Even if you don't have a smartphone or tablet running Android, you can use any of the hundreds of thousands of great applications written for this system. The BlueStacks emulator will help you with this.
BlueStacks is a program that allows Android applications to run quickly and in full screen mode on regular computers and laptops. This is not just an emulator of the Android operating system, but a new format for software distribution. We are all accustomed to the fact that each developer has his own application store - App Store, Windows Store, Android Market (Google Play). The creators of BlueStacks offer an innovative option for distributing programs. If you don't have a phone running the Android operating system (for example, you own an iPhone), then why can't you buy games and applications developed for this system? After all, you have a computer!
By installing Bluestacks, you will be able to launch Android utilities in full screen mode, and they will work as quickly as if they were programs for Windows or Mac OS X. If you are the owner of a smartphone or tablet based on Android OS, then your favorite applications will be downloaded from your phone to your computer and vice versa. Thus, you can first test any software in the emulator and only then decide whether you need this software on your smartphone.
Of course, the question arises how convenient it is to manage applications designed for mobile devices with touch screens on a PC. In general, it is quite possible to imitate touches and gestures with a mouse. Problems arise only in those rare cases where Multitouch is required. On tablets and laptops with a touch screen, the controls are quite traditional. For input, you can use either a physical keyboard or the virtual one built into BlueStacks.
BlueStacks is especially interesting for users of devices with Windows 8. Installed Android applications in full format and with touch screen support perfectly make up for the lack of software for the G8. However, there is a version of Blue Stacks SurfacePro-Optimized, optimized for use on tablets and PCs with touch controls.
Installation
Installing the emulator is very simple. Go to bluestacks.com, select the appropriate operating system (Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or Mac OS X), download the desired distribution and install it. If your computer does not have .NET Framework 3.5, the system will prompt you to download it before installing the emulator. It will take a few minutes to install the program and download the necessary files. The system is installed only if you have access to the Internet and after installation requires registration on the server. When you first launch the utility, you need to select the 1-Click Sync program in the BlueStacks window. You will be asked to go through two setup steps - enabling the Play Market application store and synchronizing with your Google account ([email protected]). By following the simple instructions and entering your details, you will receive a message indicating that the emulator setup has been successfully completed.
When asked by the program about the presence of an Android phone, owners of devices based on this platform should answer “Yes”. In this case, you will then need to enter your mailbox address and telephone number with the country code. BlueStacks will then send an email and SMS with detailed instructions on how to sync your phone with the app. When testing the program, no SMS was received, but all the information necessary for synchronization was sent by e-mail.
If you have an Android device and want to quickly install all your favorite apps stored on it into BlueStacks, run the 1-Click Sync program.
Launch
Depending on the operating system, the emulator is launched by clicking on the shortcut on the desktop or from the context menu of the icon located in the tray. By default, several programs are immediately available: Barnes & Noble's Nook app, Documents To Go, Evernote, Fruit Ninja Free, Pulse and StumbleUpon. To launch an application, click on its icon. To return to the utility menu, click on the BlueStacks icon in the center of the navigation bar at the bottom of the program window.
To download new applications, enter their names in the search bar and click "Find". The emulator downloads software from Google Play. You can also download software from other resources, including Amazon Appstore for Android, GetJar and 1Mobile Market. At the top of the screen there is a transparent panel with icons of various online stores. You can select the one you are interested in by clicking on the corresponding icon. Simultaneous downloading and installation of several programs is allowed. At the same time, you can even run an already installed application - BlueStacks is multitasking and can work in multiple threads.
Settings
If you want to install the same applications that are used on your smartphone, or receive SMS messages on your computer, you will need to download additional software from Google Play - BlueStacks Cloud Connect. After downloading, the program will prompt you to enter the PIN sent to your e-mail. This code can also be found in the App Player settings menu, in the lower right corner of the navigation bar. Then, on the next page, you need to select “Cloud Connect”, after which a window will pop up with the required PIN code.
The Cloud Connect feature is quite easy to use: you just need to select the device you want to sync with App Player and click the sync button at the top of the screen. Although this option is called "syncing," it simply downloads the same apps to your device that are available in App Player on your computer. In this case, information about program settings and authorization data is not saved, so a new authorization will be required. To access advanced settings, you need to move the cursor to the lower right corner (or touch it if you have a touch screen device).
