Running IntelliJ IDE on Android

Answered

Android phones are getting more powerful every year, and you can use them as PCs by using a monitor.
I bought a new smartphone that has a powerful CPU and 8 GB of RAM, I would like to run IntelliJ on it. Is it possible to have a version that can be installed on Android?

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26 comments

I'm also in need for my favourite Dev environment to run on my new Samsung Tab S6! The distinction between handheld devices and laptops is really starting to blur. It would be great if JetBrains reconsiders this...

24

i've also recently purchased a samsung tab s6... was hoping i cuold run intellij via dex mode... definitely something worth considering

19

I really think this should be reconsidered!

My understanding is that Swing is just the UI so you could retain your core code and just create a new UI for android. 

Maybe a rudimentary version could be achieved using something like AjaxSwing to convert to web views and cordova + inappbrowser?  Obviously you will want to create your own and I am sure even a rudimentary version wouldn't be as simple as it sounds, but if successful this could give a true measure of demand with existing customers.

There is definitely demand for this, otherwise apps like AWD wouldn't have half a million downloads on the Play Store.

With the introduction of Wireless Dex on the Note 20 this capability is only going to become more sought after.  I want to be able to code anytime anywhere without having to lug a laptop around with me.  With Dex and my fold up Bluetooth keyboard this is becoming closer to a reality.  All I need now is my favourite IDE PHPStorm!

Furthermore, a lot of the youth are growing up on Chromebooks now, especially with every parent having had to work from home and also turn teacher due to COVID.

The future is mobility, flexibility and convenience.  Please reconsider!?

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Well I do develop on my Samsung Tab S6 (10.5") and I really miss my Jetbrains tools. Also there is the 12.4" Samsung Tab S7 now...

Finally, with the Macs going ARM, I really think Jetbrains will have to consolidate their offerings on ARM platforms, both Android and iOS/MacOS!

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I just tried Samsung Galaxy S21 with DeX on 4K with keyboard and mouse. Android is becoming a full-blown desktop OS. It has multitasking, multiuser, multiwindow, support for all the IO needed.
The use case for Idea on Android is indeed limited, but working from "anywhere" will pretty likely be more possible with a lightweight Idea on lightweight device connected to local terminal than carrying around an overheating MacBook with 5 adapters it needs to maybe connect to anything. Sorry for the offtopic :-)

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I have the same exact wish. I have bought Samsung Tab S8 Ultra and cannot tell you have powerful is this machine. It has 16 GB of RAM and 512 of Storage. I use github codespaces as the moment to code and I am using the installable PWA app to look like if I have vscode natively installed. I was recently using Jetbrains Projector but it has came to and end and Jetbrains will discontinue its development. I guess with the introduction of Jetbrains Fleet we can have an APK installable Fleet version on Android and use Samsung DEX to code using Jetbrains Spaces. Please consider this as Android tables and specially Samsung ones have became way more powerful than ever.

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I think it'd help to have atleast a read-only type version of Intellij IDEs for Android devices to begin with, so we could atleast go through the code from a mobile phone without having to always be glued in to the PC

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I know, I was wondering if a simplified version was planned

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I have my samsung note 9 8gb/512gb with bluetooth and sPen I is more compact in travels and still can solve problems on the go.
It would be wonderful to have phpstorm running on android 10

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Enthusiasts have already run our IDEs on Android: https://twitter.com/mihosoft/status/1306095909676240896 via UserLAnd

As for native support, we do not plan to provide it soon, as the user experience here may not be good enough. 

If there are any further changes, they will be published in the appropriate feature request: https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IDEABKL-7928

3

Serge Baranov

User base for such a version is very limited, it's not worth the amount of work/resources it would take to implement.

Serge, with the work done to support Apple M1 chips, can we expect to have a version of IDEA that runs on Android at some point?

I now own a Samsung Tab S7+ with its wonderful keyboard cover. I don't see a point at not using this as a laptop replacement and run my paid IDEA Ultimate licence on it (or a simpler version).

2

It's possible on Android.

Termux termux-x11 and proot-distro ARE your best Friends.

Actually on my Mi tab 6

2

I was expecting something similar, thanks for the info

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I would also like to have something such. I can plug in my phone to a 4K screen, a BT keyboard and mouse, and have a kind of working environment.

If it's the matter of Swing UI - well then, just a subset of the UI allowing to run tests and browse source files would be great (if it had all the parsing and indexing powers of IDEA).

1

Hello,

i agreed to all my collegs.

I for example need only 3 or 4 commands of Java or javascript or an other language, i'm a beginner and i don't need all the other Funktions, i need only the three or for commands to make my own little app for Android.
is this possible to reconsider?
on this is circunstances, to make a little simply App enables me to make a simple work.

it's only a question of will, not a question of can...

think about this please

Thanks to the Team

1

A fun solution for android is to install termux and a vnc client. 

Then from within termux install a window manager such as i3, a terminal emulator such as xfce4-terminal and TigerVNC vncserver. Start the vnc server in termux and switch window to the vnc client software and connect to the server you started in termux (it should print the IP somewhere).

Download IntelliJ IDEA (or whatever JetBrains IDE) Linux ARM 64 version and extract the tar.gz. The only changes you need to make are to `idea.sh` (or equiv). You need to install a java version in termux manually and change `$JAVA_BIN` to `java` on line 174 (its the large exec command, the line number will probably change for different versions of different IDEs). You should then be able to open the IDE in whatever directory you want with `/path/to/idea.sh/ /path/to/project/folder`. 

For some reason the welcome dialogue doesn't work properly, I tried using Open Project Folder and signing into my GitHub account, both didn't work as intended (probably because its not designed to work on android). This means you have to specify the path to your already cloned project folder. You should then be able to run the ide solely on an android device. 

This is a ridiculous solution but I thought it was entertaining enough to share

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No, Android doesn't support running Java Swing apps.

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A way to use PhpStorm on your Android/IOS device : enable WOL on your PC/Mac to wake him up when you want, enable remote desktop access and use a remote desktop client on your mobile device. Not fully adaptive, but I think it will work.

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We really need this, like we are developing windows application on windows and test on windows. We can develop android application on android and test it on android. We have high specs smartphones these days. 
Jetbrains should really consider this.

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The github login probably failed to start a browser?

But seriously, it doesn't just die because of JNI libraries trying to use glibc symbols?

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I want an option where i don't have to root my phone. Everything i see for Termux is either using a real old version and/or requires to root your phone. Any options that don't require rooting? Any one have a step by step blog/article (prefered) or video on how to set it up?

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same here, i have a android tablet which i believe is capable of running small maven projects and git, java etc. id love to see the development for it

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Last year I had stuck for several days in a distant place with only a 10-inch tablet in my hands. My friend arranged remote access to Windows desktop for me to play with Android Studio and my Android projects...

After a couple of hours I realized that this experience is mostly a time waste comparing to my 27 inch monitor and a full size keyboard.

I also suspect that IntelliJ will overheat Android device quickly causing slowness...

So it looks like IntelliJ would make sense only in a case you run Android on your PC...

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User base for such a version is very limited, it's not worth the amount of work/resources it would take to implement.

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