How to Use Unity on Mobile Devices – Editor & Build with Docker and Remote Access

 

In recent years, more developers want to work with Unity on smartphones and tablets when away from their desktop. To achieve this, three main approaches are effective:

  1. Running Unity builds inside Docker or cloud CI/CD,

  2. Accessing the Unity Editor remotely from mobile devices,

  3. Triggering builds via mobile-accessible web interfaces.

Below are practical methods and real-world examples.

Unity Builds with Docker

Community-maintained Docker images allow Unity Editor and build automation to run in containers. The most widely used are the unityci/editor images provided by the GameCI project . These come with Git/LFS and build modules preinstalled. For example:

docker run -it --rm unityci/editor:2023.1.0f1-android-1.0.0 bash

Inside the container, you can invoke /opt/Unity/Editor/Unity to run builds or tests. Licensing (including Personal edition) is supported via CLI.
GameCI clearly states: “All Unity CI projects use game-ci/docker, published as unityci/editor on Docker Hub.” . These images are widely adopted in CI pipelines (GitHub Actions, CircleCI, GitLab CI).

  • Example: XR platform STYLY uses GitHub Actions to trigger Unity Build Automation (formerly Cloud Build) for each pull request .

  • Example: CircleCI and GameCI provide a Unity Orb that enables multi-platform builds (Android, iOS, WebGL) with minimal setup .

  • Example: Some teams extend GameCI images with custom Dockerfiles to add tools like Blender .

Remote Access from Mobile Devices

Unity Editor isn’t available natively on iOS/Android. Instead, developers use remote desktop or streaming solutions:

  • Screen mirroring / Remote desktop:

    • Sidecar (Mac+iPad), Duet Display – extend your desktop to a tablet .

    • Parsec – popular low-latency remote desktop, supports 4K60fps .

    • VNC/RDP – possible but usually too laggy for Unity Editor.

  • Cloud workstation:

    • Services like Vagon provide GPU cloud PCs running Unity, accessible in a tablet browser .

    • Performance depends on the VM and network. External keyboard, mouse, and stylus (Apple Pencil) improve usability .

  • Unity Render Streaming:

    • Unity’s WebRTC streaming lets you send gameplay/editor output to browsers and capture user input (touch, gamepad, keyboard) .

    • Useful for multi-user remote testing.

  • Unity Remote App:

    • Official app that mirrors the Game view and streams device input (touch, sensors) to the Editor .

    • Intended for quick testing, not full production (lower resolution, limited performance) .

Key note: Unity Editor’s UI is not mobile-friendly. Small touch targets make it hard to select objects . Use stylus and external input devices where possible .

Triggering Builds from Mobile

Most developers trigger builds indirectly, via CI/CD web interfaces accessible from mobile.

  • Unity Build Automation (Cloud Build): Commits or PRs can automatically launch builds . STYLY uses GitHub Actions to dynamically configure and trigger builds for each PR .

  • CI/CD Services: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and GitLab CI all have mobile-friendly dashboards. Developers can kick off or monitor builds from their phone.

  • Notifications: Mobile CI/CD apps or integrations (Slack, GitHub, email) notify you when builds finish.

Practical Tips for Mobile Use

  • Network quality: Fast, low-latency Wi-Fi (5GHz) or 5G is essential. Streaming Unity requires several Mbps to tens of Mbps .

  • UI scaling: Adjust DPI scaling on host OS, enlarge icons/windows in Unity for readability.

  • Input devices: Pair Bluetooth keyboard/mouse or stylus for fine control .

  • Processing location: Let cloud/host machines handle heavy builds and rendering. Use mobile devices as thin clients.

Real-World Success Stories

  • GameCI + CircleCI: Widely adopted; Docker images and Unity Orb streamline multiplatform CI builds .

  • Unity Cloud Build: Used commercially; PR-based automated builds (e.g., STYLY) .

  • Incredibuild: Speeds up IL2CPP and shader compilation by distributed builds, reducing build times up to 5× .

Summary

A practical mobile Unity workflow combines:

  • Dockerized Unity builds (GameCI, CI/CD pipelines),

  • Remote access solutions (Parsec, cloud PCs, Render Streaming),

  • Mobile build triggers (Cloud Build, GitHub Actions).

With careful attention to network quality, UI scaling, and external input devices, developers can realistically use Unity Editor and builds from mobile devices.

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