BlueStacks for Web Designers and Developers
If you create websites or software, you may need to test your product on an emulator. But the native emulator, which comes with the Android SDK, is too slow and takes a long time to start. With BlueStacks, you can quickly open a browser and have more than one browser to choose from, from mobile versions of Firefox and Opera to options like UC Browser and Dolphin.
You can connect your Google account or register a new one, after which the Google Play Market will be available to you. It has a familiar appearance - the same as on mobile devices.
The search is carried out simultaneously in three online application stores - Mobile Market, Amazon Appstore and Google Play Market. Sometimes you can save money, as there are discounts on various services.
BlueStacks as an alternative to Windows Store
Windows 8 is a young but very promising mobile platform with its own ecosystem. But for all its advantages, it has a number of problems. So, at the moment there are much fewer applications in the Windows Store than in Google Play (Android Market) and the Apple App Store. And this is exactly the problem that BlueStacks can solve easily and for free. The Google Play Market today has more than 700,000 programs. And although not all of them will be able to run on BlueStacks, this is still quite a lot. It is worth noting that at the moment BlueStacks is an application that runs exclusively on the x86 architecture, which means that it is not yet available to users of Windows RT-based devices. By the way, the BlueStacks developers adapted their creation primarily to work on the Microsoft Surface Pro, but other devices with Windows 8 should not be left out.
Facts about BlueStacks
BlueStacks was founded by Rosen Sharma, a successful entrepreneur and founder of several companies that were subsequently acquired by industry leaders such as Microsoft, Google, Citrix and McAfee.
The BlueStacks software solution was first demonstrated in the AMD Fusion zone at the COMPUTEX 2011 conference in Taipei.
One of the distinctive features of this software is that it is not an emulator in the traditional sense. As the developers themselves say, BlueStacks is a player for playing Android applications. That is why programs work quickly, there are no delays or “brakes”.
ASUS and Lenovo have entered into partnership agreements with BlueStacks, according to which the “emulator” will be pre-installed on new PCs with Windows 8.
By the end of 2012, the BlueStacks app had been downloaded and installed five million times.
The website GetYourAppsBack.com has published information that new users of Windows 8 and Surface Pro tablets can download and install any BlueStacks applications on their computers and smartphones.
Select your Android device and the apps stored on it will be synced with BlueStacks.
To return from a running application to the main screen, you need to move the cursor to the lower right corner and click on the arrow in the pop-up menu. Here you can access BlueStacks settings or select full-screen mode.
Changeable BlueStacks settings resemble simplified settings for regular Android devices
Do you love the game on your smartphone and would like to play it at home on the big screen? Or did the Android utility turn out to be so convenient that it would be useful to use it when working on a computer? There are cases when a program was created exclusively for this platform and the search for analogs for the PC does not give the desired results. For all the situations described, there is one solution - launching the Android utility on your computer. For these purposes, you will first need to select an emulator that allows you to run Android programs on a computer running Windows OS.
There are many similar programs available on the Internet. The most common ones are Bluestacks, Droid4x and Genymotion. All of them are free to download and are always available on the developers' websites. The application distribution is added to the emulator in two ways. You can use installation files with the APK extension, previously downloaded from our website, or access the programs directly through Google Play.
Let's consider options for using voiced emulators.
How to Install Apps Using Bluestacks
- Download the Android emulator on your PC and install it. After installation, a toolbar will appear at the top of the desktop.
- Along with the program, several current modern applications are automatically installed. You can run them to check their operation.
- To search for the necessary Android applications, use the search bar at the top of the main program window. BlueStacks will search multiple online stores at once. The largest of them (Market, GetJar, Appstore, 1Mobile and Amazon) are immediately available for search by default.
- To install from Google Play, you will need a Google account. You can use an existing entry or create a new one.
- After confirming your account, you will see a list of applications according to your search query. Select what you need. Please note that free ones must be marked “Free”. For paid ones, the purchase price is indicated.
- Click the “Install” button. In the window that appears, click “Accept”. The installation process will begin.
- After waiting for the installation process to complete, you can safely start launching your favorite Android application on your PC.
How to install apps using Droid4x
- Download the Android emulator to your computer and install it. A shortcut to launch will appear on the desktop.
