buddy-android README

The project's README from github.com/ghorbelhamdi/buddy-android. As one markdown file: README.md.

Buddy: Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Antigravity and Grok in a bubble on your Android phone

Latest release Downloads Android 11+ Buddy on Product Hunt Buddy MCP server on Glama License: Apache-2.0

Buddy

A floating chat bubble that lets Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Antigravity or Grok use your Android phone.

Type or say what you want, like "reply to Sam that I'm running late" or "add a Switch 2 to my Amazon cart". Buddy reads the screen, taps and types to get it done, and asks you before anything is sent, posted, bought or deleted.

It runs inside the app, on your own plan: Claude Code with your Claude plan, Codex with your ChatGPT plan, Google's Antigravity CLI with your Google account, xAI's Grok Build with your Google or X account, or OpenCode with its free models and no account at all. No PC, no adb, no root, and no API key needed (you can add keys for other services, such as DeepSeek or OpenRouter, and use them with Claude Code, Codex or OpenCode).

Download the APK · Website · Android 11+, 64-bit

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d07936fc-4788-4ab5-a105-31b3e9aeba4f

Codex turns on the lights while OpenCode's free model adds a Switch 2 to the Amazon cart (real recordings, waiting sped up)

Chats with different agents
Chats with any agent		 A chat with grouped tool calls
Tool calls fold into one line		 Settings
Setup guide and themes

What it can do
Uses your apps Messages, shopping, smart home, settings: anything on screen. Add instructions while it works.
Asks first Approve, Deny or Change before anything is sent, posted, bought or deleted.
Shows you how "Show me how to turn on dark mode": it points at each step and waits for your tap.
Acts on notifications "When a customer asks on WhatsApp, reply with our opening hours", with your OK or a countdown you can stop.
Voice Talk to it and have replies read aloud.
Background browser Web pages in a browser inside Buddy, without taking over your screen, even while the phone is locked. Watch and use it live in the chat; it marks what you need to do (sign in, a captcha) and never types your passwords.
Builds apps Turn on Linux tools in a chat and "make me a calculator app" builds a real APK on the phone; the GitHub version also installs it for you.
Phone tools anywhere The same tools as a local MCP server for your own Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Antigravity or Grok sessions, or over stdio with mcp-bridge for clients that start servers as commands.

Status: 2.2, early. It works well day to day but has rough edges. Tested most on a OnePlus 12 (Android 16). Buddy is an independent project, not made by or affiliated with Anthropic, OpenAI, Google or xAI.

How it works

Buddy app / bubble ──► Buddy's Linux (Alpine via proot): claude, codex, opencode, agy or grok
        ▲                                                     │
        └──────────── streamed replies ◄──────────────────────┤
                                                              ▼
Buddy accessibility service ◄──── MCP on 127.0.0.1 (phone tools)

Buddy is a normal Android app with an accessibility service, the kind of permission screen readers use. The agent runs in a small Linux inside the app and uses Buddy's phone tools (read the screen, tap, type, scroll, open apps) over a local MCP server. No adb or Wireless debugging, and it works without Wi-Fi.

Setup

You need a 64-bit Android 11+ phone, plus a Claude, ChatGPT or Google account for those agents (Grok: a Google or X account). OpenCode's free models need no account.

  1. Install Buddy: download buddy.apk and open it. It updates itself, and installs the apps it builds for you. (Google Play turned Buddy down for production: its policy doesn't allow apps that use accessibility to carry out tasks.)
  2. Follow the setup guide that opens on first launch: pick your agent, turn on the accessibility service, install and sign in, and try a first task.

Install blocked or "Restricted setting"? See Setup in detail.

Updating

Install the new APK over the old one: chats, settings and sign-ins stay (don't uninstall first). You can also ask Buddy to "update yourself", or let Obtainium do it (how).

Security

An accessibility service is powerful, so please read this.

More in Security in detail. Found a problem? Please open a private security advisory instead of a public issue.

