🌀 Installing Arch Linux with Hyprland on Mobile: Full Guide

1. ⚙️ Is It Feasible?

Hyprland is a Wayland tiling compositor built for keyboard workflows, not optimized for touch interfaces on phones. Most users suggest better candidates like Phosh or GNOME on a phone.

You need a supported device (ARM/ARM64) and bootloader unlock/root: most mainstream phones lack full support.

Consider postmarketOS, which is built for phones and supports touch Wayland environments and Docker containers for Android apps.

If you are set on Hyprland, this approach can work academically or on a tablet.

2. Preparing Your Device

Use a supported phone or tablet (e.g. PinePhone with archlinuxarm/PostmarketOS)
Unlock bootloader, flash custom recovery (TWRP) or gain root for chroot
Recommended base: Arch Linux ARM or termux‑based Arch in PRoot for non‑root setups

Backup all data before proceeding.

3. Installation Options

A. No‑Root via Termux + PROOT‑DISTRO (Arch in a container)

Install Termux (F‑Droid).

In Termux:

pkg install proot-distro wget
proot-distro install archlinux
proot-distro login archlinux

Use package manager within:

sudo pacman -Syu
sudo pacman -S hyprland waybar wofi kitty hyprlock hyprpaper dunst xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland

Launch Hyprland with Hyprland in session.

B. Rooted Device with Full Arch Linux ARM or postmarketOS

Flash Arch ARM image or PostmarketOS.

Boot into system, get terminal.

Install packages:

sudo pacman -Syu
sudo pacman -S hyprland waybar wofi kitty dunst hyprpaper hyprlock xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland

Use systemctl enable hyprland or .xinitrc to start session.

4. Core Packages & Ecosystem Tools

Install key components in Hyprland ecosystem:

hyprland, waybar, wofi (launcher), kitty or alacritty, dunst for notifications

Utilities: hyprpaper, hyprlock (lock screen), xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland.

You may use ML4W starter scripts for automatic setup:

git clone https://gitlab.com/stephan-raabe/hyprland-starter.git
cd hyprland-starter
./install.sh

This installs a modern base desktop, including Waybar, launcher, file manager, lock screen, wallpaper tool, etc.

5. Hyprland Configuration Essentials

Configuration files located in ~/.config/hypr/.

Example keybindings:

bindsym SUPER+ENTER exec kitty
bindsym SUPER+D exec wofi

Setup dynamic tiling, workspace rules, autostart services.

Customize theme (dracula GTK), blur effects, gaps, border colors, SSD hotkeys.

Use hyprlock to lock screen, hyprpaper for wallpapers, hyprshot for screenshots.

6. Touch & Usability Considerations

Hyprland does not support touch input or on-screen keyboard optimally; you may need an external keyboard or stylus.

Projects like SXMO (Sway-based) or GNOME/Phosh offer far better touch usability on phones.

Android apps integration: use Waydroid container under Linux to run Android APKs, though compatibility may be limited.

7. Performance & Limitations

Expect performance to be slow on ARM mobile devices, especially with Hyprland animations.

Some hardware drivers (e.g. GPU, touchscreen, modem) may lack proper support or require manual kernel tweaks.

No official GPU support for NVIDIA ARM; avoid risking unstable drivers.

✅ TL;DR & Summary Table

Setup Method	Root Required?	Touch Usability	GUI Support	Best Use Case
Termux + PROOT	❌ No	Poor	✅ Yes	Experimental container
Full Arch ARM / pmOS	✅ Yes	Limited	✅ Yes	ARM-native, keyboard use
SXMO / GNOME/Phosh	Depends	✅ Good	✅ Yes	Usable Linux phone UI

Caution & Final Thoughts

Installing Arch ARM or postmarketOS on mobile is still a high-risk experimental procedure.

Most users should use Phosh, GNOME or Sxmo for mobile Linux or rely on Android with containerized Linux.

Hyprland may work in a tablet/ARM Linux context—but not recommended for typical phone use.