How to install Android on a Raspberry Pi to turn your mini computer into a smartphone? Step-by-step guide

With constant technological updates, There are various types of devices that have Android installed by default.Besides smartphones, we find televisions and emulators that They allow us to turn a computer into a smart device.

But if you are developer, You probably want to entertain yourself in a new project and invest time and resources in an innovative ideaAnd with that intention, we bring you this guide based on using the incredible Raspberry Pi boards on a bridge so that your mini computer can perform the functions of a smartphone, no longer as an emulator but as device that has Android installed on its Micro SD card.

Once the installation is complete, You can use your Raspberry Pi with games, office applications, and entertainment.all downloadable from Google PlayWe created a step-by-step diagram outlining the installation process. Android We'll look at these cards and tell you which versions you should choose to avoid any problems.

Learn step by step how to install the Android operating system on a Raspberry Pi from scratch

The potential of the Android operating system is becoming more evident because programmers have their source code available, open and configurable when creating their own applications and adapting them to a device, such as a Raspberry Pi.

Let's see the steps to follow:

Have on hand

Before going into the installation steps, you should know that You're going to need a Raspberry Pi that's one of the most powerful and highest performing models..

You will also need the following items:

• A fountain feeding.
• Un flash drive
• An touch screen in case you do it as if it were a smartphone.
• A computer If you're doing it the conventional way, it's recommended to have Windows 10 installed.
• Your Raspberry Pi's Micro SD card, which must be of the tenth generation.

Programs that will be used

• As far as software is concerned, You must have LineageOS installed. which is open source and free, together with Balena Etcherwhich will give the option to flash the program image to the memory card.
• Finally, You need the OpenGapps programwhich will give us the options for customizing the applications.

Yes now, Let's begin with the steps we need to take so that the Android system works smoothly on our Raspberry Pi.

Prepare the Micro SD card

The card must be in perfect condition and it is recommended to use the original one that came with your Raspberry Pi, as this will prevent installation problems:

• If we haven't already, let's Install Etcher on the SD card.

• Of the three available options, Select the LineageOS image from the downloads directory.
• Now insert the card into the computer; it should be selected automatically. If so, press the option "Flash" to start the copy.

Installing on your Raspberry Pi

After you prepare the card, as indicated in the previous step, its restart may take a few minutes:

• Connect the board to the power supplyIt will take a long time in order to have all the configurations ready.
• When it finishes turning on, You will see the wizard to finish the setup.

• In the first instance, Configure the time zone, language, and connection wireless.
• When you give it "Following"the desktop appears Android And you'll be able to navigate the screen and use some basic applications such as the browser and email.

Now let's install the rest of the features, which includes the Google Play Store for downloading applicationsNext, you must take some additional steps, as you are not using an official version.

Therefore, you need to enable "Developer Options" as follows:

• Login to "Settings" And at the end of the list, find the option “About the tablet".
• Locate the file Build number and hold the option down for a few seconds.

• After several attempts, it will indicate that you have enabled the “Developer functions”.
• Once I grant you permission, you return to "Configuration"Open the system and you'll see the development possibilities.
• You have two options to proceed: the first is to go to “Local Terminal”, with which you will restart in recovery mode or failing that by “Access to the root”.
• Now, hold down the key "F5" and you're going to restart the motherboard.
• When you turn it on, you need to look for the available terminal application. When you open it, insert the following command: su rpi4-recovery.sh reboot and then grant the permissions requested by the application.
• Now It will restart in recovery modeOnce it starts, you can install the Google Play Store.

Complete Google Play installation

As you know, The only legal and safe way to enjoy all the benefits of AndroidThat is, if you have their official store.

Therefore, you must ensure that Google Play is installed:

• Click on the option “Mount” to assemble your USB, Return to the main menu and install by selecting the correct storage key so that all files appear.
• Locate the file “Open Gapps” and installs its content.
• At the end of the installation, we click on the option "Confirm" and we restarted in normal mode.
• When it turns on, go back to “Mount”.
• Check that the boot partition is working correctly and complete the verification by going through “Advanced and Terminal”Therefore, it should start in normal mode.

• Finally You'll be able to see the Google Play Store app.Open it and log in with your Gmail account.
• If it sends you alerts or errors, tap on the option "Wait"It's normal for this to happen the first few times you use it.

Discover the best Raspberry Pi versions and models that allow you to use Android without any problems.

It is recommended that you buy the latest version of Raspberry Pi, so you won't have any extra worries about errors during the Android installation.

Raspberry Pi 2B

Although with a few minor compatibility issuesIt is possible to install the Android system on it. Its processor is 900MHz and, for this version, the memory was increased to 1 GB of RAM, although it is shared with the graphics card.

Raspberry Pi Zero W

A 1GHz processor opens the door to the operating system, although its small RAM memory, only 512MBThis could be an additional problem. On the plus side, it has a camera port and Bluetooth 4.1.

Raspberry Pi 3

This version is starting to gain ground on its predecessors. Its 1.20GHz quad-core processor, combined with 1GB of RAM, allows the system to run smoothly already a good speed.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+

In this version, the processor speed increased slightly to 1.4GHz, a point in favor of Android, but also It is helped by wireless connectivity that has gone up to 5GHz, a highly favorable element for internet connection.

Raspberry Pi 4

This model has had four updates that differ from each other in the amount of available memory. The quad-core processor reaches 1,5 GHzIt features VideoCore IV and Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac wireless connectivity. It also includes support for dual monitors.

In the case of RAM, they are available in 1, 2, 4, and even 8 GB capacities. Of course, The higher the capacity, the slightly higher the price of the board.As you have seen, each of the models has its advantages. The most recent ones, due to their power and compatibility with new software versionsThey occupy the top spot on our list.