Want to make an Android PC? It’s easy. Phoenix OS, based on the Android-x86 project, can install Android on a desktop3 Ways You Can Use Android as a Desktop Operating System3 Ways You Can Use Android as a Desktop Operating SystemIt's actually pretty easy to use Android as your desktop operating system once you know how.Read More (or laptop). On the downside, it won’t run the full version of Chrome browser (Chrome is really fastWhat's the Fastest Android Browser? 7 Top Apps RankedWhat's the Fastest Android Browser? 7 Top Apps RankedWith so many Android browsers available, which are the fastest? Here are the best browser apps on Android.Read More). This is, after all, a mobile operating system.
- My Experiments With LIMA the Open-Source MALI GPU Driver. This might be able to allow us to have a more functional Android TV 7.1.1. (how can I download the ISO.
- Phoenix OS is a well-customized PC operating system based on Android. In this guide, you can get the download links for the Phoenix OS operating system for both 64-bit and 32-bit variants. The latest version of Phonix OS is based on Android 7, nougat 🙂.
Google has officially made Android 7.0 Nougat available to download for Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, and other devices in the Nexus range. The company has also released the final version of the updated platform to OEMs for installation on new and upcoming devices.
Here’s how to get started with an Android OS for PC.
Warning: The instructions in this guide will OVERWRITE your hard drive. While Phoenix OS can install in a dual-boot configuration, I don’t recommend it because dual-booting can cause problems with both operating systems.
Android PC Using Phoenix OS
Phoenix OS looks and feels a lot like the now unsupported Remix OSA Real, Android-Based Alternative to Windows: Remix OS 2.0A Real, Android-Based Alternative to Windows: Remix OS 2.0Read More. It’s GPL-2.0 compliant and installs on many different kinds of x86-based hardware. (If you can install Linux on a specific computer, you can probably install Phoenix OS.)
Phoenix OS also includes improvements to Android, such as automatically preventing apps from running in the background. In addition to speed, the OS also receives regular updates. These features have contributed to its recent increase in popularity. A few China-only hardware companies will release tablets and miniPCs with Phoenix OS as its primary operating system — for example, the Pipo P10 2-in-1 tablet.
Not all hardware is (fully) compatible with Phoenix OS. In many ways, it suffers from the same weakness and shortcomings as Linux: namely that it won’t work with all hardware. And even when it does work, it will lack certain features, like audio through an HDMI connection.
As an aside, you can test Phoenix OS out from within a virtual machine, such as VMware or VirtualBox. The Phoenix OS images for both are found over at OSBoxes.org.
Requirements for Installing Phoenix OS
Phoenix OS Hardware Requirements
Phoenix OS only requires an Intel or AMD x86 processor (Intel Atom recommended) and internal storage with at least 2GB of space. I recommend using at least 16GB drives. In order to install Phoenix OS, you will need a USB drive with at least 8GB of storage.
Requirements:
- 2GB storage drive
- Intel or AMD processor made around 2012 or later, preferably an Intel Atom processor
- An 8GB or larger USB flash drive (for Phoenix OS)
- A 512MB or larger USB flash drive (for GParted)
- A separate computer in order to prepare the USB flash drives
UEFI or BIOS Motherboards?
Older computers (2010 or older) mostly use Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) as a Power On Self Test (POST) environment. So, what does that mean?
PROPER USE OF HEALTH CONTENT The Technology/Standard List identifies technologies and technical standards that have been assessed. Optec media editor 3 download torrent.
A BIOS allows computers to start without an operating system. Newer computers replace BIOS with something called a Unified Extensible Firmware InterfaceWhat Is UEFI And How Does It Keep You More Secure?What Is UEFI And How Does It Keep You More Secure?Read More (UEFI), which is more robust compared to the older scheme. Unfortunately, Phoenix OS doesn’t play nice with UEFI systems. And that requires configuring your UEFI to work with a non-Windows operating system (see step three below.)
Phoenix OS Installation Instructions
Step 1: Download Phoenix OS
The Phoenix OS installation package includes both 32-bit and 64-bit compatibility. That means you can install the operating system on older or newer hardware. Note, though, that the instructions in this guide rely on downloading the ISO image, not the executable.
