You mean you installed the GnuRoot Debian app and tried to set up Monero? Did you use the ARM version? Phone processors have a different architecture from computer cpu's. There's a special version of Monero for the kind of cpu that android phones have. Actually I think the Monero for ARM processors was built with Raspberry Pi users in mind, but the processors in android smart phones belong to the same family.
There's a learning curve to this kind of thing. If you have negligible experience with the linux command line, navigating file systems and such, I would not expect you to be able to install Monero on your phone and get it working without a considerable effort.
Yeah, a nice android wallet would be a great thing to have.
Not that freewallet thing, which is probably a scam and ought to be taken off the Google Play Store.
Just because I expressed my aversion to CLI doesn't necessarily mean I don't know jack about hardware or more specifically, the difference between CPUs/SoCs of different platforms. I actually build rigs and therefore built my own little mining farm way back then before ASICs came into the scene. I also played around with RPi and have a half dozen Android devices that I also play around with. You and I probably read the same guide on the GnuRoot Debian/Monero Wallet CLI combo on Android whose links (from Reddit or Stack Exchange or both) had been posted on several occasions on this thread.
That said, you're still missing the point. Let's say that I was such a wizard of a tech geek as you are and succesfully got Wallet CLI running on one of my Android devices like you did. Is the other party that I'm gonna be transacting with in person as capable as I am in going through the intricacies of such a complex setup? There is no time to show off geek prowess when transacting on the go. One should have the ability to fire up the wallet, punch in the amount and hit send while the recipient would open up his/her mobile wallet and check to see if the transaction went through. That's an actual trading scenario in person. Same thing with making a purchase in person (primary use case) with cryptos. Punch in the amount and hit send. Showcasing geekness not necessary; in fact it's a hindrance and time-consuming in the real world. In other words, it's not viable nor it is practical/efficient.