Mobile Harness

The complete autonomous AI development workspace for Android.

Chat with coding agents, edit projects, execute real Linux commands, inspect diffs, and preview live web servers — all directly on your phone.

Download Latest APK (v1.0.2)  • 
Watch Walkthrough (3 min)  • 
Quickstart Guide  • 
Architecture  • 
Build from Source

_{Watch the product walkthrough and demo  |  Setting up Ubuntu, connecting Claude Code, and building an app on Android}

[!IMPORTANT]
Environment Security Notice
Mobile Harness runs on ARM64 Android devices using a private userspace PRoot layer. While isolated from other apps via standard Android sandbox permissions, PRoot is not a virtualization boundary or hardened security jail. Only execute projects and dependencies you own or trust.

Capabilities

Mobile Harness unites modern Jetpack Compose UI with a self-contained Ubuntu 20.04 LTS subsystem. It gives you a desktop-class software development environment in your pocket without requiring root access, unlocked bootloaders, or external applications like Termux.

Workspace Interface

Projects	Terminal	Settings
Create, organize, and resume isolated workspace sessions.	Execute real Linux commands and scripts with instant output.	Manage AI providers, installed toolchains, themes, and runtime health.

Quickstart

Get up and running in 3 guided steps:

1. Download & Install

Download the latest signed release APK from GitHub Releases.

Target Architecture : ARM64 (arm64-v8a)
Package Version     : v1.0.2
Minimum OS Level    : Android 9.0 (API 28)

2. Guided Bootstrap (~10 Minutes)

Launch the application and follow the interactive setup wizard:

1 · System Readiness	2 · Toolchains	3 · AI Provider
Verifies device storage, CPU architecture, and background service permissions.	Select core Ubuntu runtime and optional development stacks.	Securely store your API keys in Android Keystore.

3. Create & Build

1. Tap New Project or launch an instant Quick Project.
2. Open the AI Workspace and describe what you want to build.
3. Watch the agent inspect files, draft code, run builds, and launch local web previews.

Model Providers

Mobile Harness uses Claude Code's Anthropic-compatible API protocol. You can connect official endpoints or route requests through compatible translation proxies:

[!NOTE]
All credentials are stored with hardware-backed Android Keystore AES-256-GCM encryption. Keys are decrypted solely in-memory during active bridge operations.

Architecture

Mobile Harness bridges native Android Jetpack Compose to an isolated PRoot Linux execution layer via an optimized C++ JNI bridge:

flowchart TB
    subgraph Host[" Android Native Host (Kotlin + Jetpack Compose) "]
        UI["Modern UI Layer<br/>Projects • Chat • Terminal • Web Preview"]
        Service["Foreground Runtime Service<br/>Process Lifecycle & WakeLocks"]
        Keystore["Android Keystore<br/>AES-256 GCM Credentials"]
        Bridge["C++ JNI Process Bridge<br/>Native Launcher & Pipe Multiplexer"]
    end

    subgraph Subsystem[" Private Linux Subsystem (PRoot ARM64) "]
        Ubuntu["Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Subsystem<br/>Rootless Userspace Environment"]
        Agent["Claude Code CLI<br/>Autonomous Agent Harness"]
        Tools["Development Toolchains<br/>Node.js • Git • Python • C++"]
        Workspace["Local Project Workspace<br/>Files • Git History • Checkpoints"]
    end

    subgraph Cloud[" Model Providers "]
        Anthropic["Anthropic Claude API"]
        Gateways["LLMrouter / Pocket Gateways"]
    end

    UI <--> Service
    Service <--> Bridge
    Bridge <--> Subsystem
    Keystore -.-> UI
    Agent <--> Cloud
    Agent --> Tools
    Tools <--> Workspace
    UI -.-> Workspace

    classDef hostStyle fill:#0f172a,stroke:#38bdf8,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#f8fafc;
    classDef subStyle fill:#1e1b4b,stroke:#818cf8,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#f8fafc;
    classDef cloudStyle fill:#18181b,stroke:#f59e0b,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#f8fafc;

    class UI,Service,Keystore,Bridge hostStyle;
    class Ubuntu,Agent,Tools,Workspace subStyle;
    class Anthropic,Gateways cloudStyle;

