Anil Warbhe PhD

To install Waydroid on Debian 13 (Trixie), update your system, install necessary curl/gpg dependencies, and add the official repository usingcurl -s https://repo.waydro.id | sudo bash. Install with sudo apt install waydroid, then run sudo waydroid init to initialize and launch from your app menu. 

Step-by-Step Installation

  1. Update and Prep System
    Open your terminal and ensure your system is up to date and has the required tools:bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install curl ca-certificates gnupg2 -y

Add the Waydroid Repository
Add the official repository to your Debian installation:

bash

curl -s https://repo.waydro.id | sudo bash

If this fails to detect “trixie” correctly, the repo supports bookworm/trixie/sid.Install Waydroid

bash

sudo apt install waydroid -y

Initialize Waydroid
Initialize the container to download the Android images (choose ‘GAPPS’ for Google Apps or ‘VANILLA’ for just the Android system):

bash

sudo waydroid init

Start the Container
Enable and start the Waydroid container service:

bash

sudo systemctl enable --now waydroid-container

Launch Waydroid
Launch the Waydroid application from your app menu or via terminal:

bash

waydroid session start

Troubleshooting

  • Missing Python Modules: If you encounter errors regarding python3-gbinder, you may need to install the dependencies manually.
  • Graphics Issues: Waydroid works best on Wayland. If using X11, you may encounter performance issues.
  • No Network: If the container has no internet access, restart the container (sudo systemctl restart waydroid-container) or check your firewall settings. 

To install Google Play Services on Waydroid, you must first initialize Waydroid with a GAPPS (Google Apps) image, and then complete a one-time device registration process with Google. 

Part 1: Install Waydroid with GAPPS Image 

If Waydroid is already installed with the default “Vanilla” image, you need to reinitialize it with the GAPPS version.

  1. Stop the Waydroid session and container in your Linux terminal:bash
waydroid session stop
sudo systemctl stop waydroid-container

Reinitialize with the GAPPS image. The -f flag forces the download and replacement of the current image:

bash

sudo waydroid init -s GAPPS -f

Start the Waydroid container service and launch Waydroid from your application menu or terminal:

bash

sudo systemctl enable --now waydroid-container
waydroid show-full-ui

Part 2: Register Device with Google Play Protect 

When you open the Play Store for the first time, you will likely see a message that your device is “not Play Protect certified”. You must register its unique ID with Google to use the Play Store properly. 

  1. Get your Android ID by running the following command in your Linux terminal while Waydroid is running:bash
echo 'ANDROID_RUNTIME_ROOT=/apex/com.android.runtime sqlite3 /data/data/com.google.android.gsf/databases/gservices.db "select * from main where name = \\"android_id\\";"' | sudo waydroid shell

Alternatively, use the command from the Waydroid documentation:

bash

sudo waydroid shell -- sh -c "sqlite3 /data/data/*/*/gservices.db 'select value from main where name = \"android_id\";'"

Copy the long alphanumeric string (your Android ID) that the command outputs.Register the ID by visiting the official Google registration page: https://www.google.com/android/uncertified. Paste your Android ID into the form and click “Register”.Restart Waydroid and wait a few minutes for the registration to take effect.

bash

waydroid session stop
sudo systemctl restart waydroid-container

Note: It might take 5-10 minutes, or in some rare cases longer, for the registration to propagate through Google’s services.Log in to the Play Store within the Waydroid interface using your Google account. You should now be able to install apps normally. 

Optional: Install ARM Translation 

Many popular Android apps are built for ARM architecture. To run them on an x86/x64 Linux system, you may need to install the libhoudini ARM translation layer using the community-developed Waydroid Extras scripts.