Can I mine Monero on a Raspberry Pi Zero or an old Android board?

You generally cannot mine Monero usefully on an original Raspberry Pi Zero, and an old Android board is only worth considering as a learning project. A Pi Zero 2 W or a suitable 64-bit Android board may run compatible mining software, but memory limits, slow processing, and heat make meaningful earnings very unlikely.

Which board you have matters

“Pi Zero” covers two very different types of hardware:

• Original Pi Zero and Zero W: These have a single-core, 32-bit ARM processor and 512 MB of memory. Common Monero mining software does not support this old processor well. Treat them as unsuitable rather than expecting a straightforward installation.
• Pi Zero 2 W: This has a newer processor that supports 64-bit software, but still only 512 MB of memory. It is a better experiment board, not a practical Monero miner.
• Old Android boards: These vary widely. You need to check the processor, available memory, and operating system—not just whether the board can run Android.

A processor that supports 64-bit instructions does not guarantee that the installed Android system is 64-bit. Your mining program must support both the processor and the operating system.

Why Monero is such a difficult fit

Monero uses RandomX, the calculation method miners perform to help secure its network. It favors CPUs—the main processors in computers—but that does not mean every CPU handles it well.

RandomX has substantial memory requirements:

• Fast mode uses a 2,080 MB dataset, a large working collection of data, plus additional memory.
• Light mode uses a 256 MB cache, a smaller collection of working data, but runs much more slowly.
• For good performance, each mining thread—one worker running calculations—benefits from about 2 MB of L3 cache, a fast memory area built into many larger processors.

Neither Pi Zero model has enough memory for fast mode. Light mode may fit in principle, but the operating system and mining software also need memory. On a 512 MB board, especially with a browser open, the margin is tight.

An Android board advertised with 2 GB of memory is also too small for fast mode. More memory helps, but a weak processor remains a serious limit.

A browser does not remove these limits

Opening a mining website cannot give your board more memory or a faster processor. Browser restrictions and extra software overhead can make an already difficult task harder.

Also, a website showing a growing XMR balance does not prove your board is directly mining Monero. Some services perform other work and pay rewards in XMR. Check what actually runs, the fees, and the minimum payout.

Be wary of guaranteed earnings, apps requesting unrelated permissions, or demands for a deposit to unlock withdrawals.

If you want a small learning project

Only experiment on hardware you own or have permission to use. Choose maintained software with explicit support for your board, and start with one mining thread.

Watch temperature and stability. Small boards can slow down when hot, and old Android batteries can be unsafe if swollen or damaged. Never use a damaged battery.

Check a live mining calculator using your measured speed and electricity cost. A pool—a service combining miners’ work—may offer steadier rewards, but your balance could remain below its payout threshold for a very long time.

The bottom line

Skip the original Pi Zero for Monero mining. A Zero 2 W or compatible Android board can teach you about mining, but an existing 64-bit laptop or desktop is usually a much better starting point.