# OpenClaw on Android: Single-Command Install Without proot or Linux > OpenClaw on Android eliminates the standard 700MB to 1GB proot-distro overhead by installing only the glibc dynamic linker and a wrapped Node.js binary. A single curl command handles the entire setup in 3 to 10 minutes inside Termux, and a standalone Claw App APK provides the same capability without Termux at all. **AidanPark/openclaw-android** — Run OpenClaw on Android with a single command — no proot, no Linux - Repository: https://github.com/AidanPark/openclaw-android - Stars: 1,763 · Forks: 224 - Language: Java - License: MIT - Published: 2026-09-10 · Updated: 2026-09-10 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/aidanpark-openclaw-android ## The Problem: Running OpenClaw on Android Without a Full Linux Install OpenClaw runs on Node.js, which in turn requires the GNU C Library (glibc). Android uses its own Bionic libc, which is incompatible with standard Linux binaries. The conventional workaround is to install a full Linux distribution inside Termux using proot-distro, which adds between 700MB and 1GB of overhead and typically takes 20 to 30 minutes to set up. This project eliminates the full Linux distribution by installing only the glibc dynamic linker (ld.so) via pacman's glibc-runner. The dynamic linker is enough to run standard Linux binaries, including Node.js compiled for linux-arm64, without the rest of a Linux distribution. The project also wraps Node.js with an ld.so loader script rather than using patchelf, which the README notes causes segfault on Android. The result is roughly 200MB of storage overhead, a setup time of 3 to 10 minutes depending on network speed, and native execution speed without a proot emulation layer. ## What the Installer Does Automatically The single install command handles seven compatibility steps that would otherwise require manual work. It sets up the glibc dynamic linker environment. It downloads official Node.js for linux-arm64 and wraps it with an ld.so loader script. It converts standard Linux paths such as /tmp, /bin/sh, and /usr/bin/env to their Termux equivalents. It configures an accessible temp folder for Android. It configures normal operation without systemd. Optionally, it installs OpenCode using proot plus ld.so concatenation for Bun standalone binaries. None of these steps require user intervention. The README describes the installer as resolving all differences between Termux and standard Linux automatically. After the installer finishes, it prints the installed OpenClaw version and instructions to run openclaw onboard. ## Step-by-Step Setup from a Fresh Phone The setup requires Android 7.0 or higher with Android 10 or higher recommended, approximately 1GB of free storage, and a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection. The Play Store version of Termux is discontinued and will not work; install Termux from F-Droid. Open Termux and install curl: ```bash pkg update -y && pkg install -y curl ``` Then run the installer: ```bash curl -sL myopenclawhub.com/install | bash && source ~/.bashrc ``` This takes 3 to 10 minutes. Once complete, run the onboarding command: ```bash openclaw onboard ``` After onboarding, start the gateway. The README is explicit: run this directly in the Termux app on the phone, not via SSH, because the gateway stops when an SSH session disconnects. ```bash openclaw gateway ``` The gateway occupies the terminal. Open a new Termux session via the side menu for other work. ## The Claw App: A Standalone APK Without Termux A standalone Android app is also available. It bundles a terminal emulator and a WebView-based UI into a single APK and handles bootstrap, Node.js, and OpenClaw installation from within the app itself. No Termux installation is needed. The Claw App provides a built-in dashboard for gateway control, runtime information, and tool management. It operates independently of any existing Termux setup: installing the app does not affect a Termux plus oa installation. The APK is available from the GitHub Releases page. iOS is a different matter: an iOS version is listed as available on the App Store with iOS 18.6 or higher required, but that is a separate product from the Android Termux installer documented in this repository. ## Keeping Processes Alive on Android Android's Phantom Process Killer is the main operational challenge after setup. The OS can terminate background processes silently, particularly when the screen is off or the device is under memory pressure. The README points to a Keeping Processes Alive guide at docs/disable-phantom-process-killer.md with specific steps for Developer Options, Stay Awake, charge limits, battery optimization settings, and Phantom Process Killer configuration. The README explicitly instructs users to configure Developer Options and Stay Awake before running the gateway as a persistent service. Running openclaw gateway via SSH is also flagged as a risk: the process stops when the SSH session ends. If you need to operate the gateway remotely, the Termux SSH Setup Guide at docs/termux-ssh-guide.md documents how to set up SSH access and a dashboard tunnel that survives session disconnection. For teams running OpenClaw on multiple devices on the same network, a Dashboard Connect tool is available at myopenclawhub.com to manage connection settings across devices from a PC. ## Limitations and Alternative Approaches The glibc linker approach has one known constraint documented in the installer: it does not use patchelf to rewrite binary paths, because patchelf causes segfaults on Android. Instead, it uses an ld.so wrapper script. This works for Node.js and OpenClaw but may not generalize to other Linux binaries that need more aggressive path rewriting. Long-running sessions are subject to Android's memory and process management policies. The README does not document a maximum uptime before the OS intervenes, because behavior varies by device and Android version. Testing on the specific device and Android version you plan to use before relying on the setup in production is important. The standard proot-distro path remains a viable alternative. It installs a full Debian or Ubuntu environment, adds more storage and setup time, but provides a more complete Linux compatibility layer. For use cases that require software beyond Node.js and OpenClaw, proot-distro gives a broader base. For the specific goal of running OpenClaw with minimal overhead, this project is the more direct path. ## Maintenance, Releases, and License The last push to the repository was on 2026-06-29. The most recent release is v0.4.0, published on 2026-03-30. The project is licensed under MIT. The repository structure includes dedicated directories for platform-specific scripts (platforms/), test scripts (tests/), patches for the installation process (patches/), and documentation (docs/). A CHANGELOG.md tracks changes by version. The install.sh, uninstall.sh, update.sh, and update-core.sh scripts are all present at the top level, giving clear entry points for the complete lifecycle of the installation. ## Conclusion OpenClaw on Android is the right choice for developers who want to run OpenClaw on a phone or tablet and want the smallest setup footprint. The standard proot-distro path works but adds 700MB to 1GB of overhead and 20 to 30 minutes of setup time. This project reduces that to roughly 200MB and a single command. The limit to keep in mind is Android's Phantom Process Killer: long-running background processes can be terminated silently, and the project documents configuration steps to reduce this risk. If your use case requires a persistent gateway running unattended for days, test that setup on your specific device and Android version before relying on it. ## FAQ ### Can you run OpenClaw on Android? Yes. This project provides a single-command installer that runs inside Termux on Android 7.0 or higher. It installs the glibc dynamic linker and a wrapped Node.js binary, allowing OpenClaw to run without a full Linux distribution or proot-distro. ### How do I install OpenClaw on Android? Install Termux from F-Droid (not the Play Store), run pkg update -y && pkg install -y curl to get curl, then run curl -sL myopenclawhub.com/install | bash && source ~/.bashrc. The installer handles all setup automatically in 3 to 10 minutes. ### Is there a standalone OpenClaw Android app that does not require Termux? Yes. The Claw App is a standalone APK that bundles a terminal emulator and WebView-based UI, and installs OpenClaw from within the app. It is available from the GitHub Releases page and operates independently of any existing Termux setup. ## Sources - [AidanPark/openclaw-android on GitHub](https://github.com/AidanPark/openclaw-android) - [Issues](https://github.com/AidanPark/openclaw-android/issues) - [License: MIT](https://github.com/AidanPark/openclaw-android/blob/main/LICENSE) - [README](https://github.com/AidanPark/openclaw-android/blob/main/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/AidanPark/openclaw-android/releases) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/aidanpark-openclaw-android