5 Quick Termux Projects You Can Do in Under 30 Minutes

If you like using Linux tools, Termux is a powerful app for Android. It turns your phone into a Linux terminal. You can run hundreds of Linux commands right on your device.

Termux is flexible. You can run servers, automate tasks, and more. You don’t need root access to use it. If you’re new, this guide will help you get started with five quick projects.

Each project takes less than 30 minutes. They teach you useful commands and give you something to show. You don’t have to be an expert just follow the steps.

Prerequisites

Before you jump into the projects, let’s make sure your Termux setup is ready. These are simple steps, but they’ll save you time and errors later.

1. Install Termux

First, download Termux from the official source:

• Termux.en (Recommended): https://termux.en.download.it/android
• Google Play (May be outdated): Only use if you can't access Termux.en.

2. Update Termux Packages

After installing Termux, open it and run the following commands to update everything:

pkg update && pkg upgrade

3. Enable Storage Access

To allow Termux to read and write files from your internal storage (like Downloads or Music), run:

termux-setup-storage

After you run this, you’ll see a pop-up asking for storage permission. Accept it. This will create a new folder at /data/data/com.termux/files/home/storage with symlinks to your device storage.

4. Install Basic Packages

These are common packages used across most Termux projects:

pkg install curl wget git nano

You might install more tools as we go, but these are a good start.

5. Basic Linux Knowledge

You don’t need to be a pro, but it helps to know a few basic commands like cd, ls, cp, mv, and how to run a shell script. If you don’t, don’t worry I’ll explain what each command does as we go.

Related Post: Things to Do After Installing Termux

With everything set up, you're ready to start the first project. Let’s get into it.

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Project #1: Check the Weather in Your Terminal

Let’s start with something simple but useful checking the weather right from Termux using just a single command. This is a great way to get familiar with curl and APIs without building a full app.

What You'll Need

• Internet connection
• curl (should already be installed if you followed the prerequisites)

Method 1: Use wttr.in (No API Key Needed)

This is the easiest method. Just run:

curl wttr.in

You’ll see a beautiful ASCII-based weather report for your current location. It shows the current temperature, wind, and forecast.

Customize the Output

To get weather for a specific location, just add it to the URL:

curl wttr.in/lilongwe

You can also shorten the output:

curl wttr.in/lilongwe?format=3

Example output: Lilongwe: 🌦 +18°C

Method 2: Use OpenWeatherMap API (Advanced)

If you want more control or to build your own weather script, you can use the OpenWeatherMap API. Here's how:

Step 1: Get Your API Key

Go to https://openweathermap.org/api and sign up for a free account. You’ll receive an API key via email.

Step 2: Run This Command

curl "https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=lilongwe&appid=YOUR_API_KEY&units=metric"

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key. You’ll get a JSON output with all the weather details.

Step 3: Format It with jq (Optional)

If the output is messy, install jq to clean it up:

pkg install jq

Now you can extract just the temperature and description:

curl -s "https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=lilongwe&appid=YOUR_API_KEY&units=metric" | jq '.main.temp, .weather[0].description'

Why This Is Useful

• You can check the weather faster than opening a browser
• Works even on low-end devices
• Great intro to using curl and working with APIs

Now that you know how to fetch live weather data, let’s move on to the next project building a portable port scanner using Termux!

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Project #2: Portable Port Scanner

Need to check which ports are open on a device or website? With Termux, you can turn your phone into a powerful port scanner using a tool called nmap. This is great for testing your own network security or learning about how devices communicate over the internet.

What You'll Need

• Internet or local network access
• nmap installed in Termux

Step 1: Install Nmap

Open Termux and run:

pkg install nmap

This will install the latest version of Nmap on your Android device.

Step 2: Run a Basic Scan

To scan a website or IP address for open ports, use:

nmap example.com

You can also scan a device on your local network (e.g., your router):

nmap 192.168.1.1

Step 3: Quick Scan with Fewer Ports

If you’re short on time, use the fast scan option:

nmap -F example.com

This scans the most common 100 ports instead of all 65,535.