FAQ

What does it cost? Buddy is free. The agent uses your plan's limits, or nothing at all with OpenCode's free models (no account) or Antigravity's free plan (Google account).

iPhone? No. iOS doesn't let apps operate other apps.

Which phones? 64-bit Android 11 or newer. On some brands, set Buddy's battery use to Unrestricted.

Does it need a computer, adb or root? No.

Learn more

In the press: ProPakistani, The Neutral, Trendshift (October 2026)

Contributing

Bug reports, ideas and translation fixes are welcome: see CONTRIBUTING.md. If Buddy is useful to you, a ⭐ helps other people find it.

For developers

./gradlew assembleRelease     # Android Studio / Gradle
./build.sh                    # on the phone in Termux, no Gradle → build/buddy-release.apk

build.sh needs pkg install openjdk-17 aapt2 d8 apksigner python and android.jar from platform-36 at ~/android-sdk/android-36/android.jar. It creates a signing key at ~/.buddy-keys/release.jks on first run: back it up, since updates must be signed with the same key. Gradle release signing reads BUDDY_KEYSTORE and BUDDY_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD (optionally BUDDY_KEY_ALIAS, BUDDY_KEY_PASSWORD). The version lives in BuildInfo.java, and the project layout is in CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

Apache-2.0. Geist fonts: SIL Open Font License. Icons: Material Symbols (Apache-2.0). Bundled proot (GPL-2.0), talloc (LGPL-3.0) and libandroid-shmem (BSD-3-Clause): see third_party for licences and source.

buddy-android (ghorbelhamdi/buddy-android)

android-automation
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173 ·GitHub
Buddy-android
What is this?Buddy is a floating chat bubble on Android that lets AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Google's Antigravity CLI, or xAI's Grok Build) read your phone's screen, tap and type to complete tasks for you, like replying to a message or adding an item to a cart.
Is this an app I install, or something that runs through adb/PC?It's a normal Android app with an accessibility service; the agent runs in a small Linux environment inside the app itself, no PC, adb or root involved.
How do I install and set it up?Install Buddy from Google Play (closed testing, join the tester group) or download the buddy.apk directly; on first launch a setup guide walks you through picking your agent, enabling the accessibility service, signing in, and trying a first task.
What accounts do I need for the different agents?You need a 64-bit Android 11+ phone plus a Claude, ChatGPT or Google account depending on the agent (Grok needs a Google or X account); OpenCode's free models work with no account at all.
Is it polished and reliable to use day to day?It's labeled version 2.2 and 'early' — the README says it works well day to day but still has rough edges, and has mainly been tested on a OnePlus 12 running Android 16.
Does it work on iPhone too?No, it's Android-only; iOS doesn't allow apps to operate other apps the way Buddy needs to.
Does it ask before doing anything risky, like sending a message or buying something?Yes: Buddy enforces hard-coded approvals itself, not the agent, so messaging, shopping and payment apps stop before buttons like Send, Pay or Delete until you tap Approve, Deny or Change.
What is the main risk with giving an AI agent control of my screen?Prompt injection — a malicious message or web page could try to give the agent hidden instructions. On-screen text is treated as untrusted content, and the approval card acts as the last line of defense.
Can I use Buddy's phone-control tools with my own agent setup instead of inside the app?Yes, the same phone tools (read screen, tap, type, scroll, open apps) are exposed as a local MCP server that your own Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Antigravity or Grok sessions can connect to, including over stdio via mcp-bridge.
Does it cost anything to use?Buddy itself is free; you use your existing plan's limits for Claude/ChatGPT/Google/Grok, or pay nothing at all with OpenCode's free models or Antigravity's free tier.
What are similar projects?mobile-mcp, DSH-Android, andee, Rungic, aichat, Mika, open-computer-use, nanoMuse
Which topics is it in?android-automation, no-root, antigravity, computer-use, ai-assistant, grok, accessibility, android-app, opencode, chatgpt, mobile-app, gemini
Creator
ghorbelhamdi
Size
8.7 MB
Stars
173
Updated
CommitNov 02Releasev2.2.21Nov 02
Age
27d
Commits · 90 Days