Zelicra PC Emulator Coming soon to Google Play

QEMU 11.1.2x86-64 + ARM64 guestsNo root

Emulate a full PC. On your phone.

Zelicra PC Emulator runs full PC operating systems inside Android, using QEMU and a multi-threaded JIT. Pick an ISO, tap boot, and use a Linux desktop with touch, trackpad, mouse or keyboard.

See what it runs

Coming soon to Google Play. Not available to download yet.

  • Free, no ads
  • No account
  • Collects no personal data
Illustration. Real boot times are below.
  • 31s

    Alpine Linux x86‑64, boot to login

  • ~60s

    Alpine Linux ARM64, boot to login

  • 2

    Guest architectures: x86‑64 and ARM64

  • 0

    Accounts, ads, analytics or trackers

Measured on a phone with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 running Android 16. Your phone may be faster or slower.

01How it works

From ISO to desktop. In four steps.

The Zelicra library screen with no virtual machines yet and a Create your first VM button. The New virtual machine screen asking you to pick an ISO or disk image. The Built for speed screen with Balanced, Max and Sustained performance profiles. The Your files stay yours screen, explaining the file picker and asking to allow notifications.

Screens from the pre-release app

  1. Create a virtual machine

    Your machines live in one library. Tap create to start a new one. No account, no sign-in.

    The Zelicra library screen with no virtual machines yet and a Create your first VM button.

  2. Pick an ISO, IMG or QCOW2

    Choose a disk image with Android's own file picker, so the app never asks for broad storage access. BIOS or UEFI is picked for you.

    .iso.img.qcow2BIOS / UEFI auto
    The New virtual machine screen asking you to pick an ISO or disk image.

  3. Choose how hard it runs

    Balanced, Max or Sustained. The JIT spreads the guest across your phone's CPU cores; profiles decide how hard it pushes them.

    The Built for speed screen with Balanced, Max and Sustained performance profiles.

  4. Boot, and keep it running

    The VM keeps running in the background with a notification and a Stop button, so a long install survives you checking a message.

    The Your files stay yours screen, explaining the file picker and asking to allow notifications.

02Features

The essentials a PC needs. Sized for a thumb.

A desktop OS expects a mouse, a keyboard and a monitor. Zelicra gives it all three, on a touchscreen.

Three ways to point

Switch input modes to suit the guest. A physical keyboard works too.

Live HUD and profiles

See frames per second, load on every core and thermal headroom while the guest runs. Then pick a profile.

PC keys your phone doesn't have

An extra-keys bar sits above the keyboard with the keys desktop software expects.

Esc Tab Ctrl Alt F1 F2 F5 F12

Boots what you already have

Installer ISOs, raw disk images and QCOW2 disks, opened through Android's file picker.

ISOIMGQCOW2

BIOS or UEFI, picked for you

Zelicra chooses the right firmware for the image: SeaBIOS for legacy boot, EDK II (OVMF or AAVMF) for UEFI.

A real display

The guest draws to a virtio-gpu display, shown right on your phone's screen.

Internet, built in

Guests get a network connection out of the box through user-mode NAT inside the app. Nothing to configure, and the traffic goes straight out through your phone's connection.

Keeps running in the background

Switch apps during a long install. A notification shows the VM is alive and gives you a Stop button.

03Supported systems

What it runs. What we've actually seen run.

Zelicra emulates x86-64 and ARM64 PCs. Here is exactly what we have booted on a real phone, what we are building, and what we have not tested.

Verified on a phone

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Android 16

  • Alpine Linux

    x86-64

    Small, fast and a good first boot.

    Boots to login in 31 s

  • Alpine Linux

    ARM64

    The same distribution as a native ARM64 guest.

    Boots to login in about 60 s

  • SliTaz

    x86

    A tiny Linux with a full graphical desktop.

    Interactive desktop

  • Omarchy (Arch Linux)

    x86-64

    An Arch-based setup with a heavier installer.

    Reaches the installer menu

In development

Not in the app yet

  • LineageOS 23 / Android 16 VMs

    Android guest

    Android as a guest OS, with real multi-touch passed through.

