Various software programs are available for users who want to run Android programs on their computers. Most of these programs, particularly those for Windows, are emulators. However, emulation is not the only way to run Android software. Waydroid offers a fresh approach to this task by using an unconventional technique. Waydroid runs an x86 Android on a Linux computer using the shared Linux kernel. This provides an incredibly smooth experience and a performance boost. To achieve this, Waydroid uses LXC containers.

Additionally, with a few easily installable patches, Waydroid can run ARM code; libhoudini and libndk are libraries that work with Android and convert ARM code into a format x86 processors can understand. They accomplish this using a technique called binary translation. This method requires significantly less processing power than fully emulating an ARM processor.

One of Waydroid’s most important features is its ability to run ARM code on x86 processors using these libraries. It is important to note, however, that libhoudini and libndk are closed-source and were used from 2021 to 2024 to enable Windows 11 to run Android programs on Windows PCs. During this period, Microsoft also partnered with the Amazon Android store to generate revenue. However, as this venture failed to achieve the expected success, Microsoft discontinued Android support on Windows in 2024.

Rather than taking a brute force approach, such as emulating all hardware, it is more complex and time-consuming to write a binary translation library. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft stopped developing these libraries when they failed to generate sufficient revenue. Microsoft chose to develop a binary translation library rather than an emulator because not all Windows computers have high processing power. When they stopped developing the binary translation library, however, they didn’t switch to emulation. They simply ended Android support on Windows 11.

libhoudini and libndk are no longer actively developed and are now obsolete. This will cause increasing compatibility issues in the future.

Waydroid uses container technology and binary translation libraries to perform the tasks of emulators, requiring significantly less processing power than traditional Android emulators. Waydroid excels at running x86 Android, which is its primary purpose. However, the binary translation libraries are becoming increasingly obsolete over time.