This is a how to on installing a APK to Bluestacks using the terminal on a Mac.

To install the APK run the following command, replacing PATHTOAPK with the path to your APK file

~/Library/BlueStacks\ App\ Player/Runtime/uHD-Adb install PATHTOAPK

This assumes that BlueStacks is installed in your Applications folder

You could also run

 /Applications/Bluestacks.app/Contents/Runtime/uHD-Adb install PATHTOAPK

If you get an error that the device is not found do the following.

1. Make sure BlueStacks is opened

2. Run the following Command

~/Library/BlueStacks\ App\ Player/Runtime/uHD-Adb kill-server

3. Then run the install command again

~/Library/BlueStacks\ App\ Player/Runtime/uHD-Adb install PATHTOAPK
How to: Mac OSX Bluestacks Install APK Terminal – ERROR Device not found
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17 thoughts on “How to: Mac OSX Bluestacks Install APK Terminal – ERROR Device not found

  • Wow that was odd. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear.

    Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway,
    just wanted to say wonderful blog!

  • I've been trying this all day and all i keep getting is this can someone please help Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.26

    -d – directs command to the only connected USB device
    returns an error if more than one USB device is present.
    -e – directs command to the only running emulator.
    returns an error if more than one emulator is running.
    -s <serial number> – directs command to the USB device or emulator with
    the given serial number. Overrides ANDROID_SERIAL
    environment variable.
    -p <product name or path> – simple product name like 'sooner', or
    a relative/absolute path to a product
    out directory like 'out/target/product/sooner'.
    If -p is not specified, the ANDROID_PRODUCT_OUT
    environment variable is used, which must
    be an absolute path.
    devices – list all connected devices
    connect <host>[:<port>] – connect to a device via TCP/IP
    Port 5555 is used by default if no port number is specified.
    disconnect [<host>[:<port>]] – disconnect from a TCP/IP device.
    Port 5555 is used by default if no port number is specified.
    Using this ocmmand with no additional arguments
    will disconnect from all connected TCP/IP devices.

    device commands:
    adb push <local> <remote> – copy file/dir to device
    adb pull <remote> [<local>] – copy file/dir from device
    adb sync [ <directory> ] – copy host->device only if changed
    (-l means list but don't copy)
    (see 'adb help all')
    adb shell – run remote shell interactively
    adb shell <command> – run remote shell command
    adb emu <command> – run emulator console command
    adb logcat [ <filter-spec> ] – View device log
    adb forward <local> <remote> – forward socket connections
    forward specs are one of:
    tcp:<port>
    localabstract:<unix domain socket name>
    localreserved:<unix domain socket name>
    localfilesystem:<unix domain socket name>
    dev:<character device name>
    jdwp:<process pid> (remote only)
    adb jdwp – list PIDs of processes hosting a JDWP transport
    adb install [-l] [-r] [-s] <file> – push this package file to the device and install it
    ('-l' means forward-lock the app)
    ('-r' means reinstall the app, keeping its data)
    ('-s' means install on SD card instead of internal storage)
    adb uninstall [-k] <package> – remove this app package from the device
    ('-k' means keep the data and cache directories)
    adb bugreport – return all information from the device
    that should be included in a bug report.

    adb help – show this help message
    adb version – show version num

    DATAOPTS:
    (no option) – don't touch the data partition
    -w – wipe the data partition
    -d – flash the data partition

    scripting:
    adb wait-for-device – block until device is online
    adb start-server – ensure that there is a server running
    adb kill-server – kill the server if it is running
    adb get-state – prints: offline | bootloader | device
    adb get-serialno – prints: <serial-number>
    adb status-window – continuously print device status for a specified device
    adb remount – remounts the /system partition on the device read-write
    adb reboot [bootloader|recovery] – reboots the device, optionally into the bootloader or recovery program
    adb reboot-bootloader – reboots the device into the bootloader
    adb root – restarts the adbd daemon with root permissions
    adb usb – restarts the adbd daemon listening on USB
    adb tcpip <port> – restarts the adbd daemon listening on TCP on the specified port
    networking:
    adb ppp <tty> [parameters] – Run PPP over USB.
    Note: you should not automatically start a PPP connection.
    <tty> refers to the tty for PPP stream. Eg. dev:/dev/omap_csmi_tty1
    [parameters] – Eg. defaultroute debug dump local notty usepeerdns

    adb sync notes: adb sync [ <directory> ]
    <localdir> can be interpreted in several ways:

    – If <directory> is not specified, both /system and /data partitions will be updated.

    – If it is "system" or "data", only the corresponding partition
    is updated.

    environmental variables:
    ADB_TRACE – Print debug information. A comma separated list of the following values
    1 or all, adb, sockets, packets, rwx, usb, sync, sysdeps, transport, jdwp
    ANDROID_SERIAL – The serial number to connect to. -s takes priority over this if given.
    ANDROID_LOG_TAGS – When used with the logcat option, only these debug tags are printed.