- Launch Droid4x using the shortcut.
- A window will open in which icons of the most frequently used menus will immediately be displayed. Here, in the main window, there is a Google Play shortcut.
- We go to the Google Play store. In the search bar, type the name of the program we are interested in and click OK.
- From the proposed list, select the desired application and click “Install”.
- In the window that appears, click “Accept”. The installation process will begin.
- Immediately after installation is complete, you will be prompted to launch the application and enjoy the Android experience on the big screen.
How to install apps using Genymotion
- To receive a link to download installation files, you must register on the site using your email address. The link will come in a registration confirmation email.
- In the window that opens via the link, select the installation option and click the appropriate button.
- The installation will start, after which the VirtualBox, Genymotion and Genymotion Shell shortcuts will appear on the desktop.
- When you launch Genymotion using the shortcut, you will find the “Play”, “Add” and “Settings” buttons. They are used to create and launch a virtual Android gadget, and to configure the emulator.
- To create a virtual device, click “Add”, use your credentials created in step 1. A list of devices will appear in front of you.
- Check out the list and select a device, click “Add”.
- In the window that appears, click “Next”, after which the installation of the virtual machine will begin. Then, when prompted by the emulator, enter a name for your device and click Finish.
- To launch the device, select it in the main program window and click “Play”.
- After that, you can select, install and launch applications as if from the screen of your device.
Summarize
All emulators considered cope with the main function - running Android utilities on a PC. Regarding ease of use and performance, small conclusions can be drawn. They will help you choose an emulator in order to transfer Android applications to your computer.
BlueStacks- a simple emulator that performs the main task, but nothing more. The utility allows you to run games, but it is not always stable and performance leaves much to be desired. It is distributed as a shareware, that is, the basic set of functions is free, but you will have to pay for additional features. An acceptable option for home use.
Droid4x– also simple and undemanding, but, unlike its previous colleague in the shop, more functional and productive. A huge plus is the stability of operation and at the same time it is absolutely free, it never asks for the purchase of additional functions and other things. An excellent option for home use.
Genymotion– a higher rank emulator with many additional features. However, they will be of interest mainly to developers for the initial testing of their programs before testing on real devices. The quality of the product and focus on professional use have led to a disadvantage for ordinary users - the emulator is distributed on a paid basis. The free version does not have an Internet connection and many necessary functions. Not suitable for home use.
This review contains the best free Android emulators for Windows. Why might they be needed? - for the average user, for games or some individual applications, Android developers use emulators for comprehensive testing of their programs (the second part of the article presents).
If you want to download an Android emulator and try running apps and games on your PC or laptop running Windows 10, 8.1 or Windows 7, here are several ways to do it. In addition to emulators, there are other options for running Android applications on a computer, for example: (and also run from a flash drive or install in a Hyper-V, Virtual Box or other virtual machine).
The Remix OS Player emulator differs from others in that it is based on Remix OS - a modification of Android x86, “tailored” specifically for running on computers and laptops (with a Start button, taskbar). Otherwise, it is the same Android, at the current time - Android 6.0.1. The main disadvantage is that it only works on Intel processors.
Separate review, installation procedure, Russian keyboard settings and possibilities of use in the review -.
XePlayer
The advantages of XePlayer include very low system requirements and relatively high operating speed. Moreover, as stated on the official website of the developer, Windows XP - Windows 10 systems are supported, which is rare for emulators.
Nox App Player
When in the comments to the original version of this review they wrote that Nox App Player is the best Android emulator for Windows, I promised to get acquainted with the program. After I did this, I decided to put this product first in the review, because it is really good and, most likely, you will not need other Android emulators for your computer. The developers promise compatibility with Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and 7. I tested it on Windows 10 installed on a not-so-new laptop.
After installing the program and launching it, after a minute or two of initial loading, you will see the familiar Android screen (version 4.4.2, Cyanogen Mod, 30 GB of internal memory) with the Nova Launcher shell, a pre-installed file manager and browser. Despite the fact that the emulator itself does not have a Russian interface (there is already a Russian language, as of 2017), “inside” Android you can enable the Russian language in the settings, just as you do on your phone or tablet.
