Wireless debugging suddenly and randomly disables

[u/dcbmobiledev]

I have a TCL SmartPro TV (model 55T7) US version. Android TV OS 14. Wireless Debugging has suddenly started disabling itself randomly a few weeks ago.

Brief history: Last year I wrote a little phone app that I use to forward important phone notifications (low/charged battery, Play store updates, etc) via adb. When I stopped getting TV notifications I initially just assumed my app broke. Until I realized wireless debugging was disabled on the TV. After reenabling, it's fine for a few days and then it toggles to disabled again, no particular schedule or cadence. I've been racking my brain trying to hunt down a reason but now I'm just sure they're pulling my hair out and need some advice. Any hints or input from anyone, or has anyone experienced anything of the sort? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

[u/avd706]

Sideload the launcher over ADB and you don't have to worry about it.

[u/Snoo-38645]

first thing to check before anything else, because it explains the no particular cadence part. wireless debugging doesnt survive a reboot. its off after every boot by design, and a tv that restarts itself at 3am for a system update just looks like a tv that was off.

so grab the uptime. while its still connected run adb shell uptime and note it, then next time debugging has dropped, re enable it and check uptime again. if it comes back low, the tv rebooted and thats your whole answer. every few days with no pattern is exactly what android tv update reboots look like.

if that turns out to be it, switching off automatic system updates on that set cuts the frequency right down. it wont eliminate it, power blips still count, but it stops being a weekly thing.

second candidate, if uptime says it didnt reboot. wireless debugging is tied to the network it was enabled on and it turns itself off when the device changes network. so if your ap does band steering, or your router hands out a lease in a way that makes the tv re associate, that alone is enough to kill it.

and one thing that makes your life easier either way. once youre connected, run adb tcpip 5555. that puts adbd on a fixed port instead of the random one android picks each time it starts, so your app doesnt have to go rediscovering it. it still dies on reboot, but it takes the moving port out of the problem.

[u/realdeal1877 → u/Snoo-38645]

Also, the Android app "ADB Shell - Debug Toolbax" in the phone PlayStore, can Auto enable tcpip 5555 on initial connection from your phone/tablet.

[u/Snoo-38645 → u/realdeal1877]

good shout, thats a neat way to automate the port side of it.

one thing worth flagging for op though, because it doesnt touch his actual problem. tcpip 5555 has to be issued over an existing adb connection, so an app can only set it while youre already connected. after a reboot theres no connection left to issue it from, and adbd comes back in its default mode with wireless debugging off again. so that app saves you the port dance on every reconnect, but the disappearing every few days stays exactly as it was.

still worth having for the reconnect, just not the fix for the thing hes chasing.