There are various software programs available for users who want to run Android programs on their computers. Most of these programs, especially those for Windows, are emulators. However, emulation is not the only way to run Android software. Waydroid offers a new approach to this task using an unusual technique. Waydroid runs x86 Android on a Linux computer using a shared Linux kernel. This provides an incredibly smooth experience and increased performance. 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 that 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. However, libhoudini and libndk are closed-source libraries and are licensed. Therefore, these libraries do not come with Waydroid, but are installed with an extra script independent of the project. libhoudini is developed by Intel. libndk is developed by Google. libhoudini is more optimized for Intel processors. libndk, on the other hand, was developed for purposes such as running Android applications on Chromebooks and is more general-purpose. The development of libhoudini and libndk is actively ongoing today.

The libhoudini used in Waydroid was taken from the Windows Subsystem for Android project. Microsoft used this project between 2021 and 2024 to support running Android applications on Windows. During those years, it also partnered with the Amazon Appstore. However, when the project failed to achieve the desired success, work was discontinued in 2024.

The libndk used in Waydroid is derived from Google’s guybrush firmware.

An Android emulator may be good for more technical tasks, such as running games, on powerful hardware. However, binary translation layers are better for running Android applications on x86 without using too much processing power.

Waydroid uses container technology and binary translation libraries to perform the tasks of emulators and requires significantly less processing power than traditional Android emulators.