By default, the emulator opens in a tablet resolution of 1280x720, if this is too much for your screen, you can change these parameters in the settings tab (called by the gear icon at the top right) Advanced. Also, by default, the Performance Setting is set to low, but even in this option, when running on a weak PC, Nox App Player performs exceptionally well and works quickly.
The controls inside the emulator are similar to those on any Android device. There is also the Play Market, from where you can download applications and games and run them on Windows. Sound, as well as a camera (if your PC or laptop has one) work in the emulator out of the box; the computer keyboard also works inside the emulator, as well as its on-screen version.
Additionally, on the right side of the emulator window (which, by the way, can be opened in full screen without a noticeable loss in performance) there are action icons, among which are:
- Installing applications from APK files from your computer.
- Location substitution (you can manually set the location, which will be perceived by the emulator as received from the GPS receiver).
- Uploading and exporting files (you can simply drag and drop files onto the emulator window). This feature did not work as expected in my testing (the files seemed to be imported, but could not be found in the Android file system after that).
- Taking screenshots.
- For some purposes, Nox App Player also creates a Multi-Drive icon to launch several emulator windows at once. However, I haven’t figured out how it can be used or what it can be used for.
To summarize this brief description, if you need to run Android games and applications on Windows, use Instagram from a computer and do similar things, and you want the emulator to work without any lags - Nox App Player will be an ideal option for these purposes, better optimization I haven’t seen it yet (but I can’t promise that heavy 3D games will work, I haven’t personally tested it).
Note: Some readers have noted that Nox App Player does not install or launch. Among the solutions found so far is the following: change the user name and user folder from Russian to English (more details: instructions for Windows 10, but suitable for 8.1 and Windows 7).
You can download the Android Nox App Player emulator for free from the official website https://ru.bignox.com
Leapdroid emulator
At the end of 2016, in the comments to this article, a new Android emulator for Windows, Leapdroid, began to be positively mentioned. The reviews are really good, so I decided to take a look at this program.
Among the advantages of the emulator are: the ability to work without hardware virtualization, support for the Russian language, high performance and support for most Android games and applications. I recommend reading a separate review: .
BlueStacks
BlueStacks is one of the most popular programs for running Android games on Windows, and it is in Russian. In games, BlueStacks performs slightly better than most other emulators. Currently, Bluestacks 3 uses Android Nougat as its OS.
After installation, you will need to enter your Google account information (or create a new account) to use the Play Store and after that you will find yourself on the main screen of the emulator, where you can download games, launch them and perform other actions.
When tested (and I tested it on one of the Asphalt games), Bluestacks 3 launches and allows you to play the game without any problems, but it feels like it runs one and a half times slower than the same game in the Nox App Player or Droid4x emulators (discussed below).
You can download BlueStacks from the official website https://www.bluestacks.com/ru/index.html, it supports not only Windows (XP, 7, 8 and Windows 10), but also Mac OS X.
Koplayer
Koplayer is another free emulator that allows you to easily run Android games and applications on your Windows computer or laptop. Just like the previous options, Koplayer works quite quickly on relatively weak systems and has similar settings, including assigning the amount of RAM for the emulator. Well, the most interesting thing that this program has is a very convenient keyboard setup for each game separately, and you can assign gestures on the Android screen, accelerometer actions, and clicks on individual areas of the screen for the keys.
Read more about using Koplayer, as well as where to download the emulator in a separate article -.
Tencent Gaming Buddy (Official Android Emulator for PUBG Mobile)
Tencent Gaming Buddy is an Android emulator currently designed for a single game, PUBG Mobile, on Windows (although there are ways to install other games as well). The main thing about it is high performance in this particular game and convenient controls.
You can download Tencent Gaming Buddy from the official website https://syzs.qq.com/en/. If suddenly the emulator starts in Chinese, you can switch it to English as in the screenshot below, the menu items are arranged in the same order.
AMIDuOS
AMIDuOS is a popular and high-quality Android emulator for Windows from American Megatrends. It is paid, but you can use it for free for 30 days, so if at the moment none of the options for launching Android applications on a computer or laptop suits you, I recommend trying it, besides, this option differs in performance and functions from others presented emulators.
That's it, hopefully one of the listed methods will allow you to experience Android on your Windows computer.
