How to Put Android on Your Desktop With Remix OS

Remix OS , which came out yesterday , is a killer Android variant that provides a nice desktop-style interface for Android. Now you can install it on a USB stick and try it out on your computer.

Android is n’t exactly made for keyboard and mouse , but that hasn’t stopped some of us from trying . RemixOS from developer Jide wants to change that by adding a desktop, windowed apps, and more to Android. Here’s how to try a very experimental alpha.

Disclaimer: According to the Jide website, this OS is “for developers and early adopters who don’t mind one or two bugs.” In our testing, there were significantly more errors than two. While RemixOS is a great concept and fun to play with, don’t expect it to replace your current computer anytime soon. However, if you enjoy being at the forefront, tweaking your computer and experimenting with software (which might explain why you are reading Lifehacker), by all means, go ahead.

What do you need

RemixOS runs on a USB stick by default. You can use it either in guest mode , which will launch on a new desktop every time you launch it, or in resident mode , in which all your applications and files will be saved to the USB stick so you can resume your session later on any computer. … Here’s what you need to create your RemixOS USB stick:

• RemixOS Package for PC: You can download the installation package for RemixOS from here . The package is only 700MB in size, so if you have a slower connection, start your download and then grab a bite or something.
• 8GB + USB drive with 20MB / s write speed: RemixOS requires a minimum of 8GB of free space to install and run. If you plan on using resident mode to keep your desktop persistent, you obviously need more. In addition, Jide recommends a flash drive with a write speed of 20MB / s (the previously recommended SanDisk Extreme should work very well). During testing, I found that a flash drive with a write speed of less than 10 MB / s works, but gives an error and takes time to load. Note. Creating a RemixOS disc will erase data from the USB stick, so be sure to back up any files already on it.
• X86-based computer: RemixOS – a variant of Android for the x86 architecture, so it only works on PCs with Intel and AMD processors. ARM-based computers (like many Chromebooks) and older Macs won’t work. You will also need a Windows PC to create a USB stick.
• USB Boot Enabled: Most computers these days can boot from USB, but check your BIOS or model to be sure. You can find more information on how to boot from USB in our guide here .

Creating a bootable USB stick will take less time than installing most OSes, but it will still take a little time, so be prepared for some waiting. When you have everything you need, it’s time to get started.

Create a RemixOS USB Drive

First, you need to create a bootable USB stick that RemixOS will live on. Once you’ve downloaded the RemixOS installation files, follow these steps:

1. Plug in a blank USB drive.
2. Unzip the files to a RemixOS for PC .zip file.
3. Run the RemixOS USB Tool executable file.
4. Next to ISO, click the Browse button and select the RemixOS .iso file.
5. Next to USB Drive, select the drive letter associated with the USB drive you connected.
6. Click OK.

The installer will immediately begin creating the RemixOS USB drive. This process will take a few minutes. Once that’s done, you can plug it into your computer and boot from USB. As we briefly mentioned above, the first time you boot RemixOS, you will have two options. This is how they work:

• Guest Mode: Allows you to preview how RemixOS works. Any applications you install, settings you change, or downloads will be removed as soon as you turn off your computer.
• Resident Mode: Your USB drive will be treated like a laptop. Any settings you change will be remembered no matter which computer you connect it to. The apps you install and the files you download will be written to the USB drive. This means the more USB storage you have, the more installation space you have.

Keep in mind that even though RemixOS adds a lot of software on top of Android to make it more mouse and keyboard friendly, most apps are still designed for touch. They may not work very well regardless of what RemixOS does. Android apps work pretty well with the traditional interface, but you should expect some bumps in the road anyway.

Install some apps (like Google Apps and Play Store)

Regardless of what the promotional material looks like, RemixOS is not included in the pre-installed version of the Google Play Store or any associated Google apps. Previous limited release versions of RemixOS had this capability, so it’s unclear if this is an oversight or if Jide simply doesn’t have a Play Store public distribution license.

Luckily, you can still download and install the apps yourself. APK Mirror is a great site that has the latest versions of many popular apps, including Google services. To get apps for RemixOS, follow these steps:

1. Search APK Mirror for the app you want to install.
2. If possible, make sure you have the correct version. For reference: RemixOS runs Android 5.1.1. (To install Google Play Services, you need versions ending in 270 according to the APK Mirror instructions here. )
3. Open the Settings app, tap Security and enable installation from Unknown Sources.
4. Launch the Downloads app and click the downloaded APK, then follow the instructions to install it.

In my testing, Google Play Services was installed, but many features still didn’t work as expected in guest mode. Some apps, like Chrome, started and worked relatively well, while other apps, like Netflix, didn’t launch at all. Again, none of these apps are designed to work with RemixOS, so if the app doesn’t work, don’t blame the developer.

And how is that?

After all this, you are probably wondering if it is worth spending all the effort on it. Well, here’s a short answer: like? I’ve been playing around with it for a few hours since its release last night, and I’ve run into enough issues that will scare off most casual users. But it normal! This is an alpha version aimed at developers and enthusiasts. What works, though, paints a pretty rosy picture for Android on the desktop.

First, RemixOS has tweaked the basic Android interface to make you feel at home on your desktop. At the bottom of the home screen, there is a taskbar for launching applications, a start menu for finding files and other installed applications, and a taskbar for things like Wi-Fi connections, date and time, and a slide. tray for notifications. To be honest, it looks more like a Windows 10 clone than Android.

Android apps scale well too. RemixOS lets you resize windows arbitrarily, just like you do on Windows and OS X. It might seem like an easy task, but keep in mind that Android apps were never designed for this kind of interface. Regardless, the function works flawlessly. If you make the window small enough, the app will default to a phone-style interface. Larger windows will use tablet-style interfaces if available. This means that the Android experience is still as good as how well Android supports tablet apps, which is good, but not stellar .

Ultimately, application compatibility issues mean RemixOS is unlikely to replace anyone’s day-to-day driver. However, given that Android was never intended to be a desktop operating system, RemixOS does an admirable job of convincing us what it can be.

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