# Termux 188 Hacker News commenters recommended Termux and 31 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 12 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 1 years (6 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** A free Android terminal that works like a small Linux system in your pocket, good for SSH, coding and command-line tools, though Android's sandbox and API restrictions limit it. ## Why people recommend it - Full Linux toolset on phone (8 comments): "To me it allows me to interface with my phone as if it was an actual computer and not just a locked down entertainment autoscroller." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46856123)) "If the server software you want to run is available in the Termux repos, you can use that and have it run at full-speed." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49261796)) "termux has enough features, especially after rooting, that you can probably run whatever you're shooting for" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46249582)) - Great for SSH and remote work (8 comments): "I use Termux a decent amount, whether it's just updating my todo list on my home server or actually programming on it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46525731)) "Termux has clouflared package which is the thing you need to set up a secure ssh tunnel through cloudflare" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47499052)) "Just figured out that I could use my computer's terminal to send to my android's clipboard via SSH." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46857262)) - Coding and notes on the go (5 comments): "I use Termux a decent amount, whether it's just updating my todo list on my home server or actually programming on it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46525731)) "its actually a lot easier to write code in termux compared to any of the other android IDE type apps" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46524180)) "Best part is, I can make "apps" on the fly that I can use from my phone with termux integration." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46812051)) - Runs servers on old phones (4 comments): "If the server software you want to run is available in the Termux repos, you can use that and have it run at full-speed." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49261796)) "I end up just opening a web server in termux on my phone and having the other side download from my hotspot every time" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47934628)) "I use it for lots of stuff, remote scanning from an old Canon flatbed scanner attached to my NAS" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46855961)) ## What people warn about - Limited by Android sandbox and APIs (7 comments): "It gives a Linux experience within the security sandbox from Android, which is why there are limitations when using it on regular devices" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49188100)) "Termux would definitely be the light weight option, but you will be pinned to whatever version of the kernel your device is shipped with" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46770165)) "Termux is currently grandfathered in because it's still built against the last API version not to have these restrictions" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46858613)) - Clunky for complex workflows (3 comments): "For running more complex Linux programs or scripts Termux is indeed less comfortable (but it can still work)." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46772573)) "Stitching those things together is (was?) more annoying on a Termux session with open software." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48519061)) "Termux and moshi provide the full functionality of the terminal but it gets clunky sometimes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49616430)) - Unreliable, can lose data (2 comments): "It is very unreliable though. I hope Android 17 improves it, as other than the restart issues, I've generally found it to be very functional." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46856763)) "if you upgrade Termux, or remove/reinstall, you lose everything inside that "linux" system" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46857718)) - Setup takes effort (2 comments): "you need to download and install Termux & Emacs from this project as per the instructions. It took me a while to get it working" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46057021)) "Is it really necessary to install two huge external dependencies for this, F-Droid and Termux?" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49055729)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Ghostty](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ghostty.md): 401 recommend - [iTerm2](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iterm2.md): 95 recommend - [Warp terminal](https://hackerapproved.com/p/warp-terminal.md): 84 recommend - [Kitty terminal emulator](https://hackerapproved.com/p/kitty.md): 79 recommend - [WezTerm](https://hackerapproved.com/p/wezterm.md): 59 recommend ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Termux", https://hackerapproved.com/p/termux/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).