In middle school, I made a little games website for the people in my school, but it became surprisingly popular. Students would ask me to add mobile apps, and I remember searching how to run APKs online and not finding what I wanted.
I’ve always liked the idea that if software ran on one machine at some point, it should also run on another.
Apple dropped support for 32-bit apps many years ago, leaving tons of nostalgic games unplayable on modern iPhones. Some newer Android phones also no longer support 32-bit apps, meaning having an APK for an app is not enough to play it again.
I knew about projects like Wine and Ruffle that had made software run in a way it was never designed to, and one day I just decided to start my own engine!
Phoam runs supported Android APKs and early iOS IPAs in the browser. The apps’ original code runs locally on your device, so it isn’t streaming from another phone or computer. On an iPhone, you can add them to your home screen.
It’s still very early, and compatibility varies. The public demos are Replica Island and Explora-Ball, which I can legally share. You can try them at https://phoam.app/demos without an account. Uploading your own apps isn’t public yet, and using your own files would require the necessary rights.
Also worth saying, AI has helped a lot with the coding, but I’ve been directing the project and testing the results.
Which old Android or iOS game would you most want to play again?