GoADB

Introduction

GoADB is a Go-based terminal tool for transferring files between macOS and Android devices using ADB. It wraps common ADB workflows behind an interactive terminal interface, removing the need to repeatedly type long, fragile commands.

Purpose and Goal

The project exists to make Android file transfer fast and habitual from the terminal. Instead of relying on GUI tools, the goal was to keep the system close to raw ADB while reducing friction through better defaults and interactive selection.

Spotlight

The terminal UI. While the original intent was to avoid learning a full TUI framework and stay close to raw ADB usage, the project ended up using Bubble Tea to implement the interface. This allowed rapid iteration on interaction without over-engineering the core logic. The UI itself remains thin: file discovery is handled via find with predefined ignore rules, selection is done through fzf, and all actual transfers run using adb exec-in and adb exec-out.

Current Status

It works and does exactly what it was built for. File transfers between macOS and Android are fast, predictable, and require minimal mental effort.

Lessons Learned

This project clarified the role of AI agents in my workflow: to take over tasks I don’t want to spend time on. I didn’t want to learn Bubble Tea, but using an AI to handle that let me focus on the actual problem the tool was solving. AI is a great companion in cases like this. Scanning docs and spitting code is something it does reliably almost 60% of the time, in my experience.

Conclusion

GoADB is a small, purpose-built tool that prioritizes usability without hiding complexity. It reflects a preference for simple systems assembled thoughtfully over larger abstractions learned for their own sake.