Google is building upon the features of the Linux Terminal app for Android with the newly released beta update, allowing you to change the display resolution of the graphical user interface. Moreover, you now have a ‘Theme’ section in the settings, which allows you to import themes for the Terminal.
The latest Android 17 QPR1 Beta 1 update brought these features to the Terminal app, as spotted by Android Authority. The option to tweak the display resolution of the application’s graphical user interface allows users to find the balance between performance and quality.
The new feature itself states in the settings that keeping the display resolution on ‘Full’ might degrade performance, while choosing ‘Quarter’ might bring down quality. There’s a recommended third option at ‘Half’, which will try to find a balance between performance and quality.
You can find the new display resolution section in Settings > Advanced. There’s also an option now to go full-screen, as you can simply choose the full-screen icon from the bottom-right corner of the app.
This follows up on Android’s very first Canary update, which introduced graphical Linux apps in the Linux terminal.
Themes now available in the Android Linux Terminal app
Use standard presets or download your own themes
This new beta update also added a new ‘Theme’ section for the Terminal, creating scope for customization within the app. While there’s a standard and default theme available for the light mode, there are a couple of preset options added for the dark mode. You can pick ‘Standard Dark’, ‘Solarized Dark’, or a ‘Dracula’ dark theme.
As Android Authority reports, you can also download more themes. There’s an option that says ‘Download more themes’ and it urges users to download them in the Alacritty format. If you tap on that option, you’ll be redirected to the terminalcolors website, where you can browse and explore different themes.
Google’s progress so far in developing and improving the native Linux Terminal has been steady and positive. However, it’s only accessible to those who’ve signed up for beta and have a Pixel device. For those looking to run Linux environment apps on their phone, the best current public alternative out there is Termux, which offers a handful of practical uses.
