You can come across numerous reasons why you would want to run Android emulators on your PC. App developers may be trying to test their application before sending it out.
- Android Studio Emulator Download
- Android Studio Emulator M1 Mac Os
- Android Studio Emulator Not Working Mac M1
Just to clear the mist, Android emulation on PC is possible and it’s a lot easier than it used to be. Some old favorites either left the space or become unusable but everything else here should work okay for most people. Check out the best emulators for PC and Mac.
Top 15 Best Android Emulators For PC – September 2021
1. LD Player
There are endless possibilities with an android emulator on your computer, even more than having a phone. There are tons of options when it comes to choosing. Mar 30, 2021 How to create Android emulators in M1 Mac. Using Android Studio Emulators in M1 Mac: Previously, when M1 Macbooks were released, Android studio didn’t have any support for emulators. Google has released a different preview build for emulators. You can check this build here. Do you want to use the best Android Emulator on PC? If yes, then you must check out these 15+ emulators tested & reviewed by the experts and millions of people. Apple Silicon performance and support videos for Android Studio, Twitter.
LDPlayer is an Android emulator for gamers, running Android Nougat 7.1. It features the usual plate of gamer-oriented features, including good keyboard mapping controls, multi-instance, macros, high FPS, and graphical support. This is one of the few emulators on the list that gets active updates nearly every month. It supports a whole lot of games, including Garena Free Fire, Clash of Clans, Black Desert Mobile, and many others.
2. Android Studio’s Emulator
Android Studio comes with a bunch of tools to support developers make apps and games, particularly for Android. Fortunately, there is also a built-in emulator that you can put to use to test out your app or game. The setup is rather complicated and it can take a long time not recommending it to consumers. However, developers can simply use this tool as their emulator for testing their apps. It also supports Kotlin in case developers want to try that out.
3. ARChon
ARChon is one which you install it as a Google Chrome extension. It then gives Chrome the ability to run Android apps and games and turns out, it’s not an easy emulator to get running. You’ll have to install the thing to Chrome. From there, you have to obtain APKs and load them in. There are a lot more steps to make this work than most other Android emulators for PC.
4. Bliss OS
Bliss works as an Android emulator for PC via virtual machine. However, it can also just flat run on your computer via a USB stick. The boot-from-USB option is definitely a power user option and not recommended for less intense usage. The USB installation method seems more complicated, but it lets your computer actually run Android natively from boot. The system runs Android Oreo and that’s among the newer versions of Android offered on an emulator.
5. Bluestacks
Bluestacks is a mainstream of all Android emulators. It was also one of the first that worked really well still getting regular updates. The emulator targets mobile gamers. There is a sterotype associated with Bluestacks because it can feel a little bloated at times. Bluestacks 4 (launched in 2018) is focused to fix that with mixed results. It also includes key-mapping and settings for many games installed. That should help make things much easier. Bluestacks also made the MSI App Player, another form of spectacular emulator that some believe works better than vanilla Bluestacks.
6. Gameloop
GameLoop, formerly known as Tencent Gaming Buddy, is an Android emulator for gamers. In fact, Tencent calls it the official emulator for its games, including Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile. This emulator is not good for productivity or developmental testing.
7. Genymotion
This Android emulator stands majorly for developers. It lets you test your apps on a variety of devices without ownership. You can configure the emulator for a variety of devices with various versions of Android to help suit your needs. To exemplify, you can run a Nexus One with Android 4.2 or a Nexus 6 with Android 6.0. You can easily switch between virtual devices at will. It’s not great for consumer uses, but Genymotion does offer their services for free for personal use.
8. MEmu
MEmu is another upcoming Android emulators that seem to get along with gamers. The biggest characteristic is that it supports both AMD and Intel chipsets. It’s nice to see developers specifically pay attention to AMD’s platform. Plus, it supports Android Jelly Bean, Kit Kat, and Lollipop. You can even run multiple instances at once for multiple games or testing features. Its most recent update was in mid-November 2019 and that updated added smart keymapping along with the usual performance improvements and bug fixes.
9. Nox
Nox is another Android emulator that includes the usual stuff like key-mapping with your keyboard, actual controller support, and even the ability to key-map gesture controls. For instance, you can assign the function to swipe right to an arrow key and use that in a game without actual hardware controller support.
