OpenClaw on Android: Complete Mobile Setup (2026)

The Three Ways to Use OpenClaw on Android

There are three main methods for using OpenClaw on Android, each suited to different needs and skill levels. Make sure you have OpenClaw set up on a server first.

**Messaging app (Telegram/WhatsApp/Discord)** is the easiest approach and works for 95% of users — just chat with your agent.

**Termux (run on device)** is the advanced option for privacy, offline use, and running without a server.

**Tasker + API** is a medium-complexity approach for building Android-specific automations.

Method 1: Messaging App (Recommended)

This is how most people use OpenClaw on Android — you've already set up OpenClaw on a server or VPS, and you chat with it through a messaging app.

**Telegram (Best Experience)** — Telegram offers the richest mobile experience with OpenClaw. Set up a Telegram bot (guide here), open Telegram on your Android phone, and search for your bot to start chatting.

**Pro tip:** Pin your OpenClaw bot chat to the top of Telegram for instant access.

**WhatsApp** — If you already use WhatsApp daily, this might be more convenient. See our WhatsApp setup guide.

**Discord** — Better for users in communities where OpenClaw serves a group. See our Discord setup guide.

• Inline buttons for quick actions
• Voice messages — agent transcribes and responds
• File sharing (send documents for the agent to read)
• Notification controls (mute non-urgent agent messages)
• Works with poor internet (messages queue and send when connected)
• No extra apps needed

Mobile-Optimized SOUL.md

Add mobile-specific instructions to your SOUL.md so your agent adapts its responses for phone screens.

## Mobile Behavior
- Keep responses SHORT on Telegram/WhatsApp — I'm reading on my phone
- Use bullet points over paragraphs
- Don't send code blocks longer than 15 lines — link to a file instead
- When I send a voice message, acknowledge with a brief text reply
- For long content (articles, reports), save to a file and send the file

Method 2: Termux (Run OpenClaw on Your Phone)

For the adventurous — run OpenClaw directly on your Android device. No server needed.

• **Complete privacy** — nothing leaves your phone
• **Works offline** with local models
• **No server costs** — $0/month
• **Your agent is literally in your pocket**

Install Termux

Install Termux from F-Droid (NOT the Play Store — that version is outdated). Download F-Droid from https://f-droid.org, search for Termux and install. Then open Termux and update.

pkg update && pkg upgrade -y

Install Node.js and OpenClaw

With Termux set up, install Node.js and OpenClaw, then initialize your workspace and configure your API key.

# Install Node.js
pkg install nodejs-lts -y

# Verify
node -v  # Should show v20+ or v22+

# Install OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw

# Initialize workspace
cd ~
openclaw init

# Configure (using a cloud API)
openclaw config set providers.anthropic.apiKey sk-your-key

Running the Gateway

Start the OpenClaw gateway. To keep it running when Termux is in the background, install Termux:Boot from F-Droid and create a startup script.

# Start OpenClaw
openclaw gateway start

# To keep it running when Termux is in background:
# Install Termux:Boot from F-Droid
# Create startup script:
mkdir -p ~/.termux/boot
cat > ~/.termux/boot/openclaw.sh << 'EOF'
#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
termux-wake-lock
cd ~ && openclaw gateway start
EOF
chmod +x ~/.termux/boot/openclaw.sh

Termux + Ollama (Fully Local)

For a completely offline, private setup, you can build Ollama from source in Termux and run small models directly on your phone.

**Reality check:** Local models on phones are slow (10-30 seconds per response) and quality is limited. Good for privacy, bad for daily driving. Use cloud APIs for normal use and local for sensitive queries.

# Install Ollama for Android (via Termux)
pkg install cmake golang git -y

# Build Ollama from source
git clone https://github.com/ollama/ollama.git
cd ollama
go generate ./...
go build .
./ollama serve &

# Pull a small model (phone-appropriate)
./ollama pull phi3:mini    # 2.3GB, works on most phones
./ollama pull gemma2:2b    # 1.6GB, fastest on mobile

# Configure OpenClaw to use it
openclaw config set providers.ollama.baseUrl http://localhost:11434
openclaw config set models.default ollama/phi3:mini

Battery and Performance

Running OpenClaw on Android uses resources. The OpenClaw gateway when idle has low battery impact and uses about 80MB of RAM. During active chat via API, it remains low impact at about 150MB. Ollama when idle has medium battery impact at about 500MB of RAM. Ollama during inference has high battery impact and uses 2-4GB of RAM.

