How to Install OpenClaw on Android — Turn Your Phone Into a 24/7 AI Agent

What Is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework that lets you run a personal AI assistant directly on your Android phone — no PC needed, no cloud servers, no root access required.

Once installed, OpenClaw connects to major AI models (GPT, Claude, Gemini...) through OpenRouter, and you interact with your agent via Telegram — like chatting with a smart friend who's always available 24/7.

This guide walks you through the complete setup. Even if you've never sideloaded an APK or created a Telegram bot — just follow each step and you'll be done.

Device Requirements

Before starting, make sure your phone meets these specs:

💡 Tip: If your phone is running slow, clear unused apps or cache before installing. A factory reset is not necessary, but will help performance.

Pre-Installation Prep

1. Create an OpenRouter Account

OpenRouter is a proxy service that gives you one API key to access multiple AI models (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini...).

1. Go to openrouter.ai in your phone's browser
2. Sign up (free)
3. Go to Keys → create a new API key
4. Copy this API key — you'll need it during OpenClaw setup

⚠️ Important: Keep your API key private. Never share it publicly.

2. Create a Telegram Bot

1. Open Telegram on your phone
2. Search for @BotFather (Telegram's official bot-creation tool)
3. Send /newbot to BotFather
4. Name your bot (e.g., "My OpenClaw Agent")
5. Set a username (must end with bot, e.g., myopenclaw_bot)
6. BotFather will send you a Bot Token — copy this token

Part 1: Download and Install the APK

Step 1: Find the Official Repo

Open your browser and go to:

https://github.com/mithun50/openclaw-termux

✅ The official repo should have 800+ stars. If the star count is too low or the author is different, don't download — it may be a fake.

Step 2: Download the APK

On the GitHub page, go to Releases → find the APK matching your phone's chip:

• Most modern Android phones use arm64-v8a
• If unsure, download the universal version (larger file but compatible with all devices)

Step 3: Install the APK

1. Open the downloaded APK file (usually in your Downloads folder)
2. Android will show a warning: "Install from unknown sources not allowed"
3. Tap Settings → enable Allow from this source → go back and tap Install

⚠️ Security note: This warning is normal for APKs not from Google Play. Only install APKs from verified sources (the official GitHub repo).

Step 4: Wait for Installation

• Fast phone: 1-2 minutes
• Slower phone (4GB RAM): can take 5-10 minutes — be patient, don't turn off the screen

Step 5: Confirm

When you see the red OpenClaw icon on your home screen → APK installation complete! 🎉

Part 2: Onboarding and Configuration

Step 1: Open OpenClaw

Tap the red OpenClaw icon. First launch may take a moment to initialize the environment.

Step 2: Onboarding

When the app asks Yes/No → choose Yes to continue automatic setup.

Step 3: Select AI Provider

• Choose OpenRouter as your provider
• Paste the OpenRouter API key you created in the prep step

Step 4: Choose Mode

• Select Auto mode for the fastest setup
• (This mode automatically selects the best available model from OpenRouter)

Step 5: Configure Chat Channel

• Choose Telegram as your communication channel
• Paste the Bot Token (from BotFather) into the corresponding field

Step 6: Complete Remaining Steps

• Press Enter to continue through default configuration steps
• Wait until OpenClaw shows the Gateway section and automatically opens a browser

Part 3: Connect OpenClaw to Telegram

Step 1: Open Your Telegram Bot

In Telegram, find the bot you just created (e.g., @myopenclaw_bot).

Step 2: Send a First Message

Send any message to your bot, for example:

Hello there!

Step 3: Get the Pairing Code

The bot will respond and display a pairing code (a short alphanumeric string).

Step 4: Enter the Pairing Code

Go back to the browser (the Gateway page that opened automatically earlier), paste the pairing code into the connection field.

Step 5: Confirm

When the connection succeeds, you'll see a confirmation message. From this point on, you can chat with your AI agent via Telegram — ask anything, request code, analyze text, create content...

🎉 Done! Your OpenClaw agent is ready to work.

Common Issues and Tips

❓ Do I Need to Reinstall After Restarting My Phone?

No. After a restart, simply:

1. Open the OpenClaw app
2. Tap Start Gateway
3. Go back to Telegram and continue chatting — no reconfiguration needed

❓ Android Kills the App in Background?

Android aggressively kills background apps to save battery. To fix:

1. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization
2. Find OpenClaw → select Don't optimize
3. This allows OpenClaw to run continuously in the background

❓ API Key Ran Out of Credit?

If your bot stops responding, check your balance at openrouter.ai. Top up credits if needed.

❓ APK Flagged as "Harmful App"?

Google Play Protect may warn about sideloaded APKs. If you downloaded from the official mithun50/openclaw-termux GitHub repo, you can safely dismiss the warning and proceed.

Conclusion

OpenClaw turns your Android phone into a personal AI agent running 24/7 — no computer needed, no expensive cloud subscriptions.

Quick recap:

1. ✅ Create OpenRouter API key + Telegram Bot Token
2. ✅ Download APK from mithun50/openclaw-termux
3. ✅ Onboarding: select OpenRouter → paste API key → select Telegram → paste Bot Token
4. ✅ Message your bot → get pairing code → connect Gateway
5. ✅ Chat with your AI agent via Telegram!

Final tip: Keep your phone plugged in and disable battery optimization for OpenClaw. You'll have an AI assistant always ready — like a "junior developer" living in your pocket.