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10. Phoenix OS
Phoenix OS is one of the newer versions of Android emulators for PC. It boasts a gamer experience. However, it also boasts a desktop-like experience so it actually works pretty well for productivity as well. It features Google Play Services, although updating those services can be a task sometimes. Phoenix OS also runs Android 7.1 which is relatively modern for an Android emulator. You can download the emulator from its official website and its forums are housed on XDA-Developers.
11. PrimeOS
PrimeOS is kind of an exception in the Android emulator space. Not actually an emulator, you install this as a partition on your computer and it boots up running native Android. It’s a gamer-focused Android experience, although you can totally use this for productivity if you really want to. PrimeOS includes a gaming centre, support for mouse and keyboard, and access to most Android apps and games.
12. Remix OS Player
Remix OS Player runs Android Marshmallow and that’s still relatively new compared to many of the others on the list. The installation process is pretty simple and it is comfortable to use too. It caters mostly to gamers. There are a few gamer specific features along with a customizable toolbar. It boasts features like running multiple games at once.
13. Xamarin
Xamarin is an IDE similar to Android Studio with the only difference that it can plug into things like Microsoft Visual Studio for an even larger development environment. Also, like the Android Studio, this comes with a built-in emulator for app or game testing. The setup is simply too tedious for regular consume use. It’s free for personal use. Companies and larger teams may have to negotiate a payment plan.
14. YouWave
YouWave is one of the older Android emulators for PC. The free version uses Ice Cream Sandwich. Shelling out the $29.99 will get you the Lollipop version. There are no major issues with either one. The installation process was easy enough. It doesn’t have any game specific features but it will still play games.
15. Build your own
You need to download VirtualBox. You then have to download an image from Android-x86.org. From there, it’s just a matter of finding one of the many guides online and following the steps. This is easily one of the more difficult methods, but still not quite as tedious or difficult as setting up a whole IDE like Android Studio or Xamarin.
Android Emulators simulates Android devices on your computer. Android Emulator provides almost all of the capabilities of a real Android device. This means you can do things normally without needing an Android phone or tablet.
Nowadays there’s no shortage of emulator for android to pc, For those who are wondering, there are numerous reasons why you might want to use an Android emulator on your Windows PC.
There are a lot of valid reasons why someone would want to run Android emulators on their PC. By Android Emulators You can simulate incoming phone calls and text messages, specify the location of the device, simulate different network speeds, simulate rotation and other hardware sensors, access the Google Play Store, and much more.
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No matter the reason, an Android emulator is useful to have on your PC. There are several fantastic Android emulators for Windows 10 and mac. Many of the best Android emulators are free, too.
1. Nox Player
Nox Player Android Emulator especially targets Android gamers. It is the best emulator for android to pc suited for playing massive games like PUBG or Justice League.
NoxPlayer Android Emulator is Widely trusted, feature-full, extremely stable, NoxPlayer brings a lot to the table. The Android Emulator also has all of the options you need to treat NoxPlayer like other emulators.
The best part of the Nox Emulator is that it’s absolutely free with no sponsored ads at all. Android modders should note that NoxPlayer Android Emulator also comes pre-equipped with root access. Simply enable root in your System Settings, and you can download your favorite modding and customization apps.
The only problem with Nox Android Emulator is that it puts a lot of load on the system. Thus, you can’t use tons of other apps. Another thing is it is based on Android 5 Lollipop which might be a concern for you.
2. BlueStacks Android Emulators
Bluestacks is the most mainstream of all Android emulators. The Android Emulator is a game emulator for pc and is ridiculously easy to set up. From the installation to the UI, BlueStacks is quick and easy to use.
Install This Android Emulator on your desktop or laptop, and BlueStacks gives you a full Android environment. Unlike a whole-OS emulator.
BlueStacks emulates just Android apps on Windows. It’s really easy to use, so you don’t need to know anything about emulators or even Android to get your apps up and running.
Talking specifically about BlueStacks 4, it brings an excellent gaming performance, thanks to low CPU and memory usage. It also claims to be 6x faster than Samsung Galaxy S9+.BlueStacks Android emulator is currently based on Android 7.1.2 (Nougat).
3. MEmu Android Emulators
MEmu is a high-performance Android emulator for Windows, with an easy installation process and plenty of features. Regarding the speed, this Android emulator gives similar results as Nox and BlueStacks.
