The standard approach to running OpenClaw on Android requires installing proot-distro with Linux, adding 700MB-1GB of overhead. OpenClaw on Android eliminates this by installing just the glibc dynamic linker (ld.so), letting you run OpenClaw without a full Linux distribution.
Standard approach: Install a full Linux distribution in Termux via proot-distro.
The installer automatically resolves the differences between Termux and standard Linux. There's nothing you need to do manually — the single install command handles all of these:
glibc environment — Installs the glibc dynamic linker (via pacman's glibc-runner) so standard Linux binaries run without modification
Node.js (glibc) — Downloads official Node.js linux-arm64 and wraps it with an ld.so loader script (no patchelf, which causes segfault on Android)
Path conversion — Automatically converts standard Linux paths (/tmp, /bin/sh, /usr/bin/env) to Termux paths
Temp folder setup — Configures an accessible temp folder for Android
Service manager bypass — Configures normal operation without systemd
OpenCode integration — If selected, installs OpenCode using proot + ld.so concatenation for Bun standalone binaries
Search for Termux, then tap Download APK to download and install
Allow "Install from unknown sources" when prompted
Step 3: Initial Termux Setup
Open the Termux app and paste the following command to install curl (needed for the next step).
pkg update -y && pkg install -y curl
You may be asked to choose a mirror on first run. Pick any — a geographically closer mirror will be faster.
Step 4: Install OpenClaw
Tip: Use SSH for easier typing
From this step on, you can type commands from your computer keyboard instead of the phone screen. See the Termux SSH Setup Guide for details.
Everything is installed automatically with a single command. This takes 3–10 minutes depending on network speed and device. Wi-Fi is recommended.
Once complete, the OpenClaw version is displayed along with instructions to run openclaw onboard.
Step 5: Start OpenClaw Setup
As instructed in the installation output, run:
openclaw onboard
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the initial setup.
Step 6: Start OpenClaw (Gateway)
Once setup is complete, start the gateway:
Important: Run openclaw gateway directly in the Termux app on your phone, not via SSH. If you run it over SSH, the gateway will stop when the SSH session disconnects.
The gateway occupies the terminal while running, so open a new tab for it. Tap the hamburger icon (☰) on the bottom menu bar, or swipe right from the left edge of the screen (above the bottom menu bar) to open the side menu. Then tap NEW SESSION.
In the new tab, run:
openclaw gateway
To stop the gateway, press Ctrl+C. Do not use Ctrl+Z — it only suspends the process without terminating it.
Keeping Processes Alive
Android may kill background processes or throttle them when the screen is off. See the Keeping Processes Alive guide for all recommended settings (Developer Options, Stay Awake, charge limit, battery optimization, and Phantom Process Killer).
If you run OpenClaw on multiple devices on the same network, use the Dashboard Connect tool to manage them from your PC.
Save connection settings (IP, token, ports) for each device with a nickname
Generates the SSH tunnel command and dashboard URL automatically
Your data stays local — Connection settings (IP, token, ports) are saved only in your browser's localStorage and are never sent to any server.
CLI Reference
After installation, the oa command is available for managing your installation:
| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| oa --update | Update OpenClaw and Android patches |
| oa --install | Install optional tools (tmux, code-server, AI CLIs, etc.) |
| oa --uninstall | Remove OpenClaw on Android |
| oa --backup | Create a full backup of OpenClaw data |
| oa --restore | Restore from a backup |
| oa --status | Show installation status and all installed components |
| oa --version | Show version |
| oa --help | Show available options |
Update
oa --update && source ~/.bashrc
This single command updates all installed components at once:
OpenClaw — Core package (openclaw@latest)
code-server — Browser IDE
OpenCode — AI coding assistant
AI CLI tools — Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex CLI
Android patches — Compatibility patches from this project
Already up-to-date components are skipped. Components you haven't installed are not touched — only what's already on your device gets updated. Safe to run multiple times.
If the oa command is not available (older installations), run it with curl:
OpenClaw's built-in backup command (openclaw backup create) often fails on Android because it relies on hardlinks, which are blocked in Android's app-private storage. The oa --backup command works around this by using tar directly while maintaining full compatibility with the OpenClaw backup specification.
To create a backup:
oa --backup
Backups are stored in ~/.openclaw-android/backup/ with a timestamped filename (e.g., 2026-03-14T00-00-00.000Z-openclaw-backup.tar.gz). You can also specify a custom path: oa --backup ~/my-backups/. Each backup includes your configuration, state, workspaces, and agents.
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