Step by step
- Install PocketLinux. Install PocketLinux from Google Play on a phone or tablet running Android 8.0 or later. No root, bootloader unlock or PC is needed.
- Pick the distribution. Open the app and choose Kali Linux from the list of distributions.
- Pick the desktop. Choose terminal only, or a desktop such as XFCE, IceWM, i3, Openbox, MATE, LXQt, KDE Plasma, Cinnamon or LXDE. XFCE is a good default.
- Install the environment. Let PocketLinux download and set up the Linux image. Keep enough free storage for the image and the packages you plan to add.
- Launch. Launch the built-in terminal for command-line work, or the full desktop. The display and input stay inside the app, so you don’t need a separate VNC viewer.
What works, and the limits
You get a regular Kali userland with apt, a built-in terminal and an optional desktop. Because it runs without root, tools that need root-level access to the device’s hardware or kernel, such as kernel modules, may not work. Only use security tools on systems you own or have permission to test.
PocketLinux is rootless: Linux runs through PRoot as the app’s own Android user. That keeps your phone unmodified, but anything that needs root or a full Linux kernel isn’t available, such as loading kernel modules or running standard Docker. PocketLinux needs Android 8.0 or later. Plan roughly 1–2 GB of free space for the first image plus the packages you add, and for desktop sessions a device with around 4 GB of RAM or more is more comfortable.
Tips
- Update with
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade. - Install only the tools you need, for example
sudo apt install nmap, to save storage.