Rufid icon

Rufid

Rufid contributors
System
Version
0.2.1
Size
6.8 MB
Requires
Android API 24+
3.9 / 5 · 6,923 ratings 13 downloads

Updated Sep 22, 2026

Quick answer

Write and recover bootable USB media

F-Droid repository metadata

Rufid turns an Android phone into a practical USB boot-media tool.

It writes local ISO/IMG files to attached USB mass-storage devices, streams direct image URLs, creates a small FreeDOS drive, verifies written media, inspects boot records, runs read benchmarks, backs up a USB device to an Android document, extracts ZIP files, and recovers used boot media back into a normal FAT32 or exFAT drive.

Windows installer ISOs can be written as a FAT32 UEFI layout, with install.wim split when it exceeds the FAT32 file-size limit, or as an NTFS data volume with an MBR or GPT UEFI:NTFS helper layout. These paths have been booted to the Windows Setup language screen in QEMU/OVMF. Physical USB controllers and PC firmware remain a separate compatibility test surface.

The main workflow is phone-first: select a USB device, inspect it, choose an ISO/IMG, URL, or FreeDOS source, review the plan, write, and verify. Direct URL mode includes quick access to official source pages for Windows, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Linux Mint, Arch Linux, and openSUSE; it does not bundle those operating system images.

Destructive USB actions are guarded by an explicit plan screen and confirmation. Rufid shows the selected USB device, size, and available hardware identifiers before write or recovery operations. It is designed for external USB mass-storage devices, not internal Android storage.

Rufid has no ad SDK, analytics SDK, billing SDK, Firebase dependency, cloud account system, or remote crash-reporting SDK. Error reports stay local on the device.

The F-Droid build path packages the boot payload set from auditable inputs. FreeDOS is assembled from source-built FreeDOS kernel, FreeCOM, SYS, and boot sector artifacts. UEFI:NTFS, wimlib, NTFS-3G tools, and 7-Zip-JBinding are staged from pinned upstream source paths, and the 7-Zip-JBinding Android build excludes RAR/unRAR native sources. No payload is extracted from an opaque third-party APK.

USB recovery is a metadata quick-wipe plus FAT32 or exFAT format flow. It is useful for returning a boot USB to normal storage use, but it is not secure erase and not a full-disk wipe.

Screenshots

Rufid screenshot 1
Rufid screenshot 2
Rufid screenshot 3
Rufid screenshot 4
Rufid screenshot 5
Rufid screenshot 6
Rufid screenshot 7

What’s new

Create Windows installer media as FAT32, NTFS MBR, or NTFS GPT.
Split install.wim over 4 GiB for FAT32 using source-built wimlib.
Add ISO9660/UDF extraction, path validation, progress, cancellation, and partial-failure cleanup.
Add source-built NTFS-3G and UEFI:NTFS layouts.
Harden USB BOT reset, halt clearing, CSW residue checks, and ambiguous-write handling.
Pin the 7-Zip-JBinding source build to the release Gradle toolchain.

Virtual QEMU/OVMF boot validation is complete. Physical USB and PC

How to install

  1. Download the APK from the button at the top of this page.
  2. Allow “Install unknown apps” for your browser or file manager only, not for every app.
  3. Open the downloaded file and confirm the installation.
  4. If installation fails with “App not installed,” remove an earlier build of the same app first. A signature conflict is the usual cause.

Data safety

  • Every file is checked against its published SHA-256 before it is listed.
  • Files are scanned for malware on every update.
  • The permissions each app requests are listed on its own page.
  • Read the full safety policy for how we test, flag, and delist files.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rufid?
Write and recover bootable USB media
Who develops Rufid?
Rufid is developed by Rufid contributors.
Which Android version does Rufid require?
Rufid requires Android API 24 or later.
What is the current version of Rufid?
The synchronized F-Droid version is 0.2.1.
Which license does Rufid use?
The signed F-Droid metadata lists GPL-3.0-or-later.
Where is the source code for Rufid?
https://github.com/GPLaider/rufid

Comments

Recent approved comments · sorted by newest

Verification code
Be specific and keep it about the app. No links. Comments are reviewed before publication. Device and Android details are recorded automatically. Privacy policy.

Loading recent comments...

View all comments