• Use `termux-wake-lock` to prevent Android from killing Termux
• Set Termux as a "non-optimized" app in battery settings
• Kill Ollama when not in use to save battery
• Use WiFi instead of mobile data to save battery on API calls

Method 3: Tasker Integration

Tasker is Android's ultimate automation tool. Combined with OpenClaw's API, you can create powerful mobile automations.

Install Tasker from Play Store (~$3.49). Make sure your OpenClaw server is accessible (via Tailscale or public IP). Note your gateway URL and token.

Example: Voice Command Agent

Trigger by shaking your phone or saying "Hey Agent." The task records voice, sends it to OpenClaw, and speaks the response back.

Profile: Voice Agent
  Trigger: Shake (Sensitivity: Medium)
  
Task:
  1. Record Audio (5 seconds, path: /tmp/query.wav)
  2. HTTP Request:
     Method: POST
     URL: http://your-server:18789/api/sessions/main/messages
     Headers: Authorization: Bearer your-token
     Body: {"message": "[voice message transcription]"}
  3. Set Variable %response to HTTP response
  4. Say %response (TTS)

Example: Location-Based Automation

Trigger your agent automatically when you arrive at the office to get your schedule and urgent emails.

Profile: Arriving at Office
  Trigger: Location (your office GPS)
  
Task:
  1. HTTP Request:
     URL: http://your-server:18789/api/sessions/main/messages
     Body: {"message": "I just arrived at the office. What's my schedule for today? Any urgent emails?"}
  2. Notify: %response

Example: Morning Routine

Wake up to your agent's voice summarizing your day. Set it to run at 7:00 AM on weekdays.

Profile: Morning Alarm
  Trigger: Time 7:00 AM, Mon-Fri
  
Task:
  1. HTTP Request:
     Body: {"message": "Good morning. Weather, calendar, and top 3 emails please. Keep it brief."}
  2. Say %response (TTS - wake up to your agent's voice)

Example: Screenshot Analysis

Share a screenshot or image to your agent for analysis. Set up OpenClaw as a share target in Android so you can send images directly from any app.

Profile: Share to Agent
  Trigger: App (OpenClaw share target)
  
Task:
  1. Take screenshot or receive shared image
  2. HTTP Request with image attachment
  3. Display response as notification

Mobile Workflows That Work

**The Commute Assistant** — Message your agent while commuting. Ask about meetings to prep for, get overnight email summaries, or check traffic conditions.

**Quick Capture** — Send ideas and notes to your agent for later. Tell it to remember appointments, save ideas, or add items to lists. Your agent stores these in memory files and can recall them later.

**On-the-Go Research** — Send voice messages asking for restaurant recommendations, exchange rates, or translations. Send photos for menu translation or context.

**Travel Mode** — Check flight status, find nearby ATMs, or get quick translations in any language.

Android Widgets (Quick Access)

**Telegram Widget** — Add a Telegram widget to your home screen pointing to your OpenClaw bot chat for one-tap access to start chatting.

**Tasker Widget** — Create Tasker shortcuts on your home screen for common actions like "Morning Brief" to trigger the morning summary, "Check Email" to ask your agent to check email, or "What's Next?" to get your next calendar event.

Notifications and Do Not Disturb

Configure your agent to respect your phone's state by adding notification rules to your SOUL.md.

On the Android side, set your OpenClaw Telegram bot to a custom notification sound to distinguish it from normal messages. Use Telegram's mute function for non-urgent hours and set priority notifications for the bot channel.

## Notification Rules in SOUL.md
- Between 11 PM - 7 AM: only alert for truly urgent items
- During meetings (check calendar): hold non-urgent messages
- When I respond slowly: I'm busy, keep messages extra brief
- Batch non-urgent updates into a single message every 2 hours

Conclusion

New to OpenClaw? Start with our beginner guide. Already set up? Explore automation ideas for your daily workflows.

Frequently asked questions