Updates·September 16, 2026, 04:43

Free tool lets AI control an Android phone with plain-language sentences

AI-generated from the sources listed, with automated source checks.

Google has released ARTEMIS as open source. The program can perform taps, swipes and typing on an Android phone based on plain-language instructions. The high benchmark score is Google's own.

ARTEMIS is a tool developed by Google that translates natural-language instructions into actions on an Android phone or an emulator, meaning a virtual phone on a computer. These can include taps, swipes and typing. The code is open and available on GitHub under the Apache License 2.0.

Via Model Context Protocol (MCP), a common standard for connecting AI assistants to other tools, ARTEMIS can be used with development tools such as Antigravity, Claude Code and Windsurf.

Two profiles: fast or thorough

According to OrcaRouter, ARTEMIS has two profiles. Flash takes 3-5 seconds per step and works in a simple loop with no planning or safety checks. Pro takes 15-40 seconds per step and uses several cooperating agents with a planner, multiple levels of verification and checkpoints.

When an on-screen element has an accessibility index, ARTEMIS uses it. Otherwise, it falls back to coordinates and visual recognition. The program checks the target before taking actions and sends blocked commands back to whoever is controlling it.

The figure is Google's own

The project states that more than 99% of tasks are completed on Google's AndroidWorld benchmark, a test with more than 100 multistep tasks across more than 20 apps. OrcaRouter cites 99.1% on 116 tasks. That is the project's own tally, and according to OrcaRouter, the AndroidWorld leaderboard does not independently verify the results that are submitted. Agentpedia's guide therefore recommends treating the figure as indicative until others have verified it.

Requirements and limitations

It requires Python 3.12 or later and an Android device with USB debugging enabled, or an emulator. ADB, scrcpy and FFmpeg are installed automatically at startup. According to Agentpedia, there is no option for cloud-based devices, the project is early-stage, and APIs may change.

Dispute over attribution

The repository's third-party code includes parts of the mobile-use project from Minitap, Inc., which is also under Apache 2.0. According to OrcaRouter, Minitap has claimed that 228 of 229 files match its project, and Google is said to have corrected the attribution in a commit on September 12. Both licenses permit derivative works as long as the notices are preserved.

The release date is unclear. OrcaRouter says August 2026 and mentions Google's Pixel Test Engineering Fusion team, while Agentpedia says September 2026.