  • hi I’ve been trying this all day every single command etc and all i keep getting is this

    Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.26

    -d – directs command to the only connected USB device
    returns an error if more than one USB device is present.
    -e – directs command to the only running emulator.
    returns an error if more than one emulator is running.
    -s – directs command to the USB device or emulator with
    the given serial number. Overrides ANDROID_SERIAL
    environment variable.
    -p – simple product name like ‘sooner’, or
    a relative/absolute path to a product
    out directory like ‘out/target/product/sooner’.
    If -p is not specified, the ANDROID_PRODUCT_OUT
    environment variable is used, which must
    be an absolute path.
    devices – list all connected devices
    connect [:] – connect to a device via TCP/IP
    Port 5555 is used by default if no port number is specified.
    disconnect [[:]] – disconnect from a TCP/IP device.
    Port 5555 is used by default if no port number is specified.
    Using this ocmmand with no additional arguments
    will disconnect from all connected TCP/IP devices.

    device commands:
    adb push – copy file/dir to device
    adb pull [] – copy file/dir from device
    adb sync [ ] – copy host->device only if changed
    (-l means list but don’t copy)
    (see ‘adb help all’)
    adb shell – run remote shell interactively
    adb shell – run remote shell command
    adb emu – run emulator console command
    adb logcat [ ] – View device log
    adb forward – forward socket connections
    forward specs are one of:
    tcp:
    localabstract:
    localreserved:
    localfilesystem:
    dev:
    jdwp: (remote only)
    adb jdwp – list PIDs of processes hosting a JDWP transport
    adb install [-l] [-r] [-s] – push this package file to the device and install it
    (‘-l’ means forward-lock the app)
    (‘-r’ means reinstall the app, keeping its data)
    (‘-s’ means install on SD card instead of internal storage)
    adb uninstall [-k] – remove this app package from the device
    (‘-k’ means keep the data and cache directories)
    adb bugreport – return all information from the device
    that should be included in a bug report.

    adb help – show this help message
    adb version – show version num

    DATAOPTS:
    (no option) – don’t touch the data partition
    -w – wipe the data partition
    -d – flash the data partition

    scripting:
    adb wait-for-device – block until device is online
    adb start-server – ensure that there is a server running
    adb kill-server – kill the server if it is running
    adb get-state – prints: offline | bootloader | device
    adb get-serialno – prints:
    adb status-window – continuously print device status for a specified device
    adb remount – remounts the /system partition on the device read-write
    adb reboot [bootloader|recovery] – reboots the device, optionally into the bootloader or recovery program
    adb reboot-bootloader – reboots the device into the bootloader
    adb root – restarts the adbd daemon with root permissions
    adb usb – restarts the adbd daemon listening on USB
    adb tcpip – restarts the adbd daemon listening on TCP on the specified port
    networking:
    adb ppp [parameters] – Run PPP over USB.
    Note: you should not automatically start a PPP connection.
    refers to the tty for PPP stream. Eg. dev:/dev/omap_csmi_tty1
    [parameters] – Eg. defaultroute debug dump local notty usepeerdns

    adb sync notes: adb sync [ ]
    can be interpreted in several ways:

    – If is not specified, both /system and /data partitions will be updated.

    – If it is “system” or “data”, only the corresponding partition
    is updated.

    environmental variables:
    ADB_TRACE – Print debug information. A comma separated list of the following values
    1 or all, adb, sockets, packets, rwx, usb, sync, sysdeps, transport, jdwp
    ANDROID_SERIAL – The serial number to connect to. -s takes priority over this if given.
    ANDROID_LOG_TAGS – When used with the logcat option, only these debug tags are printed.

    SOMEONE PLEASE HELP BEFORE I BREAK SOMETHING THANKYOU

    1. Make sure that you do not have any other android devices or emulators connected to your computer – the run adb kill-server
      adb start-server and try again

  • great post man. It helped me get the installation going. But now I’m getting a Failure [INSTALL_PARSE_FAILED_NO_CERTIFICATES] message

    🙁

    thanks again!

  • this is my apk file /Users/charleshamilton/Documents/Vuze Downloads/The Simpsons™ Tapped Out v4.5.0 (apk+data) [Mod] {Android} [JOKER]

    how the hell do i get it too work on mac pro cause when i follow ur steps i get this response

    -bash: syntax error near unexpected token `(‘
    charless-mbp:~ charleshamilton$

    its doing my head in following all the commands

    1. You need to escape the characters. The easiest would be to type /Users/Charles Hamilton/Documents/Vuze Downloads/The and then press TAB. It will automatically find and escape the file name

  • Great help! Thank you so much! I was about to go crazy … I tried pretty much everything but Bluestacks wasn’t seeing my APPS! Your command works like a charme

  • Thank you sooooo much! I have been struggling so much with this ‘device not found’ error that I had to comment and thank you for providing the only solution that worked for me. Really appreciate it.