Fix ADB Insufficient Permission

udev rules for fixing ADB Insufficient permission in Linux

adb devices shows unauthorized. One udev rule fixes it.

Plug in an Android device on Linux, run adb devices, and sometimes you get this:

Terminal window
$ adb devices


List of devices attached
15241JEC211677  device
RR2M9002AHY     unauthorized

The problem is that Linux assigns USB devices to root with restrictive permissions (0600) by default. Regular users can’t access them directly, so ADB sees the device but can’t talk to it.

The fix is a udev rule that assigns the right permissions when the device is plugged in.

Step 1: Find the vendor and product IDs

Run lsusb with the device connected:

Terminal window
$ lsusb


...some other devices
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 18d1:4ee7 Google Inc. Nexus/Pixel Device

18d1 is the vendor ID and 4ee7 is the product ID.

Step 2: Create the udev rule

Create a file at /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules:

Terminal window
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="18d1", ATTRS{idProduct}=="4ee7", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev", SYMLINK+="google_pixel_4a_%n"

What each field does:

  • SUBSYSTEM=="usb" — applies only to USB devices
  • ATTRS{idVendor} and ATTRS{idProduct} — matches this specific device
  • MODE="0666" — read/write access for all users
  • GROUP="plugdev" — assigns the device to the plugdev group
  • SYMLINK+="google_pixel_4a_%n" — creates a readable symlink under /dev/ for easier identification

Step 3: Reconnect

Reconnect the device. If it still doesn’t work, reload the udev rules and try again:

Terminal window
$ sudo udevadm control --reload-rules