Do you love the game on your smartphone and would like to play it at home on the big screen? Or did the Android utility turn out to be so convenient that it would be useful to use it when working on a computer? There are cases when a program was created exclusively for this platform and the search for analogs for the PC does not give the desired results. For all the situations described, there is one solution - launching the Android utility on your computer. For these purposes, you will first need to select an emulator that allows you to run Android programs on a computer running Windows OS.
We launch the Android application on the computer.
There are many similar programs available on the Internet. The most common ones are Bluestacks, Droid4x and Genymotion. All of them are free to download and are always available on the developers' websites. The application distribution is added to the emulator in two ways. You can use installation files with the APK extension, previously downloaded from our website, or access the programs directly through Google Play.
Let's consider options for using voiced emulators.
How to Install Apps Using Bluestacks
Bluestacks emulator logo- Download the Android emulator on your PC from the link and install it. After installation, a toolbar will appear at the top of the desktop.
- Along with the program, several current modern applications are automatically installed. You can run them to check their operation.
- To search for the necessary Android applications, use the search bar at the top of the main program window. BlueStacks will search multiple online stores at once. The largest of them (Market, GetJar, Appstore, 1Mobile and Amazon) are immediately available for search by default.
- To install from Google Play, you will need a Google account. You can use an existing entry or create a new one.
- After confirming your account, you will see a list of applications according to your search query. Select what you need. Please note that free ones must be marked “Free”. For paid ones, the purchase price is indicated.
- Click the “Install” button. In the window that appears, click “Accept”. The installation process will begin.
- After waiting for the installation process to complete, you can safely start launching your favorite Android application on your PC.
How to install apps using Droid4x
Droid4x emulator logo- Download the Android emulator to your computer from the link and install it. A shortcut to launch will appear on the desktop.
- Launch Droid4x using the shortcut.
- A window will open in which icons of the most frequently used menus will immediately be displayed. Here, in the main window, there is a Google Play shortcut.
- We go to the Google Play store. In the search bar, type the name of the program we are interested in and click OK.
- From the proposed list, select the desired application and click “Install”.
- In the window that appears, click “Accept”. The installation process will begin.
- Immediately after installation is complete, you will be prompted to launch the application and enjoy the Android experience on the big screen.
How to install apps using Genymotion
Genymotion emulator logo- To receive a link to download installation files, you must register on the site using your email address. The link will come in a registration confirmation email.
- In the window that opens via the link, select the installation option and click the appropriate button.
- The installation will start, after which the VirtualBox, Genymotion and Genymotion Shell shortcuts will appear on the desktop.
- When you launch Genymotion using the shortcut, you will find the “Play”, “Add” and “Settings” buttons. They are used to create and launch a virtual Android gadget, and to configure the emulator.
- To create a virtual device, click “Add”, use your credentials created in step 1. A list of devices will appear in front of you.
- Check out the list and select a device, click “Add”.
- In the window that appears, click “Next”, after which the installation of the virtual machine will begin. Then, when prompted by the emulator, enter a name for your device and click Finish.
- To launch the device, select it in the main program window and click “Play”.
- After that, you can select, install and launch applications as if from the screen of your device.
Summarize
All emulators considered cope with the main function - running Android utilities on a PC. Regarding ease of use and performance, small conclusions can be drawn. They will help you choose an emulator in order to transfer Android applications to your computer.
BlueStacks is a simple emulator that performs the basic task, but nothing more. The utility allows you to run games, but it is not always stable and performance leaves much to be desired. It is distributed as a shareware, that is, the basic set of functions is free, but you will have to pay for additional features. An acceptable option for home use.
Droid4x is also simple and not demanding, but, unlike its previous colleague, it is more functional and productive. A huge plus is the stability of operation and at the same time it is absolutely free, it never asks for the purchase of additional functions and other things. An excellent option for home use.
Genymotion is a higher rank emulator with many additional features. However, they will be of interest mainly to developers for the initial testing of their programs before testing on real devices. The quality of the product and focus on professional use have led to a disadvantage for ordinary users - the emulator is distributed on a paid basis. The free version does not have an Internet connection and many necessary functions. Not suitable for home use.
Android-for-Windows.ru
The question of how to run ARK on a computer is not as meaningless as it may seem at first glance. After all, despite the fact that the ARK format is intended exclusively for launching on the Android mobile operating system, it can still be launched on a computer.