Core Runtime Components

• Base Environment: Ubuntu 20.04 ARM64 verified rootfs
• Agent Engine: Official Claude Code CLI package distributed directly from Anthropic
• Native Tooling: Node.js LTS, npm, Git, OpenSSL, curl, and GNU coreutils
• Process Virtualization: PRoot user-space architecture emulation with zero kernel modifications

System Requirements

Developer Guides

Prerequisites

• Android Studio: Ladybug / Hedgehog or newer
• Android SDK: API Level 36 (compileSdk 36)
• Java Development Kit: JDK 17 (Eclipse Temurin or OpenJDK)
• Android NDK: 26.1.10909125
• CMake: 3.22.1

Clone & Build Debug APK

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/techjarves/Mobile-Harness.git
cd Mobile-Harness

# Build the standard ARM64 debug binary
./gradlew assembleDebug

# Deploy directly to a connected test device
adb install -r app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

Quality Assurance & Testing

# Run unit tests
./gradlew testDebugUnitTest

# Run static analysis linter
./gradlew lintDebug

Target Profiles

• Direct Sideload APK (Default): Targets API 28 to preserve proven userspace execution paths under Android 10-14.
• Google Play Compliance Build:

  ./gradlew -PplayBuild=true assembleDebug
  

  Refer to the Google Play Release Checklist for signing and permission policies.

Mobile Harness allows downloading optional developer packs on demand to conserve space:

• Python Suite: Python 3.10+, pip, virtualenv, and essential scientific C-extensions.
• Android & JVM: OpenJDK 17 headless runtime and Gradle build tools.
• C / C++ Compiler Suite: GCC/G++, Clang, Make, and CMake for native tool compilation.
• PHP Development: PHP CLI runtime, Composer, and standard database extensions.

Note: Kernel-level virtualization technologies such as Docker, KVM, systemd services, and nested hardware emulators are not supported under PRoot.

Mobile-Harness/
├── app/src/main/
│   ├── java/com/jarves/mh/
│   │   ├── data/       # Preferences, Keystore AES encryption, SQLite persistence
│   │   ├── model/      # Data entities: Projects, Chats, Diffs, Tool calls
│   │   ├── runtime/    # PRoot installer, C++ agent bridge, foreground services
│   │   └── ui/         # Jetpack Compose screens, Material 3 theme, ViewModels
│   ├── cpp/            # Native C++ launcher, pseudo-terminal pipe handler
│   ├── assets/         # Verified rootfs checksums, licenses, base configuration
│   └── res/            # Android icons, XML drawables, vector assets
├── fastlane/           # Play Store metadata, graphics, and release automation
└── docs/               # In-depth architectural notes & Play Store review guides

• Zero Cloud Intermediaries: Mobile Harness connects your device directly to your chosen AI endpoint. No intermediate relays or telemetry servers collect your prompts or code.
• Scoped Storage: Project imports and exports utilize Android's official Storage Access Framework (SAF) instead of broad shared storage access.
• Cryptographic Checksums: Root filesystem archives and Claude Code CLI packages are verified via SHA-256 checksums prior to extraction.
• Encrypted Secrets: API tokens are encrypted in hardware-backed storage via Android Keystore.

Read our complete Privacy Policy.

Current Limitations

• Architecture: Exclusively supports 64-bit ARM (arm64-v8a) hardware.
• Process Isolation: PRoot maps file systems and IDs in user space; it is not a cryptographically hardened container or VM.
• Terminal Emulation: The process bridge handles standard CLI workflows and REPLs; specialized ncurses applications may experience minor layout artifacts.
• OS Process Management: Heavy compilation workloads may be throttled if Android applies aggressive battery optimization. It is recommended to exempt Mobile Harness from battery optimization in device settings.

Legal & Trademarks

• Mobile Harness is an independent open-source project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic.
• Claude and Claude Code are trademarks of Anthropic, PBC. Claude Code CLI is downloaded directly from Anthropic's official distribution endpoints during setup and remains governed by Anthropic's license terms.
• Ubuntu, Android, Kotlin, Node.js, Git, and other registered trademarks belong to their respective copyright holders.
• Third-party open-source licenses are compiled in app/src/main/assets/licenses.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. Third-party runtime binaries and packages remain governed by their respective upstream licenses.