You can run Android on Windows 10 or 11 with an Android emulator. What this does is emulate the cell working system, or at the least a part of it, via a software program that’s able to run Android. Everything is contained in the emulation software program. This approach you could do matters now no longer usually possible to your computer, like set up Android apps on Windows and take a look at drive various versions of the OS, without having a phone or tablet. These emulators may be beneficial in case your favored app best runs on your phone, however, you’d like to apply it out of your computer, too, or on a larger screen. If you`re new to Android and need to check out the latest version earlier than buying an Android phone, a few emulators can do this for you.
What We Like
- Includes a built-in app store
- Installing and opening apps are really easy
- Lets you install other APK files that aren’t in the store
- Advanced RAM and CPU allocation settings
- Earn BlueStacks Points to trade in for gift cards or a paid subscription
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.
Google Play is built-in, so to emulate Android apps on your computer, just install them and open the shortcuts like you would on a mobile device.
If you’re looking for an emulator that lets you quickly install an Android app on your PC, you can’t go wrong with this one.
It’s free, but you can upgrade to BlueStacks Premium for no ads, daily wallpapers, app recommendations, premium support, and more.
Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7 are supported, as well as macOS 11, 10.15, 10.14, 10.13, and 10.12.
What We Like
- Supports both landscape and portrait mode
- Lets you spoof your GPS location
- Can remap keyboard keys
- Supports full-screen mode
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.
Andy works on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7; Ubuntu 14.04 and newer; and Mac OS X 10.8 and newer.
What We Like
- Installing and using apps is really simple
- You can run multiple apps at once
- Can manually set GPS, phone coverage, and battery level settings
- The orientation of the emulator can be rotated
Remix OS is an operating system based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, so it looks like your normal OS with a desktop area, starts menu, taskbar, and trash bin.
However, instead of installing the whole Remix OS, you can use the Remix OS Player emulator to run Android apps on your computer.
This software is described as a game emulator for your computer because it lets you customize some shortcuts normally used for navigating games, but you can use Remix OS Player for other apps, too, like Snapchat, Facebook, etc.; everything is available through the Play Store.
What We Like
- It’s free
- A great emulator for gamers
- Emulates the entire OS
- Nearly everything is accessible with a keyboard shortcut
- Lots of customizable options, like one to root Android in one click
- Google Play is built-in but you can open APK files, too
Based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, NoxPlayer is a free Android emulator that’s made with gaming in mind. Google Play is built in for easy access to games and other apps, and you get the whole Android experience, including the home screen, folders, the notification center, etc.
Nearly every option in this emulator makes playing games easier. For example, you can record macros, define keys for things like multiple strikes and weapon fires, adjust FPS settings, record the screen, and take screenshots, among other things.
Install it on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, or XP. There’s also a Mac version.
What We Like
- Emulates the entire Android OS, not just one app
- Always supports the newest Android operating system
- You can emulate old Android OSs, too
- Lets you build Android apps
Android Studio might be what you’d call the “official” Android emulator since it’s from Google. However, the core of the program is meant for app development, so while there is an emulator built-in, it’s not super easy to use.
This program doesn’t have an easy-to-use interface like the other emulators in this list, so it isn’t the greatest if you just want to run some Android apps on your computer. However, if you plan to create your own apps, and you want an easy way to test them throughout the creation process, then this might be all you need.
The Android Studio emulator works on Windows (11, 10, 8), Mac (12, 11, 10.15, 10.14), and Linux (Gnome, KDE, Unity DE).
What We Like
- Supports lots of Android versions
- Easier to use than Android Studio
- Emulates the whole OS
- Lets you adjust processor and memory settings
Another free Android emulator for Windows is Genymotion. It’s a lot like Android Studio’s emulator in that it emulates the entire OS, except that this one doesn’t install all the other developer tools.
This free Android emulator can run modern versions of Android, not just old ones like some of these emulators. The way it works is you install virtual devices by selecting the Android version you want and the device model that should run that version of Android.
For example, you might select Android 10 and Google Pixel 3 to emulate that phone and OS on your computer. Or, maybe you want Motorola Xoom to run Android 4.3. You can also make a custom phone or tablet by specifying the screen resolution.
You can use Genymotion for free only if it’s for personal use (otherwise, there are three paid editions). To get started, make a user account, activate it through the link they send to your email, and then download the software.
Genymotion runs on 64-bit versions of Windows 11, 10, and 8. It’s also available for macOS 11, 10.15, 10.14, and 10.13; Ubuntu 20.04LTS, Debian 9+, and Fedora 30+.