Download:Phoenix OS
Step 2: Image Phoenix OS to USB Flash Drive
Once you’ve downloaded the Phoenix OS package, you need to image it onto a bootable USB drive using Rufus. Alternatively, you can use UNetbootinHow To Install Linux With Ease Using UNetbootinHow To Install Linux With Ease Using UNetbootinWe've already talked about Linux and why you should try it, but probably the hardest part of getting used to Linux is getting it in the first place. For Windows users, the simplest way is..Read More, but it can cause unpredictable behavior during the installation process.
Download: Rufus Portable [Broken Link Removed]
Next, run Rufus to image your downloaded copy of Phoenix OS to a USB drive. The USB drive must offer at least 8GB of storage.
Take note of the following: First, select your USB drive. Second, you can use GUID Partition Table (GPT), but I had zero success with it. Choose Master Boot Record (MBR) instead of GPT. Third, choose FAT32 for the file system. Fourth, make sure you’ve checked the boxes for Quick format and Create a bootable image using.
The rest of the defaults here should work.
- Select your USB flash drive.
- Under Partition scheme and target system type, choose MBR.
- Check the boxes for Quick format and Create a bootable disk using (and choose Phoenix OS from wherever you downloaded the .ISO file).
- The other defaults should work fine. Choose start.
Step 3: Configure Your BIOS/UEFI
Configuring the BIOS/UEFI (BIOS explainedThe BIOS Explained: Boot Order, Video Memory, Saving, Resets & Optimum DefaultsThe BIOS Explained: Boot Order, Video Memory, Saving, Resets & Optimum DefaultsYour computer’s BIOS (basic input/output system) is the low-level software that starts when you boot your computer. It performs a POST (power-on self test), initializes your computer’s hardware, and passes control over to the boot..Read More) is the hardest step. You’ll also nee to know how to enter your computer’s BIOSHow to Enter the BIOS on Windows 10 (And Older Versions)How to Enter the BIOS on Windows 10 (And Older Versions)To get into the BIOS, you usually press a specific key at the right time. Here's how to enter the BIOS on Windows 10.Read More. Motherboard manufacturers do not use a common language for their BIOS settings. For example, you will need to turn something called Legacy Mode on.
Unfortunately, different board manufacturers may use different language to describe this feature. Additionally, you may need to disable Windows-specific features. In your POST environment, some manufacturers refer to it as Windows 7 mode. Others called it Windows 7 or Other Operating System Mode. And there are other variations, as well.
You will also want to turn off any Fast Boot and Secure Boot options. Fast Boot and Secure Boot are designed for Windows computers — Phoenix OS is Linux-based so there’s no reason to leave them on.
- Turn Legacy Mode on, if possible.
- Choose Windows 7 mode or Linux mode, if possible.
- Turn off Fast Boot and Secure Boot, if possible.
Step 4: Prepare Your Target Drive for Installation (Optional)
Why is this step optional? The only reason you need this step is to change the boot drive’s partition table from GPT to MBR. Many older drives come with MBR as its partition table as default. If you already know whether or not the drive is MBR, skip this step. I should also note that GPT sometimes works with Phoenix OS. In my experience, though, it does not.
Download GPartedGParted - The Ultimate In Partitioning SoftwareGParted - The Ultimate In Partitioning SoftwareRead More for this step. GParted is a partitioning utility. Among its many features, it can prepare a storage drive for receiving an installation of an operating system. The specific function that you need is to format the storage drive’s partition as MBR.
Download:GParted Live USB
To format a disk as MBR, simply image GParted onto a USB drive and boot your computer with the USB Flash drive inserted. The steps after GParted boots are simple: choose the default options (just hit enter when prompted).
I won’t get into lavish detail here, but you will need to remove the current partitions on your disk and create a Microsoft DOS partition table on the disk. To do so, choose Device and then Create Partition Table from the context menu.
Finally, at Select new partition table type prompt, choose msdos. Then hit Apply.
That should write the new partition table to the disk. You can now exit this program.
Step 5: Prepare Your Computer for Phoenix OS
Android 7 X86 Iso Download
The installation process is straightforward. First, insert the installation USB drive into your computer and boot from the drive. Remember: the installation process outlined here is destructive.
