diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-android.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-android.yml
index 2872c9921..82c66f37c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-android.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-android.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
 jobs:
   test:
-    runs-on: macos-12
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 60
     env:
       WORKING_DIRECTORY: paper-example
@@ -25,87 +25,86 @@ jobs:
       group: android-e2e-example-${{ github.ref }}
       cancel-in-progress: true
     steps:
-      - name: checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
-        with:
-          node-version: 18
-          cache: 'yarn'
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      # - name: Free Disk Space (Ubuntu)
+      #   uses: jlumbroso/free-disk-space@main
+      #   with:
+      #     tool-cache: true
+      #     android: false
+
       - name: Set up JDK 17
-        uses: actions/setup-java@v2
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           java-version: '17'
           distribution: 'zulu'
           cache: 'gradle'
-      - name: Install NDK
-        uses: nttld/setup-ndk@v1
-        id: setup-ndk
-        with:
-          ndk-version: r26d
-          local-cache: true
-      - name: Set ANDROID_NDK
-        run: echo "ANDROID_NDK=$ANDROID_HOME/ndk-bundle" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-      - name: Cache SDK image
-        id: cache-sdk-img
-        uses: actions/cache@v3
-        with:
-          path: $ANDROID_HOME/system-images/
-          key: ${{ runner.os }}-build-system-images-${{ env.SYSTEM_IMAGES }}
-      - name: SKDs - download required images
-        if: ${{ steps.cache-sdd-img.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' }}
-        run: $ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin/sdkmanager "system-images;android-34;google_apis;x86_64"
-      - name: Cache AVD
-        id: cache-avd
-        uses: actions/cache@v3
+
+      - name: Setup Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
         with:
-          path: ~/.android/avd/${{ env.AVD_NAME }}.avd
-          key: ${{ runner.os }}-avd-images-${{ env.SYSTEM_IMAGES }}-${{ env.AVD_NAME }}
-      - name: Emulator - Create
-        if: ${{ steps.cache-avd.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' }}
-        run: $ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin/avdmanager create avd -n ${{ env.AVD_NAME }} --device 28 --package "${{ env.SYSTEM_IMAGES }}" --sdcard 512M
-      - name: Emulator - Set screen settings
-        if: ${{ steps.cache-avd.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' }}
+          node-version: 18
+          cache: 'yarn'
+
+      - name: Install AVD dependencies
+        # libxkbfile1 is removed by "Free Disk Space (Ubuntu)" step first. Here we install it again
+        # as it seems to be needed by the emulator.
         run: |
-          echo "AVD config path: $HOME/.android/avd/${{ env.AVD_NAME }}.avd/config.ini"
-          sed -i '' 's/.*hw\.lcd\.density.*/hw\.lcd\.density = 480/g' $HOME/.android/avd/${{ env.AVD_NAME }}.avd/config.ini
-          sed -i '' 's/.*hw\.lcd\.width.*/hw\.lcd\.width = 1344/g' $HOME/.android/avd/${{ env.AVD_NAME }}.avd/config.ini
-          sed -i '' 's/.*hw\.lcd\.height.*/hw\.lcd\.height = 2992/g' $HOME/.android/avd/${{ env.AVD_NAME }}.avd/config.ini
-      - name: Emulator - Boot
-        run: $ANDROID_HOME/emulator/emulator -memory 4096 -avd ${{ env.AVD_NAME }} -no-window -gpu swiftshader_indirect -no-snapshot -noaudio -no-boot-anim &
+          sudo apt update
+          sudo apt-get install -y libpulse0 libgl1 libxkbfile1
 
-      - name: ADB Wait For Device
-        run: adb wait-for-device shell 'while [[ -z $(getprop sys.boot_completed) ]]; do sleep 1; done;'
-        timeout-minutes: 10
+      - name: Enable KVM
+        run: |
+          echo 'KERNEL=="kvm", GROUP="kvm", MODE="0666", OPTIONS+="static_node=kvm"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/99-kvm4all.rules
+          sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
+          sudo udevadm trigger --name-match=kvm
 
-      - name: Reverse TCP
-        working-directory: apps/${{ env.WORKING_DIRECTORY }}
-        run: adb devices | grep '\t' | awk '{print $1}' | sed 's/\\s//g' | xargs -I {} adb -s {} reverse tcp:8081 tcp:8081
+      - name: AVD cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        id: avd-cache
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ~/.android/avd/*
+            ~/.android/adb*
+          key: avd-${{ env.API_LEVEL }}
 
-      - name: Install root node dependencies
-        run: yarn
+      - name: Run emulator, Metro, and E2E
+        uses: reactivecircus/android-emulator-runner@v2
+        with:
+          api-level: ${{ env.API_LEVEL }}
+          target: default
+          profile: pixel_6
+          ram-size: '4096M'
+          disk-size: '5G'
+          disable-animations: false
+          force-avd-creation: false
+          emulator-options: -no-window -gpu swiftshader_indirect -noaudio -no-boot-anim -camera-back none
+          avd-name: e2e_emulator
+          arch: x86_64
+          script: |
+            # Install root node dependencies      
+            yarn install      
+            # Install example app node dependencies     
+            yarn --cwd apps/${{ env.WORKING_DIRECTORY }} install
 
-      - name: Install example app node dependencies
-        run: yarn
-        working-directory: apps/${{ env.WORKING_DIRECTORY }}
+            # Set up ADB reverse for Metro      
+            $ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools/adb reverse tcp:8081 tcp:8081
 
