the media player entity and logged at the info level.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To send a command from an automation or a script:

1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
5. Select what you want to control. Under By target (see Targets), select the Android or Fire TV device you want to control.
6. From the actions shown for that target, select ADB command.
7. Enter the Command you want to send.
8. Select Save.

Options in the UI

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as androidtv.adb_command. A basic example looks like this:

action: androidtv.adb_command
target:
  entity_id: media_player.fire_tv_living_room
data:
  command: HOME

This sends the HOME key command to media_player.fire_tv_living_room.

Options in YAML

Targets of the action

This action requires a target. The target is the object of the action. You can point the action at a single entityAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more], a device, an area, a floor, or a label, and Home Assistant will run the action on every matching media_player entity behind that target.

• Entity: one specific media_player entity, such as media_player.living_room.
• Device: every media_player entity that belongs to a device.
• Area: every media_player entity in a room or area.
• Floor: every media_player entity on a floor.
• Label: every media_player entity that shares a label.

You can also select different target types in one action. For example, you can add a specific entity and an area as targets in the same action to run the action on both of them at once.

Good to know

• Key commands include POWER, SLEEP, HOME, UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, CENTER, BACK, and MENU. The full list lives in the backend androidtv package.
• Use the special command GET_PROPERTIES to retrieve the properties Home Assistant uses to determine the device state. The result is stored in the adb_response attribute and is helpful when you want to write your own custom state detection rules.
• When a command returns output, read it from the adb_response attribute, for example with {% raw %}{{ state_attr('media_player.fire_tv_living_room', 'adb_response') }}{% endraw %}.
• Sending key commands like UP and HOME over ADB can be slow. To send them faster, use Learn sendevent to translate a button press into a faster sendevent command.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

More examples

Real scenarios where this action shows up in automations and scripts. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Automation: turn off the TV at bedtime

Send the SLEEP command to put the device to sleep on a schedule.

• Trigger: Time is 11:00 PM
• Action: ADB command
  • Target: Living room Fire TV
  • Command: SLEEP

- alias: "Put the Fire TV to sleep at bedtime"
  triggers:
    - trigger: time
      at: "23:00:00"
  actions:
    - action: androidtv.adb_command
      target:
        entity_id: media_player.fire_tv_living_room
      data:
        command: SLEEP

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Related actions

These actions work well alongside this one:

• Learn sendevent: Translates a remote button press into a faster ADB sendevent command.

• Download: Downloads a file from an Android or Fire TV device to your Home Assistant instance.

• Upload: Uploads a file from your Home Assistant instance to an Android or Fire TV device.