You should see a menu that looks like this:
Choose Installation. From the next menu, select Create/Modify partitions. Optionally, if you just want to see if Phoenix OS works on your system, choose Live CD. If it boots, congratulations, your system is compatible!
You may receive the prompt Do you want to use GPT? Choose No. As discussed earlier, using GPT is a disaster on Phoenix OS.
The following window looks like this:
In this menu, you must use the left and right directional keys for navigation.
First, hit the right key to select New and then hit enter, which creates an entry called sda1. Second, choose Primary and use the default drive size (which should be the entirety of your drive). Then, third, choose Bootable as the last option. Be careful that you don’t accidentally remove the Boot flag by pressing enter more than once.
Select Write to commit the changes to your drive. However, just before writing the changes, you’ll receive a prompt asking: Are you sure you want to write the partition table to disk?
You must manually type in the word yes and hit enter. Then the format tool writes the tables to disk. After it writes, choose Quit. This returns you to the Phoenix OS partition selection menu.
Step 6: Install Phoenix OS to the Target Drive
Choose sda1 and hit Enter.
From the Choose filesystem menu, select ext4 as the filesystem.
The installer will ask for confirmation (this step will create an ext4 partition, which wipes out the previous data on your drive). Choose Yes.
It may ask if you want to install an EFI GRUB2. Considering that your disk should be formatted as GPT, you will select Skip.
It will then ask: Do you want to install boot loader GRUB? Choose Yes. You’re pretty much done at this point. After it finishes installing, you’ll see the following menu:
Android 7.1 Iso Download
You can select either Run Phoenix OS or Reboot. If you choose to Reboot, remember to remove your installation USB drive from the computer.
Using Phoenix OS as an Android PC
Phoenix OS Is Nougat + Windows
Phoenix OS looks like Android Nougat7 Reasons You'll Want to Upgrade to Android Nougat7 Reasons You'll Want to Upgrade to Android NougatIf you're thinking about making the jump to Android 7.0 Nougat, maybe these features could convince you.Read More but with a desktop interface. Most apps open in windows, meaning they don’t occupy the entirety of the screen.
Like a desktop, Phoenix OS also includes such features as “snap”, where you can shift a window to the leftHere's How Windows 10 Makes Multitasking a SnapHere's How Windows 10 Makes Multitasking a SnapSnap Assist got an update in Windows 10. Now it's so good that it'll boost your productivity if you learn to make use of it.Read More or right half of the screen. This may not last, though, as Remix OS (how to install Remix OSHow to Install Android on Your PC With Remix OS 3.0How to Install Android on Your PC With Remix OS 3.0Remix OS 3.0 lets users install Android on almost any hardware. Like Linux, Remix runs great on slow or older hardware, so if you have an old PC, bring it back to life with Remix..Read More) offered the same feature and removed it later on. I’m not sure why, but copyright may be the culprit.
The snap feature allows for Android to function in dual-window mode. To illustrate, opening an app and holding the Windows key (or command key) and hitting either the left or right directional key will cause the app to resize and change position. Below is a screenshot of Phoenix OS’s dual-window mode in action. It’s handy for writing papers and more.
Android 7 Os Iso Download Free
Phoenix OS Limitations
A lot of games won’t play correctly using a mouse and keyboard interface. And on top of that, there are a few features that need polish. For example, if you want to highlight large swathes of text, you have to click, hold, and then manually select the text you want. It’s three times as time-consuming compared to a Windows or Mac computer.
Even though Phoenix OS’s developers designed the operating system to work on Atom-based systems (best Linux distributions for Atom processors5 Lightweight Linux Distros Ideal for an Intel Atom Processor PC5 Lightweight Linux Distros Ideal for an Intel Atom Processor PCDon't let your Atom-powered netbook or low-specced laptop gather dust in a closet -- install a lightweight Linux distro and start enjoying mobile computing once again!Read More), it will still install on most newer computers. I should note, though, that most computers will boot, but they won’t work properly with Phoenix OS installed. For example, HDMI audio rarely works.
Should You Install Phoenix OS?
If you have a computer with an Atom-based processor, like a netbook, it’s worth trying out. Phoenix OS has two big advantages: first, it’s fast. Second, it gives you access to the Android app library.
