Want to run Android apps on Linux? How about play Android games? Several options are available, but the one that works the best is Anbox. This is a tool that runs your favorite Android apps on Linux without emulation.

Here's how to use Anbox to run Android apps on your Linux PC today.

Meet Anbox, Your "Android in a Box"

Having access to your preferred Android apps and games brings an exciting new dimension of productivity to Linux. Mobile apps are, by design, a lot simpler than those found on desktop operating systems.

This could be just what you're looking for to ameliorate desktop productivity!

Meanwhile, mobile games are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Information technology makes sense that y'all might want to continue playing on a different device. This is specially true because the limited battery life of a telephone or tablet.

Several macOS and Windows tools are available for running Android apps (such as Bluestacks) just this isn't available for Linux.

Instead, Linux users should try Anbox, a complimentary and open source tool to run Android apps on Linux. It'southward based on the latest version from the Android Open Source Projection (AOSP) and offers a window-based Android surroundings.

Anbox uses containers to separate Android from the host operating system, enabling you to run Android games on Linux.

That's not all; Anbox has no limits, then in theory you can run any Android app on Linux. In that location'southward no hardware virtualization either, so Anbox works too on a laptop or desktop, whatever the system spec.

Which Linux Distros Support Snap?

Although free to use, Anbox comes as a snap package. This means that the binary and any dependencies are included in a single package, easing installation. Unfortunately, information technology ways that your Linux OS cannot use Anbox unless it tin unpackage and install snaps.

The snapd service is required to install snaps, and this is compatible with Linux distributions such every bit:

  • Arch Linux
  • Debian
  • Fedora
  • Gentoo
  • Linux Mint
  • Manjaro
  • openSUSE
  • Solus
  • Ubuntu

In Ubuntu, snapd comes pre-installed from 14.04 onwards. You'll find full details for your distro at the Snapcraft website.

To install snapd, apply the following last command:

          sudo apt install snapd

Expect until the installation completes before proceeding. Note that while snapd runs or is preinstalled with the above distros, Anbox is officially supported on Ubuntu xvi.04 LTS (Xenial Xerxes) and later. However, merely a beta version is available for Ubuntu twenty.04 LTS, which requires unlike steps (see below).

More importantly, yous're probable to get better results running Android apps on Ubuntu than other distros. Consequently, the steps below are for running Android apps in Anbox on Ubuntu, rather than other distros.

Install Anbox on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Later

Installation of Anbox requires a system running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or later. While Anbox could run on some previous Ubuntu versions, these are no longer supported.

Start, ensure snap is installed. Every bit you're using a recent Ubuntu build it should exist, but but in instance cheque with:

          snap observe hello

This will outcome in a list of "hello world" snaps being displayed, confirming that snap is installed.

You can then proceed to install the beta version of Anbox:

          sudo snap install --devmode --beta anbox

Wait while this installs then restart your computer.

Downloading APK Files to Your Linux PC

With your PC rebooted, you lot should detect Anbox available in your desktop's carte du jour. Click it to launch--- you'll before long run across the Anbox window.

Preinstalled Android apps in Anbox

If nada happens, or yous're stuck on a splash screen with the Starting message, abolish or wait for this to end. Then open up a new terminal and enter

          anbox session-manager

Next, click the icon in the carte once again. A few moments subsequently, Anbox should run. (This is a known bug in Ubuntu 16.04-based distributions and shouldn't affect afterwards distros.)

With Anbox running, y'all'll see a listing of the basic Android apps you lot can run on Linux, such as Calendar and Email. Simply left click these icons to open them; they'll appear in new windows that yous tin resize as required. If you need a browser, the WebView Shell is included.

Install Android Apps From Google Play and Beyond

To add together your own apps and games, all you lot need to do is download (or re-create from another device) the appropriate APK files. These are installer files, like DEB files (or snaps) in Linux, or EXE files in Windows. If you lot run an APK in Ubuntu with Anbox, it volition install like any other Android app.

You have ii options for installing apps on Anbox:

  • Sideload
  • Install Google Play

Sideloading is relatively simple. You lot tin can employ the browser and these Google Play alternatives to add together software in Anbox. If you opt to sideload APKs, you'll need to enable installation from unknown sources:

  1. Open up the Settings menu from the apps screen
  2. Click Security
  3. Enable Unknown Sources
  4. Click OK to accept

Nevertheless, in that location is a GitHub project, Anbox Playstore Installer, that makes the process of installing apps in Anbox equally easy as it is on your phone or tablet.

To start, open the Terminal and enter:

          sudo apt install wget gyre lzip tar unzip squashfs-tools

Next, download the Anbox Playstore script:

          wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/geeks-r-us/anbox-playstore-installer/primary/install-playstore.sh

Make information technology executable:

          chmod +ten install-playstore.sh

Then run the script:

          ./install-playstore.sh

Run Anbox if it doesn't load automatically:

          anbox.appmgr

Then, set the correct permissions in Android.

  1. Open Settings
  2. Go to Apps > Google Play Services
  3. Tap Permissions then enable all permissions
  4. Repeat this for Apps > Google Play
Set permissions for Google Play

You can now install Android apps in Anbox from Google Play.

Play Store on Linux

Other Ways to Run Android Apps on Linux

While a reliable option, Anbox isn't the simply way to run Android apps on Linux. Forth with Anbox yous can as well try:

  • Genymotion
  • Android Studio
  • Archon

There are also 2 Android-based operating systems compatible with x86 computers which will permit yous install Android apps:

  • Android-x86
  • BlissOS

Now You Tin Run Android APKs on Linux

Play Android games on Linux with Anbox

Anbox may have some stability problems. However, it is reassuring to know how unproblematic it is to set upwardly, install, and run Android apps on Linux Ubuntu with Anbox.

To recap:

  1. Confirm your distro supports snap packages.
  2. Install or update the snapd service.
  3. Install Anbox.
  4. Launch Anbox from your Linux desktop.
  5. Download APK files and run them.
  6. Wait equally the APK file installs.
  7. Click to run Android apps on your Linux desktop.

Anbox isn't the just way to run Android apps and games on Ubuntu or other Linux distros, but we call up information technology is the simplest.

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About The Writer

Christian Cawley (1584 Articles Published)

Deputy Editor for Security, Linux, DIY, Programming, and Tech Explained, and Really Useful Podcast producer, with extensive feel in desktop and software support. A contributor to Linux Format magazine, Christian is a Raspberry Pi tinkerer, Lego lover and retro gaming fan.

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