• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

You Can Run Android On Your iPhone—Kinda

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 8, 2016, 12:00 PM ET
Android Running On An iPhone
TenDigi

If you ever wanted to run Google’s Android platform on your iPhone, there’s a way. Kinda.

Nick Lee, partner and chief technology officer at Tendigi, a mobile design and engineering company, has developed a way to get Google’s (GOOGL) operating system running on Apple’s (AAPL) hardware. And it’s about as hard to achieve as you might think.

In a lengthy blog post, Lee outlined how he and his team were able to get Android running on the iPhone. The team relied heavily upon Android’s open-source backbone, allowing it to fiddle with the operating system, as well as a wide range of tools and services, that helped it create the experience.

On the hardware size, Lee and his team used an extremely small computer board that runs an octa-core ARM (ARMH) Cortex processor. On that computer-on-a-chip, Lee loaded a customized version of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. He then placed his tiny Android-based computer into an iPhone case and attached both a battery and a Lightning cable that would allow that computer to connect to Apple’s smartphone.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

From there, it was (somewhat) easy. Lee built a custom Tendigi app that could work with the custom computer he had just built, booted it up, and connected the board to the Lightning port in the iPhone. The custom Tendigi app automatically recognized the connection and he was able to run Android from within the app.

In a video, Lee is shown opening the Tendigi app and doing everything from flipping around apps to opening programs within Android. And he’s doing it all on the iPhone.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1ivaxlbpmw&w=560&h=315]

Tendigi’s “hack” is notable in light of Apple’s unflinching desire to keep its iPhones closed down to other operating systems. Indeed, the company has only offered iOS on its products and has never shown signs of letting up. Android-based devices, however, are most likely to run Google’s Android OS, but might also run third-party options.

Tendigi, which was previously able to get Windows running on an Apple Watch, has found a workaround to Apple’s constraints without forcing users to jailbreak their iPhones.

That said, there are some limitations to Tendigi’s creation. In reality, Android isn’t technically running on the iPhone. Instead, Android is running on a separate chip that sits behind the iPhone. Apple’s operating system is simply running an app that’s capable of displaying and running Android by connecting to the accessory.

For more on iPhone and Android, watch:

Still, running Android on an iPhone has long been something that some Apple customers have wanted. And now, Tendigi has shown it’s possible. So if you have the know-how and want to give it a go, see if you, too, can get Google’s operating system running on your iPhone.

“Finally, Android on the iPhone. You heard me,” Lee said in a blog post. “The holy war is over, brethren.”

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

zuckerberg on a screen in court
LawMeta
One in three teens ‘experienced problematic use’ of Meta platforms: closing arguments begin in landmark New Mexico social media trial
By The Associated Press and Morgan LeeMarch 23, 2026
9 hours ago
man on stage at conference
CryptoCryptocurrency
Strategy purchases another $76 million worth of Bitcoin, all through sales of common stock
By Carlos GarciaMarch 23, 2026
10 hours ago
woman in blue button down looking at a piece of paper
Future of WorkHiring
‘AI killed the cover letter.’ This Wharton economist says the hiring ritual’s days are numbered
By Catherina GioinoMarch 23, 2026
12 hours ago
Reddit cofounder and CEO Steve Huffman
SuccessJobs
Billionaire Reddit CEO Steve Huffman says his company will ‘go heavy’ on hiring graduates because ‘they’re so much more AI native’ than older peers
By Emma BurleighMarch 23, 2026
12 hours ago
CryptoVenture Capital
Exclusive: The CEOs of Kalshi and Polymarket are arch rivals—but are investing in the same $35 million prediction market VC fund
By Ben WeissMarch 23, 2026
13 hours ago
Will Wilson smiles
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Startup Antithesis turns years of real-world chaos into hours of simulated mayhem—and key trading firms and crypto networks are paying close attention
By Lily Mae LazarusMarch 23, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.