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Apps & packages / 4 MIN READ

How to find Android package names with ADB

List installed apps, narrow the results, and save a package lookup you can reuse.

01. Start with the package name

Android identifies an app by a package name, such as com.example.app. This differs from the label you see on your home screen. Package names are useful when you inspect an app, look up its installed path, or create a command for a specific app.

Connect your device in ADB Companion and check the device name above the terminal before you run anything. The commands below inspect packages; they do not uninstall or disable apps.

02. List third-party packages

Open Terminal and run the following command. The -3 flag limits the list to third-party packages. Omit that flag if you also want to see system packages. You can also use the app’s starter action for user-installed packages.

ADB COMPANION · SHELL
pm list packages -3

03. Narrow the list

Add a search term to find package names containing that text. This example looks for “example”; replace it with part of the package name you are looking for. An app’s display name may not appear in its package name.

Use Show all on a long result to search the captured output. Very large results can be truncated, so filtering the command itself gives you a more useful capture.

ADB COMPANION · SHELL
pm list packages example

04. Turn the lookup into an action

In Actions, use Find package, or create an action with the template below. When you run it, the app asks for query, quotes the value as a shell argument, and previews the command.

Pin the action to keep it close. For an exact lookup you use repeatedly, favorite the result instead. History keeps the original command and result so you can revisit what you found.

ADB COMPANION · SHELL
pm list packages {{query}}

One more useful thing in your toolkit.

Keep the commands you use. ADB Companion will keep them close.