Installation & Getting Started
Everything between installing PocketCode and having your first project running: what the app asks for on first launch, how it's laid out, and what you can run on the phone itself.
Requirements
| Android | 9.0 (Pie) or higher |
| Processor | 64-bit (arm64 or x86_64). Google Play doesn't offer the app on 32-bit phones. |
| Storage | More than a typical app: Node.js, a C compiler and the Python, Ruby and PHP interpreters ship inside it. The first time Node is used, about 140 MB more is extracted. |
| Connection | Needed to create your account and sign in, and for AI, remote Git, deploy and the Marketplace. Once signed in, the editor, local terminal and runtimes work offline. |
| App language | English, Español, Português and 中文 |
| Local PostgreSQL | 64-bit ARM processors only (not emulators or x86 Chromebooks) |
Installation
Not on Google Play yet
PocketCode is in the home stretch. Pre-register and we'll let you know the day it's published.
- 1Open Google Play on your Android device and search for PocketCode.
- 2Tap Install. It's a large download, so Wi-Fi is best.
- 3Open it from your app drawer.
Updates come through Google Play like any other app. Updating keeps your projects and settings.
First launch
The first time you open the app you go through these screens, in this order. Only the introduction can be skipped.
- 1
Introduction
Ten swipeable screens. The globe at the top right changes the language, and on the ninth you pick what you work on (web, mobile, backend, data, DevOps or student) and a theme: Dark, Light or System. You can tap Skip at any point: your theme is kept, but the profile isn't saved.
- 2
Age
You must be at least 13. Confirm with I am 13 or older.
- 3
Privacy
Three switches: Usage Analytics, Crash Reports and Performance Monitoring. They start on: turn off any you don't want and tap Save Choices. Nothing is sent before this screen, and you can change it later in Settings → Privacy.
- 4
Account
An account is required and free; there's no guest mode. There are three ways in (below).
- 5
Alias
If your account has no alias yet, the app suggests picking one. It's the name other users see, and you can leave it for later.
- 6
Two-step verification
Only if you've turned it on for your account: enter the code to continue.
- 7
Notifications and guided tour
On Android 13 or later, the system asks whether to allow notifications. Then a four-step tour shows you Home, the IDE, the AI chat and the bottom bar. It only appears once; the next section sums it up.
Ways to create your account
Email and password
Tap Sign up, enter your name, email and a password of 8+ characters with uppercase, lowercase and numbers, and tick I accept the terms and privacy policy. There's no email verification step.
One tap with the Google account on your phone.
GitHub
GitHub opens so you can authorize. It asks for access to your repositories (the repo scope) so you can clone and push later without any extra setup.
Remember me keeps you signed in when you close the app. If you forget your password, type your email and tap Forgot password? to get a reset link.
Finding your way around
PocketCode has no side menu and no bar listing every module. It has five main screens you swipe between, left and right, and a bottom bar with three buttons for everything else.
Swipe between the five screens
01
Home
Greeting, quick actions, recent projects and widgets
02
Projects
Your projects plus New, Import, Open Folder and Clone
03
Files
The open project's file explorer
04
Editor
Open file tabs, preview and Run
05
AI Chat
The assistant, already aware of your project
Bottom bar
The dots show which screen you're on (they aren't buttons). To their right are three buttons:
Tools
Opens a sheet with Terminal, Database, Designer, API Test, AI Office, Workflows and Backend.
Extensions
Opens the Marketplace.
Settings
Account, appearance, AI keys, integrations, editor, terminal, privacy… with a search box at the top.
- Going back: use Android's back gesture. It closes the open tool or takes you to the previous screen; the app has no back arrows.
- In landscape, the bar becomes a rail on the left with the same buttons.
- Your profile opens when you tap your avatar on Home. The button next to it, Configure widgets, sets which widgets you see, their order, and which quick actions appear (up to six).
- With a physical keyboard,
Ctrl+Shift+Popens the command palette to jump to any screen or tool. - If you reopen the app within 30 minutes, you're back on the screen you left.
Where is…?
| I want to… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Open the terminal, database, designer or API Tester | Tools |
| Deploy a project | Tools → Backend → Deploy |
| Add my OpenAI, Claude, Gemini… key | Settings → API Keys |
| Connect GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket or Vercel | Settings → Integrations → Connected Services |
| Install Go or Lua | Settings → Compilers and runtimes |
| See or manage Premium | Settings, banner at the top |
| Report a bug | Settings → About → Report a bug |
Your first project
The app comes with two sample projects already created. They're the quickest way to see how everything works before starting your own.