The ARK file itself, from a technical point of view, is a regular file archive containing all kinds of software resources that are necessary for the stable operation of a mobile application.
Methods for opening ARC format on a computer
However, before you run the APK file on your PC, you need to decide what exactly you need to do this for:
- In order to simply play a mobile game or try out a particular mobile application before installing it on a smartphone or tablet;
- To find out, out of pure curiosity, what exactly is in the ARC file;
- Or to make changes to the ARC.
Since, as already mentioned, an ARK file is only an archive, then in order to simply see what is inside it, you can resort to the help of any computer archiver. For example, WinRAR or any other. But you won’t be able to launch the program itself this way. After all, the exe file familiar to a Windows user will not be found there.
So the application itself will be launched using a so-called emulator program. An emulator is an application that, in this case, allows you to download almost any mobile program directly on your computer. Today there are a large number of different emulators for this. The most popular is Bluestacks. And you can download it directly from the official website of the project by going to the Internet address: http://www.bluestacks.com/ru/.
Download Bluestacks.
If you need to seriously work with a mobile program, test it, make any changes, etc., then you will need a serious set of tools for this. This, for example, is the Android SDK. It also includes its own emulator.
Android SDK If you have an idea of how to run APK on Windows, you can use many Android programs directly on your computer, without even installing them on your mobile device.
How to run APK on computer
bluestacks-emulator.ru
How to install apk file on computer
Android devices are used by millions of people. There are a huge number of applications and games for this system. You don’t have to spend a lot of time to find the program you need, because almost all of them are collected in the Play Market. The app store is installed by default on most modern smartphones. It contains paid and free content, divided by topic. But you can use the application not only on mobile devices, since the Play Market is available for your computer.
In order to access the Store, you must go to the official website of the application. Here you will be asked to log in to an existing account or create a new one. In the line that opens, you must enter your login and password. After this, the user is taken to the Application Store, where he can find the desired utility or simply view what is offered by the developers.
Google Play for your computer allows you to download files in .apk format. This extension is intended for devices running Android OS, so you won’t be able to open documents and install applications from the archive on a Windows PC. What should the user do to install the file on the computer? To do this you will need to install an emulator. These programs are designed to enable users to work with Android applications on a PC. Among the most popular of them are Droid4x, as well as BlueStacks, but the developers have also presented other utilities that can be used for this purpose. For Mac OS it is better to use IntelliJ IDEA or Apple Archive Utility.
When the installation of the emulator is completed, the program will open. It looks like a familiar Android screen. In it you can change settings, resolution and other parameters. Many emulators are equipped with additional functionality. In them you can change the location in various applications and take screenshots.
After installing the emulator, you can unpack .apk files downloaded from the Internet or directly from the Google Play store. To do this, just go to the emulator and find the required file. You should click on its name, after which the installation of the program will automatically start. You should not download .apk files from unverified resources; in order to find the application, it is better to turn to the Play Market, where a huge collection of various utilities is collected.
apkandro.ru
How to run Android games on PC
Games for mobile devices are developing by leaps and bounds. Just five years ago, users had primitive projects like Candy Crush Saga, Talking Tom, and self-made quizzes. After a couple of years, games appeared with more exciting gameplay, graphics and even plot. These include:
- Asphalt 8;
- Dead Trigger 2;
- Modern series.
Even then, questions began to arise about how to run Android games on a PC. But even here, development has not stopped, and the market now offers full-fledged games such as X-COM: Enemy Within and GTA San Andreas, analogs of the level of desktop MOBAs - Mobile Legends or Vainglory and real ports, for example, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft and others. Such abundance cannot but please active users of mobile devices, but it causes envy among many PC gamers, especially considering the fact that most games for tablets and smartphones are distributed free of charge, monetized only through in-game purchases. Therefore, solutions for playing on a computer in Android were not long in coming. They existed before, but now they are tailored for specific purposes - getting a full gaming experience from mobile games on a computer.
Android games
First of all, it is worth saying that we are talking exclusively about how to run games on Android, because iOS devices do not at all provide the ability to install games from external sources.
Apk files, which are installation packages, cannot simply be launched on Windows systems. This is due to completely different libraries and frameworks used in different OSes. Therefore, the option that is used is emulators.
