How to Install Ubuntu on Android without Root (2026)

You can run a real Ubuntu system on an Android phone or tablet without rooting it. Ubuntu runs inside Termux, next to Android, with its own apt packages, a normal user account with sudo, and a desktop you open full screen on the phone. Nothing on Android itself is changed, and you can remove it at any time.

This guide uses the free andronix installer (Andronix 2.0). It takes one command, and the app is optional.

What you get

• Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (“Resolute Raccoon”), or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS if your software isn’t ready for 26.04 yet.
• A desktop of your choice: XFCE, LXQt, MATE or KDE Plasma (KDE Plasma on Ubuntu 26.04 only), or the command line only.
• Firefox, installed from Mozilla’s own repository. Ubuntu’s own Firefox package is a Snap, and Snaps can’t run on Android, so Andronix uses Mozilla’s build instead.
• Sound through the phone’s speakers, set up for you.
• A normal user, not root. Use sudo for admin commands, like on a Linux PC.

What you need

Full details: Requirements.

Step 1: Install Termux

Termux is the terminal app Ubuntu runs in. Install a current build from F-Droid, from the Termux project’s GitHub releases, or from the Google Play Store (the Play build needs Android 11 or newer). The very old Play Store Termux from 2020 (version 0.101) doesn’t work anymore.

Open Termux once and wait for the ~ $ prompt. Then, in your phone’s settings, turn off battery optimization for Termux.

More: Install Termux.

Step 2: Install Ubuntu

Paste this one line into Termux and press Enter:

(curl -fsSL --retry 4 --retry-delay 3 https://dl.andronix.app/get.sh -o $PREFIX/tmp/get.sh || curl -4 -fsSL --retry 2 --retry-delay 3 https://dl.andronix.app/get.sh -o $PREFIX/tmp/get.sh) && sh $PREFIX/tmp/get.sh install ubuntu --de xfce

It downloads the andronix installer, checks it against its published checksum, and installs Ubuntu 26.04 LTS with XFCE. To choose something else, change the end of the command:

Prefer tapping to typing? The Andronix app lets you pick Ubuntu and a desktop, then copies the same command for you. See Install with the app.

The installer ticks off each step as it goes: checking your phone, downloading Ubuntu, unpacking it, updating it, and installing the desktop and Firefox. A desktop install usually takes a few minutes, depending on your phone and connection.

Step 3: Create your user

When the install finishes, it asks for:

1. a username, in lower-case letters and numbers;
2. a password, for logging in and for sudo;
3. a desktop (VNC) password, 6 to 8 characters, used only if you connect over VNC.

Then it takes you into Ubuntu. You’ll see your username followed by @localhost in the prompt. Try it:

cat /etc/os-release
sudo apt update

Type exit to go back to Termux.

Step 4: Open the Ubuntu desktop

The desktop opens full screen on the phone in Termux:X11, a free Android app from the Termux project.

1. Download termux-x11-universal-debug.apk from the Termux:X11 nightly release on GitHub and install it. (It isn’t on F-Droid or the Play Store.)
2. In Termux (not inside Ubuntu), run:

andronix desktop ubuntu

Andronix starts Termux:X11, switches to it, and opens your Ubuntu desktop, logged in as your user. The first time, Android 13 and newer ask whether Termux:X11 may send notifications: tap Allow, because your desktop is behind that box.

Keep the Termux session open while you use the desktop, and switch between the apps with Android’s app switcher. To stop the desktop, log out from its menu, or press Ctrl + C in Termux.

More: Start the desktop with Termux:X11. To use the desktop from a laptop or tablet instead, see VNC.

Step 5: Stop Android from closing Ubuntu (Android 12 and newer)

Android 12 added a “phantom process killer” that stops apps which start many background processes. A Linux desktop starts a lot of them, so Termux may suddenly show:

[Process completed (signal 9) - press Enter]

On Android 14 and newer, turn on Settings › System › Developer options › Disable child process restrictions once. Android 12 and 13 need a few adb commands instead. Both are explained in Process completed (signal 9).

Using Ubuntu day to day

For Ubuntu 24.04, use ubuntu24 in the andronix commands, and ./start-ubuntu.sh to start it. Your phone’s internal storage is at /sdcard inside Ubuntu (Phone storage).

Want VS Code, LibreOffice or GIMP? See Install apps. Python, Node.js, Java, Go and PostgreSQL are one command each: Dev packs.

What doesn’t work

Ubuntu runs in user space with proot, on top of Android’s own kernel, so some things are out of reach without root:

• Snap, Flatpak and Docker don’t run. Use apt packages instead (Firefox already comes from Mozilla’s repository for this reason).
• No GPU acceleration. The desktop is drawn in software. Office apps, browsers and IDEs are fine; 3D games aren’t.
• No VPNs, USB drives or other hardware access. Android manages the network and hardware, not Ubuntu.
• 32-bit arm phones get no browser, because Mozilla’s repository only covers arm64 and x86_64.

The full list: Limitations.

Common questions

Is this the same as Ubuntu Touch?

No. Ubuntu Touch, from the UBports project, is a separate mobile operating system that replaces Android on a short list of supported phones. Andronix runs regular Ubuntu inside Termux, next to Android, on almost any phone, and your apps and data stay as they are.

Do I need root, or to unlock the bootloader?

No. Nothing is flashed and nothing on Android is modified. Ubuntu lives in Termux’s own folder, ~/.andronix/distros/, and andronix remove ubuntu deletes it.

Ubuntu 26.04 or 24.04?

Pick 26.04 LTS unless a program you need only supports 24.04. Both are long-term support releases. If you had Ubuntu 18, 20 or 22 from the old app, its buttons now install a current version: the old Ubuntu 22 button installs 26.04, and Ubuntu 18 and 20 install 24.04. Old installs keep working; see Installs from before Andronix 2.0.

Is it slow?

On a mid-range phone, a light desktop like XFCE or LXQt is usable for browsing, coding and office work. If it feels slow, andronix tune ubuntu --profile light turns off effects and thumbnails. See Make it faster.

Can I use it without the Andronix app?

Yes. The command in Step 2 is all you need, and every free distro works this way. The app adds a guided setup, and sells the optional Modded OS editions with a themed desktop and apps already set up.

Next steps

• Choose a distro and desktop: Debian, Kali, Fedora, Arch and more install the same way.
• The andronix command: every command and option.
• Stuck? Report a problem or ask on Discord.