VS Code, natively on Android.
A full-featured IDE on your phone — not a toy editor, not a cloud IDE.
Download. Open. Code.
Manifesto • Who This Is For • Why Now • Principles • Promise • Features • Architecture • Getting Started • Build • Contributing • License
Tip
VSCodroid is publicly available on Google Play. Download it now and start coding on your Android device.
What if the next great developer is holding a phone, not a laptop? What if a career in software could start without buying expensive hardware? What if all you needed was curiosity, effort, and the device already in your pocket?
What if a software career could begin from the device already in your hand?
Around the world, people are ready to learn and build. Too many are told to wait: wait for a laptop, wait for better internet, wait for better circumstances.
VSCodroid is a refusal of that waiting. VSCodroid exists for people with talent, discipline, and ideas — but without access to expensive hardware.
We believe access to software creation should depend on effort and curiosity, not on purchasing power. So this project brings a real development environment to Android: real editor, real terminal, real tooling, real output.
No watered-down coding toy. No mandatory cloud lock-in. No "come back later when you can afford more."
If you are ready to learn, you should be able to start today.
- Learners who only have access to a smartphone.
- Developers who want a portable fallback dev environment.
- Remote contributors who need quick fixes while away from a laptop.
- Communities and educators who want lower barriers to coding access.
| Signal | Latest data | Why this matters for VSCodroid |
|---|---|---|
| Phone-first world | In 2024, global smartphone shipments reached 1.24 billion, while PC shipments were 262.7 million (about 4.7x more smartphones than PCs). | Many people will have a phone before they ever own a laptop. |
| Access is still unequal | In 2025, 6 billion people are online, but only 23% of people in low-income countries use the Internet. | Access to coding tools is still uneven, so lower-barrier tooling matters. |
| Mobile is the gateway | In 2025, 82% of people aged 10+ own a mobile phone globally (but only 53% in low-income economies). | The most available computing device is already in people's pockets. |
| Cost blocks participation | In 2025, fixed broadband in low-income countries can cost more than one quarter of average income. | Local/offline-capable workflows are not a luxury; they are necessary. |
| Familiar tooling wins | In Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025, 75.9% of respondents reported using Visual Studio Code. | Bringing the real VS Code experience to Android reduces learning and switching friction. |
- IDC: Worldwide Smartphone Shipments Grew 6.4% in 2024
- IDC: The PC Market Closed out 2024 with Slight Growth
- ITU Facts and Figures 2025: Internet use
- ITU Facts and Figures 2025: Mobile phone ownership
- ITU Facts and Figures 2025: Affordability of ICT services
- Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025: Technology (Dev IDEs)
- Human potential first — talent exists everywhere, even where hardware access does not.
- Real tools, real dignity — people deserve production-grade workflows, not watered-down substitutes.
- Offline-first by design — learning and working should remain possible when internet is weak or expensive.
- Local by default — your environment runs on your own device, on
localhost. - Pathway to opportunity — the goal is not just writing code, but opening doors to real projects and jobs.
- We will keep VSCodroid practical for low-resource conditions, not just high-end setups.
- We will prioritize reliability and usefulness over hype.
- We will build in public and listen to learners, contributors, and first-time developers.
- We will measure success by how many people can start and keep building, not installs alone.
- Real VS Code — Monaco Editor, Workbench UI, Command Palette, and all the features you know.
- Extension Support — Install themes, linters, language packs, and more from Open VSX.
- Integrated Terminal — Full bash terminal with real PTY support (vim, tmux, readline all work).
- Batteries Included — Node.js, Python 3, Git, npm, SSH, and essential tools bundled out of the box.
- Offline-First — Code without an internet connection. Everything runs locally on your device.
- Mobile-Optimized — Extra Key Row (Ctrl, Alt, Tab, Esc, arrows), touch-friendly UI, clipboard bridge.
- SSH Key Management — Generate ed25519 keys and copy public keys from the command palette.
- Language Picker — Select your languages, Go/Ruby/Java auto-install via Play Store.
- Dev Server Preview — Open localhost URLs in your device's browser for web app testing.