Try the samples
WebPortfolio
See a website on your phone
- 1Swipe from Home to Projects and tap WebPortfolio. It opens in Files.
- 2Tap
index.html. You land on the Editor screen. - 3Tap Open in browser. The site is served locally, inside the app, with no connection needed.
TaskCLI
Run code
- 1In Projects, tap TaskCLI, then
main.js. - 2Tap Open in editor to switch to the full-screen editor.
- 3Tap ▶ Run. A panel opens with the output; if the program asks for input, type it in the stdin field and tap Send.
Create your own
- 1In Projects, tap New.
- 2Type a name and choose a template. You can filter by General, Frontend, Backend, Fullstack or Languages.
- 3Tap Create. The template writes the starter files; it doesn't install dependencies or create a Git repository.
- 4To add files, tap + in Files. To rename or delete, use each row's options button; long-press to select several.
The 16 templates
| General | Empty |
| Frontend | HTML / CSS / JS · React · Vue.js · TypeScript |
| Backend | Python · Node.js (Express) · FastAPI · Django |
| Fullstack | React + Node.js · React + FastAPI · Next.js |
| Languages | Kotlin · Go · Rust |
What you can run on the phone
| Code | How |
|---|---|
| A website's HTML, CSS and JavaScript | Open in browser, with a local preview |
| JavaScript and TypeScript | ▶ Run, on the bundled Node.js (TypeScript without type checking) |
| Python, Ruby and PHP | ▶ Run, with interpreters bundled in the app |
| Java, Kotlin and C | ▶ Run, with bundled compilers |
| Shell, SQL, Markdown and JSON | ▶ Run or preview |
| Go and Lua | Install their runtime in Settings → Compilers and runtimes |
The button picks how to run from the file extension, and it's marked experimental for now. There's no npm, pip or package manager on the phone: the framework templates (Express, FastAPI, Django, Next.js, React with a backend) are for writing the code here, but installing dependencies and starting them needs a server over SSH or a deploy. Rust, C++, Dart and Swift get syntax highlighting but don't run on the device.
Other ways to start
Import
A ZIP picked with the system file picker, which also shows Google Drive.
Open Folder
Copies a folder from your phone into PocketCode (it doesn't link to it). If you already have a project with the same folder name, it gets replaced.
Clone
Pick a repository from your GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket account; if it isn't connected, the screen takes you to connect it. HTTPS only: SSH remotes aren't supported.
The editor saves on its own two seconds after you stop typing (configurable in Settings). Deleting a file is permanent: there's no trash.
Connect the AI
AI is on both plans with no PocketCode fee, because you bring your own key (BYOK): you pay your provider directly, with no middleman. PocketCode doesn't include credits.
- 1Swipe to AI Chat. Until a provider is set up you'll see No AI service configured.
- 2Tap Set up AI services; it opens API Keys in Settings.
- 3Add one: OpenAI (key or ChatGPT sign-in), Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, GitHub Copilot (GitHub sign-in) or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, such as OpenRouter or Ollama.
- 4Go back to the chat. It already takes the open project and file into account.
Don't lose your work
- Export: from the project card's menu, save a ZIP anywhere you like, including Google Drive.
- Git: Commit and Push to GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket from that same menu or from the editor.
- Cloud Sync (Premium): syncs settings, connections, API collections, workflows and AI chats across devices. Project code isn't synced.
Troubleshooting
I can't find the app on Google Play
Check that your phone runs Android 9 or later and has a 64-bit processor. Google Play doesn't show it on 32-bit phones.
“Connection error. Check your internet.” when signing in
Creating an account and signing in need a connection. Try another network, and if you use a VPN or an ad-blocking DNS, turn it off for a moment.
The ▶ Run button is disabled
There's no runtime on the device for that file extension. Check the table above; for Go or Lua, install it in Settings → Compilers and runtimes.
npm install or pip don't work in the terminal
The local terminal is a lightweight shell with no package manager. To install dependencies, connect to a server over SSH from the terminal itself.
A warning that there's no room for the Node environment
The first time Node is used, the app extracts about 140 MB. Free up some space and open it again.