Anbox is no longer the practical way to run Android apps on a Linux desktop. Its GitHub repository is archived, while Waydroid is the maintained container-based option for a Wayland session. Use Waydroid when you want Android apps integrated with your Linux desktop, and keep Anbox only for understanding an older setup.
Why Anbox is not the installation path now
Anbox placed Android in a Linux container and exposed its apps on the desktop, but an archived project cannot provide a dependable installation path for current distributions.
Waydroid uses the same broad idea with Linux namespaces, LXC, and the binder interface. It is built for Wayland-based desktop environments, so check your session type before you start.
Choose Waydroid when your desktop uses Wayland
Waydroid is the better fit when you need an Android app window alongside Linux applications. Its multi-window mode can place Android applications in your desktop launcher, while full UI mode gives you an Android-style session.
| Need | Choose | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Run Android apps on a current Wayland desktop | Waydroid | It is the maintained path documented for desktop installation. |
| Use a desktop that only offers X11 | Change the session or use another Android solution | Waydroid targets Wayland sessions. |
| Follow an old Anbox tutorial | Do not install from it | The project is archived. |
Check your display session
Run this command before adding a repository or package. Wayland must be the value for this workflow.
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE
If the command prints x11, sign out and select a Wayland session when your distribution provides one. Desktop support varies, so confirm the session before following the Waydroid installation instructions.
Install Waydroid from its current documentation
Waydroid publishes distribution-specific installation instructions. Open the Waydroid desktop installation page, select your distribution, and use the command shown there instead of copying an Anbox package command.
The documented flow installs the package, initializes the Android system, and starts a session. Initialization downloads the Android image, so let it finish before you open the interface.
Start Android and choose the interface
After installation and initialization, Waydroid can show the complete Android interface or integrate applications as windows. Start with the mode that matches the app you want to use, then return to the project documentation for multi-window settings and app management.
If you are preparing Android tools for development, install Android SDK Platform-Tools on Linux separately. A device-management workflow also benefits from understanding how scrcpy mirrors an Android device on Linux.
Useful Linux and Android follow-up tasks
Waydroid runs Android in a container, which makes Docker container basics on Ubuntu a useful companion when you want to understand isolated workloads. For a direct Android-to-desktop connection, GSConnect setup for Linux and Android solves a different task without running Android inside Linux.
If you use a Wayland compositor directly, installing and configuring Sway explains the desktop layer that Waydroid expects. These tools solve different jobs, so choose the smallest one that gives you the Android access you need.
FAQ
Is Anbox still maintained?
No. The Anbox GitHub repository is archived, so it is not the current installation path for running Android apps on Linux.
Does Waydroid require Wayland?
Waydroid documents support for Wayland-based desktop environments. Check your session type before installing it.
Can Waydroid replace Android SDK Platform-Tools?
No. Waydroid runs an Android system in a Linux container. Android SDK Platform-Tools provide development and device-management utilities such as adb.
Use the Waydroid documentation as the source for your distribution command, then verify that your Wayland session starts the Android interface before installing applications.