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Idan AI docs.

A simple guide to your Android phone assistant: what it can do, how to set it up, how it stays safe, and what's coming next.

Overview

Idan AI is a two-part personal assistant for Android. A lightweight companion app pairs with an execution engine that runs inside Termux on the same phone. The app handles onboarding, pairing, status, and logs. The engine handles everything else — mail, search, automation, AI orchestration, and Google Workspace.

All execution is local. The engine listens at 127.0.0.1:3788 and only accepts allowlisted commands from the companion app. Nothing leaves your phone unless you explicitly connect an account.

Capabilities

All of these are handled by the Termux engine, not the Android app:

  • Gmail — read threads, draft replies, send, and watch for new mail via the engine.
  • Google Docs, Sheets & Forms — create, update, and query documents from the engine.
  • WhatsApp — intent-based actions from the app; automation and message handling in the engine.
  • YouTube — open intents from the app; background watch history or playlist logic in the engine.
  • Search & scrape — local index runner and web scrape workers inside the engine.
  • Memory & planning — persistent state stored engine-side, summaries surfaced in the app.
  • Reminders & recurring tasks — engine-side job scheduler, no exact-alarm permissions required.
  • App navigation — safe UI routing within the companion app.
  • Health & logs — the engine reports its status; the app displays it in a read-only dashboard.

Setup

Requirements

  • An Android phone.
  • Termux from F-Droid (not Google Play).
  • Termux:API companion app — same source as Termux.
  • The Idan companion app (APK).

Install Flow

  1. Install Termux and Termux:API from F-Droid.
  2. Install the Idan APK on your phone.
  3. On first launch, tap Set up engine — the app shows a one-time pairing token.
  4. In Termux, run the one-command installer:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tobeski03/idan-engine/main/engine/install-termux.sh | bash

The script installs dependencies, clones the engine repo, generates a pairing token, and registers the engine as an auto-restart service.

  1. Enter the pairing token shown in Termux into the app.
  2. The app polls until the engine is online — the dashboard unlocks automatically.

Get the App

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Updating the Engine

Run this in Termux at any time to pull the latest engine and restart:

bash ~/idan-engine/update.sh

Example Requests

  • "Reply to the latest WhatsApp notification saying I am busy."
  • "Reply to the latest email from John."
  • "Auto-reply to incoming emails today while I'm in meetings."
  • "Schedule a reminder to email Sarah tomorrow morning."
  • "Is Kunle in my contacts?"
  • "Did I miss any calls?"
  • "Open Wi-Fi settings."
  • "Check my battery and storage."
  • "Remind me to call Mum at 6:30pm."

Architecture

Idan is split into two layers that communicate over local HTTP:

Android App (APK)

  • Onboarding and first-run setup wizard.
  • Engine pairing via one-time token.
  • Status dashboard showing engine health, logs, and active jobs.
  • Update prompts when a new engine version is available.
  • Read-only view of reminders, plans, and connector status.

Termux Engine

  • Node.js HTTP server at 127.0.0.1:3788 — local only.
  • Automation execution and script runner.
  • Mail, search, and scrape workers.
  • Google Workspace connectors (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Forms).
  • WhatsApp and YouTube adapters.
  • AI orchestration and memory/state persistence.
  • Job queue: reminders, recurring tasks, planned actions.
  • Auto-restart via termux-services on crash or phone restart.

Bridge

  • Local IPC only — no public network exposure by default.
  • Allowlisted commands — the app cannot send arbitrary shell input to the engine.
  • Per-install shared secret — pairing token generated fresh on every install.
  • Versioned JSON payloads between app and engine.

Safety and Autonomy

The public APK requests no sensitive Android permissions — no microphone, no contacts, no call log, no notification listener, no accessibility service, no overlay. All privileged execution happens inside the Termux engine, on your own device, under your control.

The engine uses four autonomy levels to determine how much it acts on its own:

  • observe: Listens and keeps track of updates only.
  • suggest: Recommends actions without making any changes.
  • draft: Writes messages or plans actions for your approval first.
  • execute: Takes action automatically when you have pre-authorised it.

Sensitive actions — sending messages, modifying documents, or triggering automations — always require explicit user permission unless you have configured a rule to automate them.

Roadmap

  • Full Google account connector wiring — real OAuth integration for Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Forms.
  • On-device test pass and public APK release through the Play Store or a trusted alternative.
  • Advanced variant for power users — exposes the full engine command surface and connector diagnostics.
  • Richer dashboard — live job queue, connector status cards, and engine health history.
  • iPhone support, coming when Apple opens more assistant controls to third-party apps.