diff --git a/.github/workflows/android-test-apk.yml b/.github/workflows/android-test-apk.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c7064b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/android-test-apk.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+name: Android Test APK
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - ".github/workflows/android-test-apk.yml"
+      - "Cargo.lock"
+      - "Cargo.toml"
+      - "build.rs"
+      - "src/**"
+      - "tools/**"
+      - "ui/**"
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+env:
+  CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
+  ANDROID_BUILD_TOOLS_VERSION: "35.0.0"
+  ANDROID_NDK_VERSION: "27.0.12077973"
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    name: Build manual-test APK
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install Linux GUI dependencies
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install -y libfontconfig1-dev libxkbcommon-dev
+
+      - uses: android-actions/setup-android@v3
+
+      - name: Install Android SDK packages
+        run: |
+          sdkmanager \
+            "build-tools;${ANDROID_BUILD_TOOLS_VERSION}" \
+            "platforms;android-30" \
+            "platforms;android-35" \
+            "ndk;${ANDROID_NDK_VERSION}"
+          echo "ANDROID_NDK_HOME=${ANDROID_HOME}/ndk/${ANDROID_NDK_VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "ANDROID_NDK_ROOT=${ANDROID_HOME}/ndk/${ANDROID_NDK_VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+      - name: Install Rust Android target and cargo-apk
+        run: |
+          rustup target add aarch64-linux-android
+          cargo install cargo-apk --locked
+
+      - name: Build guarded runner
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p target
+          rustc tools/guarded-run.rs -O -o target/guarded-run
+
+      - name: Build APK
+        run: |
+          ./target/guarded-run --timeout-secs 1800 --heartbeat-secs 30 -- \
+            cargo apk build --features android-gui --target aarch64-linux-android --lib
+
+      - name: Verify manifest permissions
+        run: |
+          AAPT="${ANDROID_HOME}/build-tools/${ANDROID_BUILD_TOOLS_VERSION}/aapt"
+          APK="target/debug/apk/vimit.apk"
+          "$AAPT" dump permissions "$APK" | tee target/debug/apk/permissions.txt
+          grep -q "android.permission.INTERNET" target/debug/apk/permissions.txt
+          grep -q "android.permission.VIBRATE" target/debug/apk/permissions.txt
+          grep -q "android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS" target/debug/apk/permissions.txt
+          sha256sum "$APK" > target/debug/apk/vimit.apk.sha256
+
+      - name: Upload APK artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: vimit-android-test-apk
+          path: |
+            target/debug/apk/vimit.apk
+            target/debug/apk/vimit.apk.sha256
+            target/debug/apk/permissions.txt
+          if-no-files-found: error
diff --git a/docs/android.md b/docs/android.md
index 0ee7d37..12ba687 100644
--- a/docs/android.md
+++ b/docs/android.md
@@ -17,14 +17,13 @@ Slint supports Android through the `backend-android-activity-06` backend. The
 project now has a separate Cargo feature:
 
 ```bash
-cargo build --features android-gui --target aarch64-linux-android
+cargo apk build --features android-gui --target aarch64-linux-android --lib
 ```
 
-The local Windows environment has Rust Android targets installed, but does not
-currently have the Android SDK/NDK compiler tools, `cargo-apk`, `cargo-ndk`,
-`adb`, or Gradle. A target check reaches native dependency compilation and then
-fails because `aarch64-linux-android-clang` is missing, so APK validation must
-be done after installing Android SDK/NDK tooling.
+The local Windows environment has Android SDK/NDK tooling and `cargo-apk`
+available when `ANDROID_HOME` / `ANDROID_NDK_HOME` are configured. If the build
+fails before Rust compilation with missing `aarch64-linux-android-clang`,
+install the Android NDK and point `ANDROID_NDK_HOME` to it.
 
 ## Proposed architecture
 
@@ -54,6 +53,43 @@ to the user and compliant with Android background execution limits.
 4. Add notification/widget mode.
 5. Only then test optional native overlay permission flow.
 