One of its biggest features of this Android Emulator is support for both AMD and Intel chipsets. Most work on AMD processors, but it’s nice to see developers specifically pay attention to AMD’s platform and One of MEmu’s best features is the keyboard mapping. You can click an area on the screen using your mouse, then input a key to control your game or app.
MEmu is currently based on Android Lollipop and works top of the class with productivity apps. MEmu also supports one-click APK installation, meaning you can install any APK present on your host machine to MEmu.
4. Ko Player
KOPlayer is a solid, free Android emulator that brings a quality Android playing experience to the Windows platform. Just like other Android gaming emulators out there, Ko Player focuses on delivering lag-free gaming experience with a lightweight software.
It offers a great gaming experience without any hassle of speed, graphics or key functioning. So if you are worried about playing on a small screen and miss the larger than life experience of gaming well we are here to look into that matter.
KoPlayer is an Android emulator that comes with all the premium functions of an emulator. With the help of the KoPlayer Android emulator, you can now play all the Android games on a PC. KoPlayer Android emulator also offers the ability to get all the apps on the big screen.
5. Genymotion Android Emulators
Genymotion is different from the other Android emulators. Genymotion is a pure Android development tool. Genymotion is a fantastic and speedy Android emulator that allows developers to test their Android application with a variety of Android versions.
Genymotion Android Emulator works with VirtualBox, so you’ll have to install it before you can use Genymotion. It is equipped with lots of developer-friendly features. And it might not be the right choice for people looking for Android gaming experience.
The emulator is compatible with Android SDK and Android Studio. It even works macOS and Linux.
6. Android Studio’s Emulator
Android Studio is the default development console for Android. It comes with a bunch of tools to help developers make apps and games specifically for Android. Android Studio has a built-in emulator but packs fewer features in comparison to other Android Emulators. As it turns out, there is also a built-in emulator that you can use to test out your app or game.
The emulator is unquestionably not for general usage and playing heavy games. The setup is rather complicated and it can take a long time. Thus, it’s not one we would recommend for consumer-level use. Android Studio is tough to set up but simultaneously favorite of many developers.
7. Remix OS Player
Remix OS Player by Jide is one of the newer Android emulators for PC. Remix OS is nothing like other Android emulators out there. It is an entire Android OS which you can boot into. Unlike the other emulators that can easily on top of the Window, Remix OS needs to be installed on a separate partition.
The installation process is pretty simple and using it also fairly easy. It caters mostly to gamers. There are a few gamer specific features along with a customizable toolbar. It boasts features like running multiple games at once. That said, it’s a fairly clean emulator so it’s still perfectly usable as a productivity tool.
Remix OS is a Jide Technology product, a company formed by Google’s former employees. You can put Remix OS on a USB device and boot from there to any computer. The Android emulator is good for productivity apps but does not support heavy gaming.
8. ARChon
ARChon is not some big shot Android emulator, nor it has a huge fan following, it’s more of a fix to run Android apps on Chrome OS. ARChon isn’t a traditional emulator. You install it as a Google Chrome extension. It then gives Chrome the ability to run Android apps and games (albeit with limited support).
It’s not an easy emulator to get running. You’ll have to install the thing to Chrome. From there, you have to obtain APKs and load them in. As an added rub, you may need to use a tool to change the APK in order to make it compatible. There are a lot more steps to make this work than most other Android emulators for PC.
The ARChon Android emulator is not suited for hardcore gaming, but it is excellent for using productivity app due to its easy access.
9. Andy
Andy goes above and beyond, consistently providing one of the best overall Android emulator experiences around. Besides packing in all of the Android features you need to rival a smartphone experience, Andy also comes with a bunch of handy features for developers and gamers.
The Andy emulator for Windows puts Android Nougat on your computer. You can run games and other apps by installing them through the Google Play Store. Since this is a full Android emulator, you can also reposition the apps on the home screen and install widgets just like you can on a real Android device.
10. Bliss OS
Bliss OS is a little different from the above emulators. Where ‘Android Emulators’ emulate Android on your Windows PC, Bliss OS, on the other hand, is Android itself and needs to be installed as a separate OS.
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This is definitely a power user option and not recommended for simple. As a VM install, the process is fairly simple, if tedious. The USB installation method is even more complicated, but it lets your computer actually run Android natively from the boot.
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Now, installing Bliss OS or any other Android x86 based projects is always better if you are looking for the exact Android experience on your PC. Not to mention the fact is Bliss OS is open source and don’t encompass ads or any Android emulator clutter.