Emulator concept
They are virtual mobile devices that run inside your desktop system. "Computer within a computer." Of course, to run them, and subsequently to run the games, you will need fairly advanced hardware, so if you are hoping to play mobile games because of their low demands, you will have to discard this idea. Or play something really primitive that doesn’t consume a lot of computer resources.
There are already quite a lot of paid and free emulators. They offer different capabilities and interact differently with your device in terms of performance. If your goal is just to try the game, choose something simpler and faster. If you want to play constantly, then you should aim wisely. And don't forget about performance. To the resources consumed by the program itself, you need to add those that the game will need.
One final caveat is that many emulators run using virtualization technology, which differs depending on the manufacturer of your PC chip. To enable it or make sure that it is active, you need to go into the BIOS.
BlueStacks
Perhaps the most popular solution for running mobile games on Windows is BlueStacks. This is not a full-fledged emulator and is designed specifically for games. It is written entirely in Russian and has a very nice interface. This is not a virtual smartphone on your screen, but a full-fledged PC program that skillfully hides its roots. And the process of working with it is ideally suited for players.
To use BlueStacks, download the program installation file and run it. After installation, open the application and you will see the start window. Here, in the process, personal recommendations will be generated and all installed games will be located, but now you should use the search. Download the desired game from Google Play and launch it. It will open in a new tab, allowing you to quickly and easily navigate throughout the program and switch between games. Of course, you can always launch the desired apk if it is not in the store. On the left side there is an extremely convenient toolbar for taking screenshots, changing orientation, and so on.
Additional features include streaming running gameplay directly to Twitch and synchronization with your Android device.
Nox App Player
The next, this time a full-fledged, not only gaming option is Nox App Player. This is already a real emulator, but it looks just as high quality and is extremely pleasant to use. Plus, it is also as close as possible to the experience of a regular smartphone or tablet. In this case, it is an add-on for Android called CyanogenMod and the Nova Launcher.
The user has full access to the settings of the emulator itself, where you can specify the desired resolution, performance level and other details; and device settings for language selection, etc.
Of course, here, in addition to the standard Google Play, you can use apk to install applications, take screenshots and run several programs at the same time.
Droid4X
Droid4X is also a real emulator, but it comes even closer to the standard Android interface, albeit only version 4.0. All the same features of other programs mentioned before are also relevant for this solution. Google Play, apk, screenshots and full support for the hardware of your PC.
Genymotion
Finally, it wouldn’t hurt to consider an option that would be suitable not only for gaming, but also, for example, for development. Genymotion is an emulator that interacts with integrated development environments on Windows and thus allows you to test software or games in almost real conditions. You can choose it if, in addition to games, you are a developer of your own projects.
- Genymotion with VirtualBox
- Genymotion without VirtualBox
Leadpdroid
Additionally worth noting is Leapdroid. This is a solution, the quality and performance of which was noted by many real users on the network, but having appeared recently, it just as suddenly ceased to be supported by developers. Of course, it won't be difficult to find working distributions, but be extremely careful with malicious files.
WindRoy
There is also Windroy from Chinese developers, but the official website of the program is not working at the moment, so the program cannot be fully recommended. However, it provides excellent performance and uses your PC to its full potential. Theoretically, any, even the most complex games will launch and work at 100%. Mistakes are possible, but this is a fair price.
YouWave
YouWave is also considered a fast and convenient solution for launching Android programs, but it looks rather sparse and offers a minimum of functions, so it is mentioned only for information.
Conclusion
Running mobile applications on a PC is now really in demand, given the quality of their execution. The only thing you need to remember is to compare the power of your device with the requirements of the emulator and the program being launched. If your needs are minimal, choose a program with the simplest requirements and start playing. Each of the solutions mentioned in the review is worthy of becoming your desktop solution. It is worth highlighting only Genymotion, which has a wider range of capabilities. And once again remind you about the possibility of infecting your device when downloading installation files not from the official developer sites.
androidtab.ru
How to run Android applications on PC?
Today there are a huge number of applications for Android, the launch of which, as a rule, requires an Android smartphone or tablet. But what if you're currently using iOS or another mobile OS, but want to try these apps without an Android device?
Luckily, there are several ways to run Android apps on a Windows PC.
