Here's how to install Android on your iPhone 2G

Last week, planetbeing claimed he'd ported Android to the iPhone. This week, Android A Lot says you can, too. If you've got an original iPhone 2G handy, there's now a 68-step guide that can walk you through the entire process. In a nutshell, you'll use iPhone Explorer to copy over the Android files, then turn your Mac or PC into an Ubuntu virtual machine to install the OpeniBoot software. When you're done, you'll probably have a dual-booting iPhone that can swap between iPhone OS and an experimental version of Android 1.6 at startup, but don't quote us on that -- we haven't had a chance to test the unholy matrimony for ourselves. We're going to try to give this a shot next week, and we'll report back from the other side... if there is another side. Blurry video walkthrough after the break, useful step-by-step text at our source link.

[Hef Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:22PM]

i would buy an iphone in seconds if i could run android on it.
that's pretty much the only way you could get me to buy an apple phone.

[iHakr Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:23PM]

dang, I have an iPhone 2g laying around, but it is missing a screen. Dang you glue on digitizer to lcd!

[DBG Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:26PM]

No matter how cool a song you think you have, don't overlay it over a howto vid. Best would be talking people through it. Don't want people to hear your real voice? Stop being paranoid. Cannot speak English? Use subtitles/CC... if you can't translate, likely a friend can for you. Sorry to go on a rant but this rules need to be posted somewhere.

[TareG Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:29PM]

Would have been a LOT cooler with Android 2.1 and above.

[krisken Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:31PM]

The price of used 2G iPhones just went up $10. I wish I still had my 2G so I could try this out. ::crosses fingers for 3G/S port::

[Hovemond Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:32PM]

Hmm...
This is doubtful, but is there any way this can work on a first-generation iPod touch (sans phone features, of course)? I still have mine lying around and have always wanted to try Android...

[hitdog042 Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:38PM]

My friend did this and it works. However the wifi does not work on the android boot (but still does on the iPhone side). It's sort of stupid but fun to play with.

[coitis1 Posted Apr 26th 2010 10:13PM]

Ok, Skype on a hacked version of Android? I can't even get that shit on my AT&T Nexus One. What's going on here?

[Levi Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:45PM]

60 steps... I tried with the documentation, and it was way too cryptic for me... Let's hope these 60 steps are less cryptic, and I can get them finished before bedtime.. not likely >:0 Someone get to work on a packager!

[Levi Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:49AM]

@Levi
Yeah, so this didn't happen tonight. The first step is to jailbreak, which I haven't done in a long ass time. So I tried jailbreaking with Blackra1n. It took forever to get complete, because the download was missing a bunch of DLL's. Googled and installed the missing DLL's and ran the exe. Didn't work; Blackra1n wasn't on my iPhone when it rebooted automatically. So I threw in the SIM from my 3GS, thinking maybe that had something to do with it. Rebooted, ran Blackra1n again. Nothing. Finally realized this was a jailbreak for 3.0.1, and I had 3.1.3...

Gonna try again tomorrow. It's too late for this

[Axtell Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:49PM]

What's the point? No 3G, old hardware, etc. etc. Seems like an exercise in futility to me.

[HansImGlueck Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:04AM]

@Axtell Found anything yet that is not?

[josah Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:27AM]

@Axtell
Yes, and all those custom-built cases for old 8-bit consoles by hobbyists are stupid and pointless because they can't play Crysis. And why would anybody want dosbox when any of the GOOD games have already been imitated or ported into newer editions?

And what's up with that oldversions website, anyway? Why would anyone ever want to install NCSA Mosaic? It doesn't pass ACID3!

[Levi Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:46AM]

@Axtell
Actually, it's the first step in eventually getting a more complete version of Android to a more up-to-date iPhone. I'd keep my iPhone 3GS if I could dual boot Android 2.1 and it was working well. This is essentially a way to have Flash on the iPhone for me without having to buy a new phone (yet).

Of course, with 1.6 and only a handful of features working, it's good for a lot less, you are correct. But even then, it gives people like me a chance to play around with Android for more than the few minutes we get to play around with a friend's N1. When I'm thinking about dropping some cash on a new handset after Flash 10.1 comes out, this will give me a real taste of the operating system to make sure it's something I'd be willing to jump to.

So yea, there is plenty about this that is significant. Douche. XD

[lrgroots Posted Apr 25th 2010 10:51PM]

sooo does that mean it is possible for mms to work since its on a different OS? i have mms working on my 2g with at&t but it would stop working after a couple of days and i would have to swap sims with my tilt 2. can anyone confirm if mms works? if it does then im sold!!

[ckrames1234 Posted Apr 25th 2010 11:17PM]

Only newbs need highly developed guides

[ScifiSurfer Posted Apr 25th 2010 11:45PM]

Yo, Steve, wassup bee-otch!!!

