# Android Emulation
***Last Updated: Feb 2026***
[[#Waydroid]] is the only real option and requires [[Wayland]]. Solus now ships with [[Wayland]] support if you have a newer install. If you are on a version of Solus that relies on [[X11]] then the only alternative is the official [[#Android Virtual Device]] supplied with Android Studio.
# Android Virtual Device
In the meantime the only maintained option for X11 is the one that ships with Android Studio:
- [Android Virtual Device](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator#install) (part of the Android Studio SDK)
# Waydroid
>[!WARNING]
> Trebuchet (the Android launcher and main UI) keeps crashing for me, making it unusable. ***Last Updated: Feb 2026***.
Waydroid is the last Android compatibility tool standing. It depends on [[Wayland]].
## Waydroid on X11??
I have come across references that imply that it may possible to run it in [[X11]] as well, but have not yet tested it:
- https://github.com/1999AZZAR/use-waydroid-on-x11
- https://forum.manjaro.org/t/how-to-install-run-waydroid-on-xfce-or-other-non-wayland-desktops/152925
- https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=436933
- https://gist.github.com/1999AZZAR/5c881fdaeb841fc4476259bfcc69b98c
# Others Not Recommended
Listed here for posterity.
- [Anbox](https://github.com/anbox) has been **abandoned since 2020** (officially 2023) because [[Canonical]] turned it into a paid cloud service, but there is a fork[^3] of the kernel module which makes it possible to build on modern systems if you have the patience, but cannot run Android versions more recent than 7 "Nougat" which was released in 2016
## Compatibility Tools
- [ARChon](https://archon-runtime.github.io/) (run Android apps in Chrome, **abandoned since 2020**)
## x85 Ports
There are two commonly suggested Android for [[IA-32]] ROMs which can be run in a traditional Intel-compatible virtual machine:
- [Bliss OS](https://blissos.org/) (also runs on on real [[IA-32]] hardware, *uncertain future*, public **development halted since 2024**, claiming a rewrite is in progress)
- [Android-x86](https://www.android-x86.org/) (**abandoned since 2022**)
# Resources
- https://lifehacker.com/how-to-run-android-apps-inside-chrome-on-any-desktop-op-1637564101
- https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Android#Run_Android_apps_on_Arch_Linux
# References
[^1]: https://github.com/BuddiesOfBudgie/budgie-desktop/issues?q=label%3Awayland
[^2]: https://buddiesofbudgie.org/blog/wayland
[^3]: https://github.com/choff/anbox-modules