The issue with Phoenix OS is that it doesn’t work on every computer the way Windows does. So a lot of people will install it thinking it can make older hardware faster. It can, but rarely does it work without problems.
Do you love using Android on a computer? Let us know in the comments.
Explore more about: Android, Linux, .
Please help. I made a phoenix os usb as you described. I then used gparted to format my tablet to msdos. Now all i get when my machine starts up id a grub menu. I have no idea what to type or do from there. Im trying to install on an acer aspire switch 10. It has a 1.3ghz atom chip with 2gb ram and 30gb hdd. Any help would be apreciated. I cant turn bios to legacy but i can turn off decure boot
Cpu made after 2012 ? I have an old Core 2 Quad Q8400 4GB DDR 2 system, can i install Phoenix OS on it ?
I can't remember if that is officially supported. It might boot. Chances are that the audio won't work though.
I followed u r steps but only phoenix os in grub there is no way to boot to windows how? ?
Hi, I mention in the article that Phoenix OS is destructive, meaning it will remove your installation of Windows.
Phoenix OS has been repeatedly updated. I think there is now an official installer for it. There might even be a dual boot option.
Hello I download phoenix os 1.5.0 and it booted and it was good but i wanted to use phoenix os 3.0.8 or android 7.1 but when i booted it was saying something and phoenis os detected ... then it booted again to win 10. I wanna know does phoenix os needs to install a 64 bit windows because i have win 10 32 bit and i was thinking if the architecture of windows was the problem
my pc specs are :
hp compaq 6000 pro small from factor
3gb ram
64 mb vram
intel pentium 4 dual core e5800 3.2ghz
windows 10 pro 32 bit
and bios not uefiIt should support both 64 and 32 bit hardware.
When I boot into my USB with the PhoenixOS installer, The GNU GRUB command line pops up. I have run into this problem before, so I'm not surprised that it won't boot the first time. I do know what to enter into the command line to boot to PhoenixOS, but it isn't a method that installs it onto the 'hard disk'. What do I type in to run the installer as shown in the article above?
What software are you using to image PhoenixOS onto a USB drive?
There is a known issue with some programs like Rufus, may cause unexpected behavior when the USB installer boots. There are other potential causes, but this issue seems to be the most common.
I recommend using Etcher for burning images onto USB drives.
I am using Rufus to image PhoenixOS to my USB drive. I will try Etcher and come back with results. Thanks!
I have used Etcher to image POS to my USB. My PC no longer detected it when I tried to boot from it.
That sucks. Another common issue: You might have something on the USB drive that's interfering with how it boots. Are you formatting the drive between image burns?
Yes, I format my USB every time I image it.
I can't say with 100% certainty, but it sounds like your issue has to do with your BIOS/UEFI settings regarding USB Legacy Mode or UEFI.
Sometimes when a UEFI isn't using Legacy mode it will not detect some USB drives. You can toggle Legacy mode on and off from within the POST environment.
Looks like my computer lets me change the BIOS settings regarding to UEFI or Legacy Mode. I guess I'll install it another way.
**Doesn't
I did some Googling on this question and found this video:
One more thing that he mentioned in the video is that the copy of the PhoenixOS might be corrupted. He recommends redownloading.
I think the problem is that I'm using a different (newer) version that might not show the installer anymore. If I had the same copy used in the article, it might just work.
Have been using Phoenix OS on a few machines for about 2 years now and have been quite satisfied with it. Have to admit I use it in a limited fashion; some surfing and emails and mainly for streaming .
There's one annoyance and it has been around for about 6 months, with the 64bit nougat version. Kodi has juddering and stuttering video here. Unfortunately, it has not been fixed. Think it started with an update to the OS around that time. Could be a compatibility issue with Kodi.
The 32 bit Lollipop version works fine as far as Kodi is concerned, maybe because it doesn't receive any update.There are other Android os for PC one can try the something new here is open thos (can run Android os and Linux apps) according to this website https://www.quickfever.com/1674/android-os-for-pc-267751/
But installing open thos is a whole mess, first they don't provide direct iso image. For now i think the phoenix os is the best.
Update: I made it to install, but on boot I get a 'tGRUB' message and nothing else.
I had to use GPT to edit partitions, plus I accepted the default 2048 start for the partition.
Not using GPT won't work for me.What should I do? Galaxy s6 edge download mode.