[ScifiSurfer Posted Apr 25th 2010 11:48PM]

@ScifiSurfer I love it. Here's an iPhone which is not only...

NOT RUNNING iPhone OS, *and*
ROCKING Android 1.6...

But it's sporting Skype, too.

iPhone, PWN3D. Again. Suck it, Steve-o!

[ipwnyall Posted Apr 25th 2010 11:46PM]

Does this work on an iPod touch 2G? I'm getting sick of iPhone OS

[fuesse Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:24AM]

makes zero sense

[josah Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:29AM]

@fuesse I agree--pointless without Sense UI.

*badumbumbum*

[maythetechbewithyou Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:46AM]

@josah I have an Eris that I upgraded to 2.1 and there are many android apps better than sense.

[doc69 Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:41AM]

Now that's an iphone worth getting. Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To bad stevo didn't get it right like this the first time huh?!?!?!?!?!

[Johnny Rockets Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:45AM]

Why did they do this on the 2G instead of the 3GS?

What the h~ll?...

[Konkinator Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:53AM]

What? Turn my Mac or PC into a virtual Ubuntu system? Why not just use the install I'm writing this on right now!? :D

[mateo124 Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:55AM]

Cool, iPhone 3GS, 3G, and HD get 4.0, 2g gets Android. Its not that bad after all.

[iCello Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:16AM]

Why only the original? Is there some specific hardware thing that makes it easier to port or what?

[rasbill Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:45AM]

this worked on my iphone 2g, alot faster then i thought, havent gotten wifi to work though, and i have no phone service to test it with but it does indeed boot and junk

[millyman Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:54AM]

I like how steve jobs sed the hardware of older devices cant handle multitask.....can anyone say proswitcher..liar

[Recklesslife Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:59AM]

I would try this but can't till it's supported for the 3GS but great work to the guy behind this.

[gottabeKD Posted Apr 26th 2010 2:04AM]

cool! if only it worked on ipod touch 2g! it would probably perform better

[mole51 Posted Apr 26th 2010 3:43AM]

Why did this guy develop it for the 2G?? The majority of people own a 3G so surely it wld have made more sense to develop it for the 3G??

[Bockwurscht Posted Apr 26th 2010 5:08AM]

Love it!! Now let's get all those sensors working working with android :)

[redandwhite Posted Apr 26th 2010 5:59AM]

Does anyone know whether this could work on a first-gen iPod touch?

[lamester Posted Apr 26th 2010 7:12AM]

I would love to see an android device run iPhone OS

[Helblaze Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:38PM]

Now to wait for the iPhone 3G port.

[Helblaze Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:42PM]

Forgot to mention, if any of you read the planetbeing's blog he is porting it ti the 3g and 3gs.

[gadgets Posted Apr 26th 2010 4:17PM]

hahahah, Steve is on the floor right now

[trigonalmayhem Posted Apr 26th 2010 4:29PM]

Psh, tevs. I've been running android on my TOUCH PRO (the original, not even the 2) for a while now. Everything but the camera and GPS works, and in a lot of ways it's smoother and more stable than winmo. For a relatively old handset with not so great internals (by modern standards), it's been really a pleasurable experience. It gave my phone a whole new lease on life until I can afford a real android phone or until sprint brings one out that seems worthwhile (the EVO looks delicious, but I doubt I can afford it when it does drop).

Oh, ps, I'm also totally on an old SERO plan. $30/month for unlimited texts/internet and NOW I HAVE ANDROID. BUAH HA HA HA!

[trigonalmayhem Posted Apr 26th 2010 4:30PM]

@trigonalmayhem Oh yeah, and I'm running android 2.0.1
ha ha at your "1.6" port, iSuckers!

/troll

[klp45 Posted Apr 27th 2010 3:01PM]

I installed this on my OG iPhone. Speed is rather impressive - especially when browsing wifi. The directions are simple if you read them enough.
I actually installed Ubuntu 8.10 from DVD and then upgraded to 9.04 on my laptop (had a spare HDD laying around). I found that winscp via windows was causing linux not to load. So I used filezilla in ubuntu and everything booted. For some reason I have no speaker phone and no dtmf when in a call (makes voice-mail a nightmare). I'm loving the whole proof of concept. Now to work on getting everything to function. @Planetbeing - you did your thing on this - many thanks.

[bobthetechguy Posted Apr 29th 2010 1:08AM]

i have a feeling dual booting your phone will become as popular as dual booting your pc....

[Snaek Posted May 6th 2010 10:31AM]

So this doesn't work on the 3G? Because I'm interested, but EDGE speeds suck.

[buckforester Posted May 7th 2010 11:13PM]

Does anyone know how can I keep updated about developments with this? Anyone on Twitter? Facebook? Website? Anything?