-      - name: Build Android app
-        working-directory: apps/${{ env.WORKING_DIRECTORY }}/android
-        run: ./gradlew assembleDebug
+            # Start Metro in the background
+            E2E=true yarn --cwd apps/${{ env.WORKING_DIRECTORY }} start &> output.log &
 
-      - name: Start Metro server
-        working-directory: apps/${{ env.WORKING_DIRECTORY }}
-        run: E2E=true yarn start &> output.log &
+            # Build the Android app      
+            cd apps/${{ env.WORKING_DIRECTORY }}/android && ./gradlew assembleDebug
 
-      - name: Install APK
-        run: adb install -r apps/${{ env.WORKING_DIRECTORY }}/android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
+            # Install the app APK
+            $ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools/adb install -r apps/${{ env.WORKING_DIRECTORY }}/android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
 
-      - name: Launch APK
-        run: 'while ! (adb shell monkey -p com.example 1 | grep -q "Events injected: 1"); do sleep 1; echo "Retrying due to errors in previous run..."; done'
+            # Launch the app using bash
+            bash -c 'until $ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools/adb shell monkey -p com.paperexample 1 | grep -q "Events injected: 1"; do sleep 1; echo "Retrying app launch..."; done'
 
-      - name: Run e2e Tests
-        run: E2E=true yarn e2e
+            # Run E2E tests
+            yarn e2e
 
       - name: Upload test report
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
@@ -114,6 +113,3 @@ jobs:
           path: |
             report.html
             jest-html-reporters-attach/
-
-      - name: Kill emulator (so it can be cached safely)
-        run: adb devices | grep emulator | cut -f1 | while read line; do adb -s $line emu kill; done
diff --git a/apps/common/example/e2e/TestingView.tsx b/apps/common/example/e2e/TestingView.tsx
index 75e2196bf..03b67c5de 100644
--- a/apps/common/example/e2e/TestingView.tsx
+++ b/apps/common/example/e2e/TestingView.tsx
@@ -16,59 +16,70 @@ export const TestingView = () => {
   const [message, setMessage] = useState('⏳ Connecting to Jest server...');
 
   const connect = useCallback(() => {
-    const client = new WebSocket(wsUri);
-    setWsClient(client);
     setMessage('⏳ Connecting to Jest server...');
-    client.onopen = () => {
-      client.send(
-        JSON.stringify({
-          os: Platform.OS,
-          version: Platform.Version,
-          arch: isFabric() ? 'fabric' : 'paper',
-          connectionTime: new Date(),
-        }),
-      );
-      setMessage('✅ Connected to Jest server. Waiting for render requests.');
-    };
-    client.onerror = (err: any) => {
-      if (!err.message) {
-        return;
-      }
-      console.error(
-        `Error while connecting to E2E WebSocket server at ${wsUri}: ${err.message}. Will retry in 3 seconds.`,
-      );
-      setMessage(
-        `🚨 Failed to connect to Jest server at ${wsUri}: ${err.message}! Will retry in 3 seconds.`,
-      );
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        connect();
-      }, 3000);
-    };
-    client.onmessage = ({data: rawMessage}) => {
-      const message = JSON.parse(rawMessage);
-      if (message.type == 'renderRequest') {
-        setMessage(`✅ Rendering tests, please don't close this tab.`);
-        const {width, height} = message;
-        setResolution({width, height});
-        setRenderedContent(
-          createElementFromObject(
-            message.data.type || 'SvgFromXml',
-            message.data.props,
-          ),
+    const startTime = Date.now();
+    const MAX_TIMEOUT = 10000;
+    let client = null;
+
+    const attemptConnect = () => {
+      client = new WebSocket(wsUri);
+      setWsClient(client);
+
+      client.onopen = () => {
+        client.send(
+          JSON.stringify({
+            os: Platform.OS,
+            version: Platform.Version,
+            arch: isFabric() ? 'fabric' : 'paper',
+            connectionTime: new Date(),
+          }),
         );
-        setReadyToSnapshot(true);
-      }
-    };
-    client.onclose = event => {
-      if (event.code == 1006 && event.reason) {
-        // this is an error, let error handler take care of it
-        return;
-      }
-      setMessage(
-        `✅ Connection to Jest server has been closed. You can close this tab safely. (${event.code})`,
-      );
+
+        setMessage('✅ Connected to Jest server. Waiting for render requests.');
+      };
+
+      client.onerror = (err: any) => {
+        const elapsed = Date.now() - startTime;
+        if (elapsed >= MAX_TIMEOUT) {
+          setMessage(`❌ Failed to connect within ${MAX_TIMEOUT} milliseconds`);
+          return;
+        }
+
+        console.error(
+          `Error connecting to E2E WebSocket at ${wsUri}: ${
+            err.message ?? ''
+          }. Retrying...`,
+        );
+        setMessage(`🚨 Failed to connect: ${err.message ?? ''}. Retrying...`);
+        setTimeout(attemptConnect, 500);
+      };
+
+      client.onmessage = ({data: rawMessage}) => {
+        const message = JSON.parse(rawMessage);
+        if (message.type === 'renderRequest') {
+          setMessage(`✅ Rendering tests, please don't close this tab.`);
+          const {width, height} = message;
+          setResolution({width, height});
+          setRenderedContent(
+            createElementFromObject(
+              message.data.type || 'SvgFromXml',
+              message.data.props,
+            ),
+          );
+          setReadyToSnapshot(true);
+        }
+      };
+
+      client.onclose = event => {
+        if (event.code === 1006 && event.reason) return;
+        setMessage(
+          `✅ Connection closed. You can close this tab safely. (${event.code})`,
+        );
+      };
     };
 
+    attemptConnect();
+
     return () => {
       setWsClient(null);
       client.close();