DriveDroid for PC
Reviewed by Apps Playground Editorial Team · Updated
What's New
| Version | 0.10.50 |
| Size | 4.7 MB |
| What's New | * Upgrade target to Android 9* Upgrade several inner dependencies* Fixed several crashes |
Need to boot a computer from a Linux ISO stored on your phone, or test a rescue system without burning DVDs? DriveDroid transforms your Android device into a virtual USB or CD drive, letting you provision operating systems directly from your phone to any PC. Running DriveDroid on PC pairs your phone's stored images with your computer's boot sequence, eliminating the manual hassle of creating separate bootable media for each system you want to try.
DriveDroid bridges your phone's storage and your PC's startup process. Instead of juggling USB drives or optical discs, you keep ISO and IMG files on your Android device and emulate them as bootable drives when you need them. This workflow suits anyone testing Linux distributions, maintaining rescue tools, or switching between operating systems without physical media clutter.
How DriveDroid Works with Your PC
The app emulates your phone as a USB drive or CD-ROM drive connected to your PC. When you plug your phone in and launch DriveDroid, you select an ISO or IMG file from your storage, and your computer sees it as if you'd connected a physical bootable drive. Your PC can then boot directly from that image. Most modern Linux distributions support USB boot, though some older or specialized ISOs require CD-ROM emulation or additional conversion steps. The flexibility to switch between images without swapping hardware makes DriveDroid for Windows PC especially useful when managing multiple system configurations on a single machine.
Setting Up Your Boot Images
DriveDroid includes a built-in download menu offering around 35 ready-to-use operating system images, including Mint, Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE, and Arch Linux. You can download these directly to your phone and have them ready without hunting across the internet. The app also supports creating blank USB images, giving you the ability to prepare empty drives that your desktop can populate with files or tools using standard PC utilities. The paid version adds the option to resize images and configure custom download repositories, useful for organizations sharing internal or licensed operating systems.
Core Workflow During a Session
A typical session unfolds like this:
- Connect your phone to your PC via USB and open DriveDroid.
- Choose an ISO or IMG file from your phone's storage or download a new one from the app's menu.
- Select whether to emulate a USB drive or CD-ROM drive based on your boot needs.
- Restart your PC and enter the boot menu to select your phone as the boot device.
- Your computer boots from the image stored on your phone as if it were permanent media.
- Disconnect and switch images without physical media changes between sessions.
Why Desktop Integration Matters
Running DriveDroid for computer means your phone becomes a portable toolkit that sits beside your keyboard during troubleshooting or system exploration. You avoid the workflow friction of burning new DVDs, hunting for USB drives, or managing a pile of bootable media scattered across your desk. Remote access for files between your phone and PC also simplifies keeping image libraries synchronized. The app keeps your boot tools always at hand, whether you're testing a new Linux variant, recovering a crashed system, or supporting multiple machines from a single image collection.
Important Compatibility Notes
DriveDroid requires root access on your Android device, and kernel support varies by phone model. Devices running Android 9 and earlier tend to work reliably, but newer versions like Android 13 have introduced stronger security and encryption that can prevent the app from functioning without kernel patches or workarounds. Your specific phone's kernel determines whether USB emulation, CD-ROM emulation, or both are available. Before committing to this approach, verify that your phone model and Android version support the kernel-level features DriveDroid depends on.
How to Download and Install DriveDroid for PC or MAC:
Select an Android emulator: There are many free and paid Android emulators available for PC and MAC, few of the popular ones are Bluestacks, Andy OS, Nox, MeMu and there are more you can find from Google.
Compatibility: Before downloading them take a look at the minimum system requirements to install the emulator on your PC.
For example, BlueStacks requires OS: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista SP2, Windows XP SP3 (32-bit only), Mac OS Sierra(10.12), High Sierra (10.13) and Mojave(10.14), 2-4GB of RAM, 4GB of disk space for storing Android apps/games, updated graphics drivers.
Finally, download and install the emulator which will work well with your PC's hardware/software.
- Open the emulator software from the start menu or desktop shortcut in your PC.
- Associate or set up your Google account with the emulator.
- You can either install the app from Google PlayStore inside the emulator or download DriveDroid APK file and open the APK file with the emulator or drag the file into the emulator window to install DriveDroid for PC.
You can follow above instructions to install DriveDroid for PC with any of the Android emulators available.
FAQ
Does DriveDroid work on all Android phones?
No. DriveDroid requires root access and depends on kernel features that vary by manufacturer and Android version. Phones running Android 9 or earlier generally work better than newer devices with enhanced security. Some users have found success on newer phones using custom kernel scripts, but there is no guarantee your device will support it out of the box.
Can I store multiple bootable images on my phone at once?
Yes, it runs multiple ISO and IMG files on your phone's storage. However, DriveDroid emulates only one image at a time during each boot session. You can switch between different images by disconnecting, selecting a new file, and reconnecting before the next reboot.
What's the difference between USB and CD-ROM emulation?
Most modern Linux distributions boot from USB emulation. Some older ISOs or specialized systems only boot from CD-ROM emulation. Your phone's kernel determines which modes are available. DriveDroid lets you choose the appropriate mode for each image.
Do I need the paid version to use DriveDroid on PC?
No. The free version enables you to download system images and emulate ISO and IMG files as bootable drives. The paid version adds image resizing and custom repository support, mainly useful for businesses managing internal image libraries.
Can I write files to a blank USB image created by DriveDroid?
Yes. When you create a blank USB image, your PC can mount it as a drive and store files or tools on it using standard desktop utilities. You can then use those files when booting from the image or transfer them to another system.
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