Shizuku 13.6.0 for Android

Shizuku 13.6.0 is a small Android helper from RikkaApps, released on May 25, 2025. It gives compatible apps access to system functions that normally need root or a computer with ADB, without changing the system partition. You can download Shizuku for Android free from Google Play.

Quick facts

• Version: 13.6.0 (May 25, 2025)
• Developer: RikkaApps
• Platform: Android
• Licence: free
• Size: about 3.48 MB according to catalogue data
• Official source: Google Play

What Shizuku actually does

Some tasks on Android are reserved for the system or for commands sent from a computer through ADB: freezing preinstalled apps, changing hidden settings, granting special permissions, installing apps silently. Before Shizuku, apps that wanted to do such things either required root or asked you to connect the phone to a PC every time. Shizuku sits in the middle. You start it once with elevated rights, and it then acts as a gatekeeper: other apps that support Shizuku ask it for access, you approve each of them, and they can call system functions through it. Nothing on the system partition is modified, and after a reboot the service stops until you start it again. Shizuku does nothing useful on its own; it matters only if you use an app that was written to work with it, such as certain file managers, app managers, debloaters or automation tools. Their descriptions usually say clearly that Shizuku is required.

Guide: getting it running

1. Install Shizuku from Google Play.
2. Open it and pick a start method. On recent Android versions you can use wireless debugging directly on the phone; the app walks you through pairing.
3. Alternatively, connect the phone to a computer and start it with the ADB command shown in the app, or use root if the device is already rooted.
4. Open the app that needs Shizuku and approve its access request.
5. After a restart, open Shizuku and start it again.

Security notes

Shizuku hands out powerful rights, so treat each access request seriously. Approve only apps you trust and remove access for apps you stopped using. Developer options and wireless debugging should be switched off when you do not need them. Install Shizuku only from Google Play; a tampered copy of a tool with this level of access would be a serious risk.

Pros and cons

• Pro: system-level features without rooting the phone.
• Pro: you approve access app by app.
• Pro: small, free and does not modify the system.
• Con: must be restarted after every reboot.
• Con: useful only together with apps that support it.

Alternatives

There is no direct replacement in our listings. Related tools include Activity Launcher for opening hidden screens of installed apps and Root Checker for testing whether a device already has root access.