Here is the cold, hard truth about Android CPU mining: It is not profitable.
Let’s look at the numbers for a high-end Android phone (e.g., a flagship model with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2):
Before committing to a CPU miner, consider modern alternatives.
| Feature | CPU Miner (App) | Browser Miner (Web) | Cloud Mining (Contract) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Hardware needed | Your phone | Your phone | None (you pay them) | | Efficiency | High | Very Low (JavaScript is slow) | Unknown (often scams) | | Earnings | Micro-cents | Nano-cents | Negative (usually Ponzis) | | Risk | Battery wear, malware | CPU spikes, adware | Total loss of capital | | Verdict | Best for hobbyists | Avoid | Avoid 99% of them | Cpu Miner Android
Monero is the most popular choice for CPU mining on Android. Its algorithm, RandomX, is specifically designed to be CPU-friendly and resistant to ASIC mining.
Let’s walk through a real example using Termux and XMRig. Warning: This requires patience.
Requirements: Android 8.0+, 4GB RAM (6GB+ preferred), and a cooling fan (optional but recommended). Here is the cold, hard truth about Android
Step 1: Install Termux Download Termux from F-Droid (not the deprecated Play Store version). Grant storage permissions.
Step 2: Install Dependencies
pkg update && pkg upgrade
pkg install git cmake libuv openssl micro binutils build-essential
Step 3: Clone and Build XMRig
git clone https://github.com/xmrig/xmrig.git
cd xmrig
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
make -j$(nproc)
Step 4: Configure the Miner
Create a config.json or use command line:
./xmrig -o pool.supportxmr.com:3333 -u YOUR_MONERO_WALLET -k --tls -p x
Note: Use -t 4 to limit to 4 CPU threads (prevents system freeze).
Step 5: Monitor You should see a hashrate between 50 H/s (old phone) and 1,500 H/s (flagship Snapdragon). Step 3: Clone and Build XMRig git clone https://github