There was a time when it seemed like modding an Android device was an everyday occurrence. Users spiced up their Androids to make up for the lack of features. But as Google continues to add new options and settings to Android with every passing year, it seems that many don't feel the need to use mods any longer.
Today it's mostly power users who still mod their devices, but that's only because it requires full root access to make it happen. The Shizuku app changes that, and will hopefully bring some new and old modders back onto the scene.Modding your device without root access just got a lot betterShizuku uses a unique service that allows third-party apps access to system-level Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). It achieves this through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) interface. ADB commands are somewhat limited by nature; however, combining them with system APIs gives you a significant amount of control. You also don't have to bother learning about the Android rooting process to start using Shizuku. Follow along with the guide below to learn how to set up Shizuku with your favorite method.
Install the Shizuku app
Before you can use custom mods or tweaks on your Android device, you need to install the Shizuku app. Short of having full root access integrated with the Shizuku service, using the ADB interface for the setup process is the next best option. Both choices give you a lot of extra control over your device, so you can't go wrong.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=moe.shizuku.privileged.api
Prepare your device by enabling the developer options
Shizuku uses the hidden developer options on your Android device for the non-root methods in this guide, which makes it easier to enable them. If you don’t have your developer options already enabled, you can do the following to turn them on:
- Open your Settings app, then go to System → About Phone.
- Scroll down to the Build number section and rapidly tap it 7 times to continue.
- Enter your PIN or password as needed.
- You’ll see a notification popup that states “You are now a developer!”The method to enable the developer options can differ slightly based on the Android device manufacturer. Many of them are in a similar location, but you may have to double-check your device. If you can find a Build number section for your Android version, just tap it rapidly 7 times to enable the developer options.With your developer options now enabled, you're done with basic preparations. You can move on to setting up Shizuku.
How to set up Shizuku with the wireless debugging feature
Starting with Android 11, Google added the wireless debugging feature to the developer options, which allows you to execute ADB commands over Wi-Fi. Before this, the only other option was to physically connect your Android device to a computer via a USB cable.The learning curve with the ADB interface is steep enough to keep average users from trying it out for themselves. However, the on-device wireless debugging feature makes it easy for anyone to use ADB commands—no computer or complicated setup is required.
If you have Android 11 and above, you can use Shizuku with the wireless debugging feature by doing the following:
- Open the Shizuku app to the main screen, then scroll down to the Start via Wireless debugging section.
- Tap the Pairing button, then press Developer options.
- Scroll down until you find the Wireless debugging option.
- Tap the Use wireless debugging button.
- Check the Always allow on this network box.
- Press Allow to enable the feature.
- Press Pair device with pairing code to bring up the Pair with device popup.
- Input the unique 6 digit Wi-Fi pairing code exactly as it appears into the Shizuku Pairing code notification textbox.
- If needed, swipe down on your status bar to the Shizuku notification, then tap Enter pairing code.
- Enter your Wi-Fi pairing code and press the Send button on the right to confirm.
- You should see a Pairing successful message if the pairing code was correct.
- Your device is now synced up with the Shizuku app.
- Tap the back arrow or gesture a few times until you return to the Shizuku app main screen.
- You might have to swipe away the Pairing successful notification before you can do that.
- Under the Start via Wireless debugging section, tap the Start button to enable the service.
- The Shizuku service will now automatically start on a new screen. It will close once the process is complete.
- Scroll back to the top and ensure it shows the Shizuku is running status with a version number followed by adb.If you keep getting the Searching for wireless debugging service message when enabling Shizuku, you've run into a minor issue. To fix this, tap Developer options in the message popup, then disable and enable the Wireless debugging feature. Tap the back arrow to return to the Shizuku app, and it should start the service.Now that the Shizuku service is ready and waiting on your device, you can use it for any app or mod with official Shizuku support. You'll have to start the service again after every reboot, so keep that in mind.
How to set up Shizuku with ADB commands on a computer
The wireless debugging feature is the best non-root method for most Shizuku users; however, some might still prefer to use the ADB interface through a computer. The setup process is more involved than the on-device wireless debugging feature introduced with Android 11.
Once you get past the initial setup phase, it becomes a lot easier to use. To get Shizuku started with ADB commands on a computer, do the following:
