SciDAVis for Android: What You Need to Know

Why you won’t find SciDAVis on the Play Store

SciDAVis is a desktop application built with the Qt5 framework for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The project has never published an Android build, and there is no mobile development effort on the project’s roadmap that we are aware of. If you search Google for “SciDAVis APK” or “SciDAVis Android,” every result is a third-party repackaging.

Warning: fake “SciDAVis APK” files are dangerous

Unofficial APK sites routinely take the names of popular open-source programs and attach malware, adware, or spyware to them. A fake “SciDAVis APK” can:

• Steal credentials, contacts, or files from your phone.
• Subscribe you to premium SMS services or show aggressive ads.
• Even if harmless, it will not be the real SciDAVis — the desktop Qt interface has never been ported to touchscreens.

If you already installed one, uninstall it immediately, run a scan with your phone’s built-in security tool (Google Play Protect), and change any passwords you typed while it was installed.

How to do science plotting on a phone instead

You can’t run SciDAVis on Android, but you have solid alternatives for plotting on the go:

1. Web-based plotting tools. Open Plotly Chart Studio (or a similar browser-based chart maker) in your phone’s browser — free accounts cover basic 2D plots, and everything runs on the server, so no install is needed.
2. Remote desktop to your computer. Install a remote-desktop app (e.g., the open-source RustDesk or your OS’s built-in client) and control the desktop SciDAVis session from your phone or tablet. This gives you the real SciDAVis with all its features.
3. Python on mobile. Apps like Pydroid 3 let you run Python with matplotlib on Android for quick plots — a different workflow from SciDAVis, but genuinely useful for fieldwork.
4. Use the desktop version later. Save your data as CSV on your phone, then open it in SciDAVis on your computer — the Windows, Mac, and Linux builds import CSV files directly.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a SciDAVis APK on GitHub?
No. The upstream GitHub repository publishes source code only (latest tag: v2.9.2).

Will SciDAVis ever come to Android?
Not that we know of. Porting a Qt5 desktop app to Android touchscreens is a major undertaking, and the small volunteer team is focused on the desktop releases.

What about iOS?
The same applies — no iPhone/iPad version exists, and the same warnings about fake apps apply.