+## Manual test APK
+
+Use the GitHub Actions workflow for a safe manual-test APK without creating a
+production release:
+
+1. Open GitHub Actions.
+2. Select `Android Test APK`.
+3. Click `Run workflow` on the branch you want to test.
+4. Download the `vimit-android-test-apk` artifact.
+5. Install `vimit.apk` on a device or emulator.
+
+The artifact also contains `permissions.txt`, produced from the APK manifest.
+It must include:
+
+- `android.permission.INTERNET`
+- `android.permission.VIBRATE`
+- `android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS`
+
+Local build and manifest verification:
+
+```bash
+rustup target add aarch64-linux-android
+cargo install cargo-apk --locked
+rustc tools/guarded-run.rs -O -o target/guarded-run
+./target/guarded-run --timeout-secs 1800 --heartbeat-secs 30 -- \
+  cargo apk build --features android-gui --target aarch64-linux-android --lib
+aapt dump permissions target/debug/apk/vimit.apk
+```
+
+`tools/guarded-run.rs` is a tiny Rust wrapper for long-running commands. It
+prints heartbeat messages and exits with code `124` if the command exceeds the
+timeout, which helps distinguish a real build hang from normal Android build
+work.
+
+This is intentionally not a GitHub Release. Release tags and production
+release assets stay under the existing release workflow.
+
 ## Agent burn alerts
 
 The Android build declares `INTERNET`, `VIBRATE`, and `POST_NOTIFICATIONS`.
diff --git a/tools/guarded-run.rs b/tools/guarded-run.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ef0f69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/guarded-run.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+use std::env;
+use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+use std::thread;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+
+fn main() {
+    let mut timeout_secs = 900_u64;
+    let mut heartbeat_secs = 30_u64;
+    let mut command_start = None;
+    let args: Vec<String> = env::args().skip(1).collect();
+    let mut index = 0;
+
+    while index < args.len() {
+        match args[index].as_str() {
+            "--timeout-secs" => {
+                index += 1;
+                timeout_secs = parse_u64(args.get(index), "--timeout-secs");
+            }
+            "--heartbeat-secs" => {
+                index += 1;
+                heartbeat_secs = parse_u64(args.get(index), "--heartbeat-secs");
+            }
+            "--" => {
+                command_start = Some(index + 1);
+                break;
+            }
+            _ => {
+                command_start = Some(index);
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        index += 1;
+    }
+
+    let Some(command_start) = command_start else {
+        eprintln!(
+            "usage: guarded-run [--timeout-secs N] [--heartbeat-secs N] -- <command> [args...]"
+        );
+        std::process::exit(2);
+    };
+    if command_start >= args.len() {
+        eprintln!("guarded-run: missing command");
+        std::process::exit(2);
+    }
+
+    let mut child = Command::new(&args[command_start])
+        .args(&args[command_start + 1..])
+        .stdin(Stdio::inherit())
+        .stdout(Stdio::inherit())
+        .stderr(Stdio::inherit())
+        .spawn()
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| {
+            eprintln!(
+                "guarded-run: cannot start '{}': {error}",
+                args[command_start]
+            );
+            std::process::exit(127);
+        });
+
+    let started = Instant::now();
+    let timeout = Duration::from_secs(timeout_secs);
+    let heartbeat = Duration::from_secs(heartbeat_secs.max(1));
+    let mut next_heartbeat = heartbeat;
+
+    loop {
+        match child.try_wait() {
+            Ok(Some(status)) => std::process::exit(status.code().unwrap_or(1)),
+            Ok(None) => {}
+            Err(error) => {
+                eprintln!("guarded-run: cannot read child status: {error}");
+                let _ = child.kill();
+                std::process::exit(1);
+            }
+        }
+
+        let elapsed = started.elapsed();
+        if elapsed >= timeout {
+            eprintln!(
+                "guarded-run: timeout after {}s; killing '{}'",
+                elapsed.as_secs(),
+                args[command_start]
+            );
+            let _ = child.kill();
+            let _ = child.wait();
+            std::process::exit(124);
+        }
+
+        if elapsed >= next_heartbeat {
+            eprintln!(
+                "guarded-run: still running '{}' after {}s (timeout {}s)",
+                args[command_start],
+                elapsed.as_secs(),
+                timeout_secs
+            );
+            next_heartbeat += heartbeat;
+        }
+
+        thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));
+    }
+}
+
+fn parse_u64(value: Option<&String>, name: &str) -> u64 {
+    let Some(value) = value else {
+        eprintln!("guarded-run: missing value for {name}");
+        std::process::exit(2);
+    };
+    value.parse::<u64>().unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+        eprintln!("guarded-run: invalid integer for {name}: {value}");
+        std::process::exit(2);
+    })
+}