Code editor with syntax highlighting · Extensions marketplace (Open VSX) · Terminal with Node.js, Git, and bundled tools
VSCodroid runs a local VS Code Server instance on your Android device. The VS Code Web Client renders inside a WebView, and the VS Code Server (Node.js) runs as a native ARM64 process, all on localhost.
flowchart TD
subgraph APP["Android App (Kotlin)"]
WV["WebView"]
WEB["VS Code Web Client (vscode-web)"]
KEY["Extra Key Row [Tab][Esc][Ctrl][Alt]"]
NODE["Node.js Process (VS Code Server, vscode-reh, ARM64)"]
REH["VS Code Server (vscode-reh)"]
EXT["Extension Host"]
TERM["Terminal (node-pty)"]
FS["File System / Search"]
WV --> WEB
NODE --> REH
REH --> EXT
REH --> TERM
REH --> FS
KEY --> WV
end
WEB <--> LOCAL["localhost:PORT (HTTP + WebSocket)"]
LOCAL <--> REH
For full architecture details, see Architecture Documentation.
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Android | 13 (API 33) |
| Architecture | arm64-v8a |
| WebView | Chrome 105+ |
| RAM | 4 GB recommended |
| Storage | ~500 MB minimum (core + workspace) |
- Install from Google Play.
- Open the app. Core binaries extract automatically (~5-10 seconds).
- Pick your languages (Go, Ruby, Java, etc.). They install automatically.
- Start coding. Editor, terminal, and tools are ready.
You can also download APKs directly from GitHub Releases.
| Tier | What | How |
|---|---|---|
| Core (Base APK) | Node.js, npm, Python 3, Git, Bash, SSH, tmux, make, ripgrep | Available immediately |
| Toolchains (Asset Packs) | Go, Ruby, Java | Select in Language Picker, auto-installed via Play Store |
- Android Studio latest stable version with Android API 36 support.
- Android NDK r27+.
- Node.js 20 LTS (for building VS Code).
- Yarn 1.x Classic (for VS Code build).
- Python 3.x (for node-gyp).
- Git.
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/rmyndharis/VSCodroid.git
cd VSCodroid
# Build the Android app
cd android && ./gradlew assembleDebug
# Install on connected device
adb install android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apkWarning
Cross-compilation required. Building from source involves cross-compiling Node.js and native modules for ARM64 Android. The steps above will build the Android shell, but the full development setup (including server binaries) requires additional steps. See the complete Development Guide for detailed instructions.
| Metric | Size |
|---|---|
| Play Store download (core) | ~150-200 MB |
| + Each toolchain (on-demand) | 20-100 MB per language |
| Installed storage (core) | ~300-400 MB |
| Installed storage (all toolchains) | ~600-800 MB |
| RAM usage (typical) | ~400-700 MB |
We welcome contributions in code, docs, testing, UX feedback, and bug reports. If you care about widening access to software development, this is your project too.
# Get started
git clone https://github.com/rmyndharis/VSCodroid.git
cd VSCodroid
# Read the contributing guide for setup details
# See CONTRIBUTING.mdPlease read our Contributing Guide before submitting a Pull Request.
Quick links:
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Requirements | Vision, goals, and product scope |
| Software Requirements | Detailed functional & non-functional requirements |
| Architecture | System design and component architecture |
| Technical Spec | Implementation details and technical decisions |
| API Spec | Internal API and bridge interfaces |
| Security | Security model and threat analysis |
| Testing Strategy | Test plan and quality assurance |
| Risk Matrix | Known risks and mitigation strategies |
| Development Guide | How to set up and build the project |
| Release Plan | Release strategy, CI/CD, Play Store |
| User Guide | How to use VSCodroid (keyboard, terminal, extensions, SSH) |
| Milestones | Development milestones M0–M6 |
| Glossary | Terms and definitions |
| Implementation Plan | Week-by-week task breakdown with dependencies |
| Third-Party Attribution | Licenses for all bundled software |
| Privacy Policy | Data collection and privacy practices |
If you discover a security vulnerability, please do not open a public issue. Instead, see our Security Policy for responsible disclosure instructions.
VSCodroid is built from the MIT-licensed Code - OSS source code. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft Corporation.
- "Visual Studio Code" and "VS Code" are trademarks of Microsoft.
- Uses Open VSX extension registry, not Microsoft Marketplace.
- See LICENSE for full license text.
- See NOTICE.md for third-party attribution.
- See Privacy Policy for data practices.
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
💬 Discussions • 🐛 Issues • 📦 Releases
Made with ❤️ for mobile developers everywhere by Yudhi Armyndharis & VSCodroid Community