Is there an APK I can sideload?
No. Google Play is the only public channel for the Android build, so the app you install is the one we signed and Play verified. Installing a server-key-handling terminal from an unverified mirror is exactly the trade you do not want to make.
Does PocketCmd keep SSH connections alive in the background on Android?
Yes. An optional foreground service holds sessions open while the app is backgrounded, with per-category wake and Wi-Fi locks so you decide what is worth the battery. Mosh and Eternal Terminal also resume a session that did drop, and tmux keeps your work running on the server either way.
Does it work on Android tablets?
Yes, and it changes shape for them. A landscape tablet gets the same desktop shell as the Mac, Windows and Linux builds: a server sidebar, session tabs, right-click menus and drag-and-drop upload.
Does PocketCmd need root?
No. It is an ordinary Play app. It needs no root, no special permissions beyond the ones you grant for the camera QR scanner and notifications, and it installs nothing on the servers you connect to.