Android’s Linux Terminal app rolls out to more Google Pixel users

Late last year, we reported that Google is preparing a native Linux terminal application that would allow smartphone users to carry a portable version of a desktop distro with them. Since then, we’ve seen that very app roll out with Android 15 beta builds. Now, with the March 2025 Pixel update, a stable version of that app is available more widely for Google phone users running the latest stable version of Android.

The Linux Terminal app icon automatically appears once you toggle on the Linux development environment in Settings > System > Developer options. Once I activated it and tapped this icon, I was asked to allow a 567MB download.

Although the first time I tried to run the terminal on my Pixel 8 failed, it worked the second time. After cresting this speed bump, I was able to open the terminal by tapping the shortcut in my apps list and running basic commands like help, df, and free-m. Of course, you can issue far more advanced commands than this if you like.

Notably, the Linux environment is based on Debian, one of the most established Linux distributions available. Unlike a native terminal app like Termux, Linux Terminal runs in a virtual machine via the Android Virtualization Framework (AVF).

Notably, the Linux Terminal app is devoid of a few features. GUI app support is perhaps the biggest shortcoming, but as our highly-entertaining Doom demo suggests, this functionality is planned for Android 16.

The availability of a Linux Terminal app on Android may not be terribly exciting or life-changing for the masses, but it’s a huge step forward for developers and power users who want to run desktop-level Linux applications on their devices for various purposes.