LibreSprite on Android (and iPad, iPhone, Chromebook)

#The official APK, inspected

We downloaded the APK from the 1.2 release and read its manifest and signature:

That debug signature matters for two things. First, it is part of why Android treats the app as unknown. Second, Android only installs an update over an app signed with the same key. If a future APK is signed differently, you will have to uninstall the old one first. Back up your sprites before you do.

#Install the APK

1. Download it on the device

   Open the 1.2 release page in your phone’s browser and tap libresprite-development-android.apk under Assets. Download it only from there; the download page explains why.

2. Allow installs from your browser

   When you open the file, Android asks for permission to install unknown apps from this source (Chrome, Files…). Allow it for that app. You can switch it off again afterwards in Settings → Apps → Special app access → Install unknown apps.

3. Get past Play Protect, if it appears

   Google Play Protect may say the app is unsafe or was blocked. Someone reported exactly this upstream (issue #597, “Unsafe app blocked”). The APK targets a current Android version, so an old target is not the cause. The warning is typical for sideloaded, debug-signed apps Google has not seen before. If you trust the source and the hash matches, choose More details → Install anyway.

4. Open LibreSprite and grant storage access

   Allow file access when asked, so LibreSprite can open and save your sprites.

#We ran it: Android 14 tablet and Android 11 phone

We installed the APK in two official Android emulators (an Android 14 Pixel Tablet, 2560 × 1600, and an Android 11 Pixel 5 phone) and drove them by touch. It installed and started on both. These are emulators, not physical devices, so speed and stylus behaviour may differ on real hardware.

• It reports 1.2-dev. The home screen footer reads “LibreSprite 1.2-dev”. On the tablet, Android first shows its “Viewing full screen” notice.
• Menus work by tapping. Tapping File opens the menu and tapping an item runs it. Tapping the New File… link on the Home tab did nothing (three tries); File → New… works.
• Tap OK, not Enter. In the New Sprite dialog, the Enter key didn’t confirm; tapping OK did.
• Zoom in first. A new 32 × 32 sprite opens at 100 %, a tiny square in the middle of a tablet screen.
• Drawing works. A swipe across the canvas drew a 1-pixel Pencil line in the foreground colour.
• Share… is enabled in the File menu (on desktop it is greyed out), next to Save, Save As and Export.
• Save As opens LibreSprite’s own file dialog in a folder called files (the app’s private storage), and Android’s keyboard appears for the file name.

#What it is like on Android

The Android build is the desktop program running full-screen, with the same menus, timeline and dialogs. You get the full editor, but it is built for a mouse and keyboard, so the controls are small on a phone. It is far more usable on a tablet with a stylus, or with a mouse and keyboard connected. Problems reported upstream by Android users (from the issue tracker; our emulator runs did not cover these):

#Termux

Repology lists a libresprite package at version 1.3 in Termux, the Linux environment for Android. That is the regular Linux program: it needs an X11 display inside Termux (for example Termux:X11 or a VNC viewer) and some setup. It gives you a newer version than the APK, for people comfortable with a terminal. We did not test it.

#Chromebook

• Best option: the Linux version. Turn on the Linux development environment (Settings → About ChromeOS → Developers), then use the AppImage or Flatpak inside it. You get 1.3 with full mouse and keyboard support.
• Or the Android APK, if your Chromebook runs Android apps. It is the older 1.2 build, with the limitations above.
• School-managed Chromebooks often block both. Then the browser route is the only one: see LibreSprite online.

#iPad and iPhone

There is no LibreSprite for iPadOS or iOS, and no official plan for one in the repository. Apple only allows apps through the App Store (or approved alternative stores in some regions), and nobody has published LibreSprite there. Your options:

• Use a browser-based editor on the iPad: see LibreSprite online for what exists and what it can do.
• Use a native iPad pixel-art app, or use LibreSprite on a computer and sync files.
• Be wary of App Store listings that use the LibreSprite name or logo: they are not from the LibreSprite project.

#Is Aseprite on Android?

No. Aseprite only has Windows, macOS and Linux versions. LibreSprite’s APK is the closest official thing to an Aseprite-style editor on Android. How the two compare.

#FAQ

Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us: hello@libresprite.dev. We fix mistakes within a day.