Android’s Linux Terminal app adds tabs so you can multitask more easily

The Linux Terminal app, which runs Linux apps in a virtual machine, now has tabs in Android 16 Beta 3

Mar 15, 2025 - 13:59

Android’s Linux Terminal app adds tabs so you can multitask more easily

Google has added a tabbed interface to the Terminal app in Android 16 Beta 3.
The Terminal app lets you run Linux apps in a virtual machine on your Android device.
Adding tabs makes it easier to multitask, as you can issue commands without having to wait for a process to complete.

With the most recent Pixel Drop, Google finally introduced the Linux Terminal app that we’ve been tracking since last year. For those who are unfamiliar, the Linux Terminal app lets you run a full instance of Debian in a virtual machine, giving you access to many Linux apps that aren’t available on Android. The March update is only the initial release of the Linux Terminal app, though, so it’s missing numerous features. Google is making it a priority to improve the Linux Terminal app, though, and in the latest Android beta release, the company has implemented a significant feature: tab support.

After installing the third beta of Android 16 that Google released earlier this week, we opened the Linux Terminal app and noticed that it now had a tabbed interface. The tabs in the Terminal app are similar to those in a web browser, with a title, a button to close them, and a button to open new ones. The tabs can neither be rearranged nor renamed currently, but this is functionality that Google could add in future updates. The application supports opening numerous tabs, as we were able to open 12 tabs without issue.