Further update:
I made it to follow all the instructions, including gparted etc.
The installation went ok, but as I try to boot the system, I get a 'this disk is not boot able' error.
Again, I did everything as described.Nevermind, I tried with the x86 and works perfectly.
The only drawback is I have a 64 bit CPU. .Thanks for letting me know. The x86 version works for both 64-bit and 32-bit processors, so there shouldn't be any incompatibility issues. If you went with the older 5.1 (POS 1.5) version, there might be issues. But the newer version seems to work on a wider range of hardware.
How is it working for you so far?
I have 1.5 with lollipop, despite is older and 32bit only, 2.x won't work for me.
My UX is good, by the way.
Hello. Does POS have any app store?
I have a PC with which latest Debian runs fine out of the box.Yes, it has the Google Play Store, although it's not the latest version which means it can't run official Google apps, like Gmail and Play Books.
Thanks.
Can I use any app with this?
I mean, what's compatible with it?Almost app I've tried either worked (although some apps required a little tinkering to get working properly). The only apps that 100% don't work are first party Google apps that require an updated version of Google Play.
Thanks a lot.
I tried installation with iso from dvd.
But neither live nor install works.
So I wiped my PC uselessly.
It's no problem because I use it seldom.
But I'd like to try this out.
FYI, I have a dell optiplex 745Sorry to hear that. Just one question: Did you use GParted to make sure the disk's partition table type isn't GPT?
No to both.
I did partitioning from the installer
I just realized you said that the Live USB doesn't work. That's a good sign that it's not compatible. :-(
You might have more luck with CloudReady, which is a ChromeOS system. It will soon add Android Google Play support and is WIDELY compatible with different hardware.
I can't run the 64bit version. it gets to 'detecting Phoenix OS found at dev/sda1' then it reboots.
I have a 64bit capable CPU.I can't run the x64 version of POS. It gets to 'Detecting Phoenix OS. Found at dev/sda1' then it reboots. Please help me.
I can't install the x64 version. It gets to 'Detecting Phoenix OS found at dev/sda1' then it reboots. Please help.
If that isn't possible then please tell me how to record screen on POS v1.5.0.
I've an old Lenovo laptop. Wiped HDD. The Phoenix .iso for a 32 bit Os install is 642mb. Which fits on a cd. But the 32bit OS is based on android 5.1.
How secure is 5.1?
Running apps and games caught my interest.I believe it's based on AOSP and the Android-x86 Project. Those 5.1 images were last updated in 2015, which means the last time it received a patch was in 2015. I don't believe that those images are very secure.
https://yellowdallas.tistory.com/7. If you are looking for an update, pickup the latest one. How to select driver? With the different devices, they can have the same driver, it's because they all use the same chip manufacturer. Why do i see many drivers? Below is a list of drivers that may be suitable for your device.
If you're at home and only installing trusted apps from the Play Store, it shouldn't pose all that great a risk. But if you're especially concerned about security, you may want to install a ChromeOS image that supports Android apps. I've had a lot more success installing Android compared to ChromeOS, but ChromeOS (technically Chromium OS) receives a lot more in the way of updates for 32-bit builds.
Thank you, Kannon Y. Might give Chrome a try. It's a strange laptop in that the Fn keys on the keyboard won't unlock in a Windows OS. But no keyboard problem when it ran Linux Mint.
No prob. By the way, it's Chromium OS, Flint OS, and Neverware CloudReady that are offering installable Chrome OS images. However, they are in the process of adding Android apps. They aren't ready just yet (but they should be in a few months).
How long does it take to install Phoenix OS on a Dell computer with a 500 GB hard drive? I've been waiting for 30 minutes and am still only seeing System Initializing, Please Wait. Is there any more indicator than this to let me know if it will actually doing anything?
I've seen it take up to an hour to finish initializing. Other times, it has stayed there for hours and required manually rebooting. Most of the time when it just freezes, it means it's not compatible with your system. Do you know if the target hard drive is GPT or MBR? Are your BIOS/UEFI settings configured correctly?
I did follow the steps and set it to MBR and to Legacy. It's actually working now. Just took an hour with no sort of indications of what was happening. Working ok now. I just have to figure out how to now format them 3 other drives that are NTFS now.