Step 4: Use Verbose and Service Detection

Get more detailed output, like service versions:

nmap -sV -v example.com

This tells you not just that a port is open, but what kind of service is running on it (e.g., Apache, OpenSSH).

Step 5: Scan a Range of IPs

To scan multiple devices on your network:

nmap 192.168.1.1-254

This checks every IP address between 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.254 for open ports.

Why This Is Useful

• Helps identify open ports that could be vulnerable
• Great for ethical hacking practice or learning about networking
• Doesn’t require root access

Note: Only scan devices you own or have permission to test. Unauthorized scanning can be illegal.

That’s it! You’ve just turned your Android phone into a pocket-sized port scanner. Next, we’ll try something even more fun downloading YouTube audio directly from Termux.

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Project #3: YouTube‑to‑MP3 Downloader

Want to save audio from your favorite YouTube videos directly to your phone? With Termux, you can do this in just a few commands using yt-dlp a modern fork of youtube-dl that works great in Termux.

What You'll Need

• Stable internet connection
• Latest version of yt-dlp
• ffmpeg (used to convert video to audio)

Step 1: Install yt-dlp and ffmpeg

First, install both tools:

pkg install ffmpeg
pkg install python
pip install yt-dlp

yt-dlp is installed using Python’s pip package manager.

Step 2: Download YouTube Video as MP3

Once installed, run the command below. Replace the URL with the YouTube video you want to convert:

yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

This command tells yt-dlp to:

• -x → extract audio
• --audio-format mp3 → convert it to MP3 using ffmpeg

Step 3: Find Your MP3 File

The audio file will be saved in your current directory. To easily access it from your phone’s file manager, move it to shared storage like this:

mv filename.mp3 /sdcard/Music/

Or if Termux storage access is already set up:

mv filename.mp3 ~/storage/music/

Bonus: Download Entire Playlist

To download all audio from a playlist, just pass the playlist URL:

yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=YOUR_PLAYLIST_ID

Why This Is Useful

• Save lectures, podcasts, or songs offline
• No third-party apps or ads
• Works fast and gives you full control over format and quality

Nice work! You’ve just turned Termux into a powerful media grabber. Let’s keep going up next, we’ll add a fun touch with a Matrix-style terminal animation.

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Project #4: Live Matrix‑Style Terminal Animation

If you’ve ever wanted to recreate the “hacker screen” look from the Matrix movies, Termux has you covered. This fun little project uses a package called cmatrix to create a live green text rain effect in your terminal. It’s purely visual, but a great way to impress your friends or use as a screensaver.

What You'll Need

• Termux with internet access
• The cmatrix package

Step 1: Install cmatrix

Run the following command in Termux:

pkg install cmatrix

This will download and install the animation tool.

Step 2: Run the Matrix Effect

Just type:

cmatrix

You’ll see the iconic falling green characters instantly appear. To stop the animation, press Ctrl + C.

Step 3: Customize It

Slow it down:

cmatrix -s

Bold characters:

cmatrix -B

Red text instead of green:

cmatrix -C red

You can combine options too:

cmatrix -sB -C blue

Bonus: Set It as a Screensaver

You can create a shortcut or script to quickly run cmatrix. Example script:

echo "cmatrix -sB -C green" > ~/matrix.sh
chmod +x ~/matrix.sh

Now you can run ./matrix.sh anytime for a quick visual break.

Why This Is Fun

• No coding needed instant results
• Great way to learn about terminal commands
• Perfect for customizing your Termux look

Cool, right? Let’s move on to the final project creating a basic command-line to-do list that runs inside Termux.

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Project #5: Simple To‑Do List CLI App

Let’s finish this list with a small but useful project, building a to‑do list you can manage directly from Termux. You’ll learn how to write a simple shell script and interact with text files. This is perfect for tracking tasks, reminders, or project notes on the go.

