How to Start Shizuku, and Get It Running Again

Shizuku gives other apps the same system access that ADB has, so they can do things that normally need a computer: install apps with extra options, change secure settings, manage per-app network access. Shizuku itself is only the bridge. You start it once, then apps that support it ask for permission to use it.

Get Shizuku from Google Play, from its GitHub releases page, or from this site, where the APK is checked against IzzyOnDroid’s signed index. All three are the same app from the same developer. The rest of this guide follows the project’s own manual.

Pick your method

Method	Works on	Needs	After a reboot
Root	Any rooted device	Root	Can start on its own
Wireless debugging	Android 11 and later	Nothing else	Start it again
Computer (ADB)	Unrooted devices on Android 10 and earlier	A computer and a USB cable	Start it again

The manual is explicit that the two non-root methods don’t survive a reboot. That is a limit of Android, not a bug in Shizuku. One exception came in Shizuku 13.6.0: its release notes add “auto start without root on Android13+ when connected to a trusted WLAN”, so on Android 13 and later it can start itself again when the phone is on a Wi-Fi network you trust.

Start with root

On a rooted device, open Shizuku and start it directly. If it doesn’t start by itself after a reboot, the manual’s fix is to allow Shizuku to run in the background (battery or background restrictions on many phones stop it).

Start with wireless debugging (Android 11 and later)

No computer needed. You pair once, then start it after each reboot, unless it starts itself on a trusted Wi-Fi network (see above).

Turn on the switches:

1. Enable Developer options. On most phones: Settings › About phone, tap Build number several times until you see a message that you are a developer. The exact place differs by manufacturer.
2. In Developer options, turn on USB debugging.
3. Open Wireless debugging and turn it on. Wireless debugging works over a Wi-Fi network, as Android’s adb documentation describes it, so connect to Wi-Fi first. Without Wi-Fi, the root method is the one that works.

Pair (only the first time):

1. In Shizuku, start the pairing process. It shows a notification.
2. In Developer options › Wireless debugging, tap Pair device with pairing code.
3. Type the code into the field in Shizuku’s notification.

Start: go back to Shizuku and start it. If it doesn’t start, turn Wireless debugging off and on again, then retry.

On GrapheneOS, the manual notes that Settings › Security › Secure app spawning may need to be turned off.

Start from a computer (Android 10 and earlier, no root)

1. Download Google’s SDK Platform Tools for your computer and extract it.
2. Open a terminal in that folder and run adb. If you see a long help text, it works. (In PowerShell, macOS or Linux, type ./adb instead of adb.)
3. On the phone, enable Developer options and USB debugging, then connect the cable.
4. Run adb devices. Accept the Allow USB debugging prompt on the phone (tick Always allow), then run adb devices again. You should see your device listed.
5. Start Shizuku (v11.2.0 and later) with:

adb shell sh /sdcard/Android/data/moe.shizuku.privileged.api/start.sh

Shizuku should now show as running.

When it won’t start or keeps stopping

These fixes come from the manual’s FAQ, which notes that many manufacturers change Android in ways that interfere with Shizuku.

“Searching for pairing service” never finishes. Allow Shizuku to run in the background. Pairing needs local network access, and many phones cut network access for apps as soon as they aren’t on screen.

Pairing fails as soon as you tap “Enter pairing code” (Xiaomi, POCO). Change the notification style to Android in Settings › Notifications › Notification shade.

It starts, but apps say the permission is limited.

• Xiaomi, POCO (MIUI): also enable USB debugging (Security settings) in Developer options. It is a separate switch from USB debugging.
• OPPO, OnePlus (ColorOS): disable Permission monitoring in Developer options.
• Meizu (Flyme): disable Flyme payment protection in Developer options.

Shizuku stops at random.

• Let Shizuku run in the background.
• Don’t turn off USB debugging or Developer options while you use it.
• In Developer options, set the USB mode to charge only: Default USB configuration › No data transfer on Android 9 and later (Select USB configuration › Charge only on Android 8).
• On Android 11 and later, turn on Disable adb authorization timeout.
• Huawei (EMUI): enable Allow ADB debugging options in “Charge only” mode.
• Xiaomi (MIUI): don’t run the scan in the Security app. It turns Developer options off.
• Sony: ignore the dialog that appears when you connect USB, because answering it changes the USB mode.

What to use it for

Once Shizuku is running, the apps below can use it. Each one asks for Shizuku permission the first time. See the Shizuku apps list for a side-by-side comparison, including which ones also work without Shizuku.