    Coming

  • Android-x86

    Android guest

    Android builds for PC hardware.

    Coming

  • GSI images

    Android guest

    Generic system images for Android.

    Coming

Not verified

Untested by us

  • Windows

    x86-64

    We have not verified Windows. It is a heavy desktop, so expect it to be slow under emulation, and you need your own valid licence.

    Not verified

  • Other Linux distributions

    x86-64ARM64

    Not tested by us yet. Lightweight distributions and desktops are your best bet.

    Not verified

04Performance, honestly

This is emulation. Here's what that means.

Android does not let Play Store apps use the phone's hardware virtualization. So Zelicra translates every guest instruction in software, with QEMU's multi-threaded JIT spread across your CPU cores.

  • Speed depends on your phoneA faster phone means a faster PC. Modern flagships run lightweight Linux desktops well.
  • Heavy desktops are slowHeavy desktop environments are slow under emulation. We'd rather say so up front.
  • No root, no tricksZelicra is an ordinary app. It needs no root and no unlocked bootloader.

Guest code

QEMU TCG
JIT

Your phone's cores

Guest instructions (x86-64 or ARM64) are translated into native ARM64 blocks by QEMU's Tiny Code Generator, then run across several CPU threads at once.

  • Lightweight Linux

    Alpine, SliTaz and similar systems are where Zelicra shines on a modern flagship.

  • Heavy desktops

    Expect them to be slow under emulation, even on a flagship.

  • Battery and heat

    Emulation keeps the CPU busy. Use Sustained for long sessions and watch thermal headroom in the HUD.

05Privacy promise

Your PC stays in your pocket.

The app makes no network requests of its own. There is nothing to sign in to and nothing that reports back to us.

  • No accountsOpen the app and use it.
  • No analytics or trackingNo ads, crash reporting or tracking SDKs.
  • Files stay on your phoneDisk images and VM files stay on your device.
  • Guest traffic goes directYour VM's internet goes out through your phone. We never see it.
  • No broad storage permissionYou choose each file with Android's picker.
  • Uninstall means goneRemoving the app deletes all VM data it created.
Read the privacy policy

06Coming next

What we're building. Labelled as such.

None of this is in the app yet. We'll only call it shipped when it ships.

  • Pro · in development

    Zelicra Stream

    Cast a running VM to a TV or laptop on the same Wi-Fi network.

    USD 4.99one time, through Google Play. Unlocks Stream when it ships. Not on sale yet.
  • In development

    Android as a guest

    LineageOS 23 and Android 16 VMs, Android-x86 and GSI images, with real multi-touch.

  • In development

    GPU acceleration

    Hardware-assisted graphics for smoother guest desktops.

  • In development

    Audio

    Sound from the guest through your phone's speakers.

  • In development

    Clipboard sharing

    Share the clipboard between your phone and the guest.

  • Pricing

    Free, no ads

    The emulator is free with no ads and no account. Pro will be a single optional purchase.

07Questions

Quick answers.

Will it be as fast as a laptop?

No. Zelicra emulates a PC in software because Android does not let Play Store apps use hardware virtualization. Modern flagship phones run lightweight Linux desktops well; heavy desktops are slow.

Do I need to root my phone?

No. Zelicra is a normal app and needs no root.

Where do I get operating systems?

Download installer ISOs or disk images from each project's official website, then open them in Zelicra with Android's file picker. Zelicra does not include or sell operating systems.

Can I run Windows?

We haven't verified Windows. It is a heavy desktop, so expect it to be slow under emulation, and you are responsible for having a valid Windows licence.

When can I download it?

Zelicra PC Emulator is coming soon to Google Play. It will be free, with no ads and no account.

All questions and support

Zelicra PC Emulator

Your PC,
in your pocket.

Free, no ads, no account. Questions before launch? Email us.

Coming soon to Google Play. Not available to download yet.

hello@zelicra.com
The Zelicra welcome screen: Your PC, in your pocket.