What You'll Need

• Basic knowledge of shell commands
• nano or any text editor

Step 1: Create a Script File

Open Termux and create a new file:

nano todo.sh

Paste the following code:

#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash

TODO_FILE="$HOME/todo.txt"

function show_menu() {
  echo "1. View To-Do List"
  echo "2. Add Task"
  echo "3. Remove Task"
  echo "4. Exit"
}

function view_list() {
  if [ -f "$TODO_FILE" ]; then
    nl "$TODO_FILE"
  else
    echo "No to-do list found."
  fi
}

function add_task() {
  echo -n "Enter task: "
  read task
  echo "$task" >> "$TODO_FILE"
  echo "Task added."
}

function remove_task() {
  view_list
  echo -n "Enter task number to remove: "
  read num
  sed -i "${num}d" "$TODO_FILE"
  echo "Task removed."
}

while true; do
  echo
  show_menu
  echo -n "Choose an option: "
  read choice
  case $choice in
    1) view_list ;;
    2) add_task ;;
    3) remove_task ;;
    4) exit ;;
    *) echo "Invalid option." ;;
  esac
done

Step 2: Make It Executable

Save and exit (press Ctrl + X, then Y, then Enter), then run:

chmod +x todo.sh

Step 3: Run Your App

Start the to‑do list with:

./todo.sh

You’ll get a simple menu in the terminal to add, view, or remove tasks all stored in a plain text file.

Bonus Tip: Add an Alias

To make it easier to run anytime, add an alias to your Termux shell config:

echo 'alias todo="$HOME/todo.sh"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Now just type todo in Termux to open your to‑do list.

Why This Is Useful

• Practice scripting with real results
• No internet or app needed, pure CLI
• Customizable and lightweight

That’s the final project! You’ve now completed 5 hands-on Termux mini projects that are both fun and functional.

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Customization Tips

Now that you’ve completed five Termux projects, let’s take it a step further. You can improve your experience by customizing Termux to make it faster, cleaner, and more personal. Here are a few easy ways to do it:

1. Add Aliases for Shortcuts

Aliases save you time by shortening long commands. Add them to your .bashrc file:

echo 'alias ports="nmap -F"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'alias weather="curl wttr.in/lilongwe?format=3"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Now just type ports or weather and get instant results.

2. Customize the Extra Keys

To add function keys, arrows, or shortcuts to your Termux keyboard, edit this file:

nano ~/.termux/termux.properties

Example layout:

extra-keys = [['ESC','TAB','CTRL','ALT','LEFT','RIGHT','UP','DOWN']]

After editing, run:

termux-reload-settings

3. Make Your Terminal Look Cooler

• Install figlet for banners: pkg install figlet
• Try neofetch to display system info: pkg install neofetch
• Edit your ~/.bashrc to auto-show them when you launch Termux

echo "figlet Welcome" >> ~/.bashrc
echo "neofetch" >> ~/.bashrc

Every time you open Termux, you’ll see a custom welcome screen.

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Conclusion

Termux isn’t just a Linux terminal it’s a full toolbox right in your pocket. In this post, you built five real-world mini projects that taught you how to:

• Check the weather from your terminal
• Scan open ports like a pro
• Download YouTube audio straight to your phone
• Create a Matrix-style animation just for fun
• Build a simple to-do list app using shell scripting

All of this was done in under 30 minutes per project no root required, no extra app clutter.

These small wins are just the beginning. With Termux, you can go further: host servers, automate tasks, run Python apps, build security tools, and more. If you're enjoying these kinds of tutorials, check out more hands-on guides on my blog.

And if you found this useful, share it with others who want to learn Linux or ethical hacking from their phone.

Note: Some of the steps above might be tricky if you're just getting started with Termux. If you get stuck or need help, feel free to leave a comment I’m here to help!