ARC Welder for Chrome
Probably the easiest way to run Android programs and applications on a Windows computer is to use ARC Welder, an extension for Chrome. Since this is a Chrome extension, you can also use this method on a Chromebook or Mac. The process is almost the same no matter what platform you're using Chrome on. Download the ARC Welder extension and get started.
Arc Welding is a beta tool and it is mainly aimed at developers. However, the process of downloading the app is quite simple. You will need an APK to download to Arc Welding (known as sideloading), which you can obtain from a backup app on your physical Android device, or you can download the APK from any number of places on the Internet. We don't recommend you download paid apps and games from shady sites, though. There are several sites that archive legitimate free APKs, like APK Mirror.
Android emulator
The next easiest way to get Android applications running on your computer is to use the Android emulator released by Google as part of the official SDK. The emulator can be used to create virtual devices running any version of Android, with different resolutions and hardware configurations. The first drawback is the rather complicated setup process.
You must download the SDK from Google and use the included SDK Manager to download the versions you need. AVD manager for creating and managing virtual devices. Google has made some pre-configured options available in the menu for Nexus devices, but you can also set the options manually.
Since there is no Play Store, some file management needs to be done. Add the required APK file to the tools folder in the SDK directory. Then through the command line, while your AVD (AndroidVirtual Device) is running, type (in this directory) adb install filename.apk. The application must be added to the list of programs on your virtual device.
Ported versions of Android for PC
If you don’t mind spending some time, then you CAN try installing an adapted version of Android on your PC. There are several ports of Android that will run successfully on desktop PCs, but their support is somewhat limited due to the sheer number of PC hardware configurations. The two leading options are Android on Intel Architecture (for devices equipped with UEFI) and Android-x86 Project (pictured above). Neither option is perfect and you may need to purchase hardware compatible with a ported version of Android, such as Dell XPS 12 for the Intel version or Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet for Android-x86. You can install them on top of Windows, but it's not a good idea. The smartest thing to do is to create a separate partition on your hard drive and install Android there.
If your hardware doesn't support either of these options, you can try installing a ported Android in VirtualBox. This solution will work a little faster than the official Android emulator. It's unlikely that this option will be suitable for gaming, but most applications should install and work properly. In addition, you will have to install the applications you need manually, since there is no integration with Google Play.
BlueStacks App Player
If you need to run several applications and games on your computer with minimal effort, then BlueStacks can help. BlueStacks App Player is actually a (heavily modified) version of Android. There's Google Play built-in so you get instant access to content. The device is added to the Google Play list, masquerading as a Galaxy Note II.
The BlueStacks client will load into the desktop window with various categories of applications: games, social networks, and so on. Clicking on an app or search plays the full Play Store client. You can actually navigate this interface just like you would on a real Android device.
Which way is better?
If you need to test an application with the intention of installing it on other Android devices, then an emulator installed on PC is the best way. Slow, but standard, and you can see how this or that application will work in reality. The Android PC ports are definitely interesting for gaming, the performance is solid.
If you need to run many applications on your PC, it is better to use BlueStacks App Player: it is fast, has access to the Google Play store, and works on multi-touch Windows devices. ARC Welder is good when you only need to use one application. Installation is simple and completely free.
Leave your review.
The most famous Android emulator that many users choose. BlueStacks is really good. It is compatible with almost all programs and games from Google Play, and the App Center tab shows recommendations based on other users' ratings.
The emulator has a Pika Points reward system. To earn points, you need to install applications and play. The points you earn can be exchanged for Google Play gift cards, premium subscriptions, T-shirts and other things.
There are no problems when working with files: documents, photos and other data can be transferred from Windows Explorer or Finder macOS by simply dragging and dropping. You can switch between running applications like between tabs in a browser.
- Platforms: Windows, macOS.
Nox App Player is a minimalistic emulator that offers a familiar Android workspace with control buttons on the sidebar. In the program settings, you can adjust performance by adding processor cores and the amount of allocated RAM, as well as change the orientation and size of the window.
Some games in Nox App Player launch with errors, but it works great for working with applications. The program has integration with Windows 10 notifications, so you can install the same instant messengers and easily communicate through the emulator.
3. MEmu
- Platforms: Windows, macOS.
This emulator in Russian is intended primarily for games. The focus on gamers is indicated by a special keyboard layout and gamepad emulation. The program supports both programs from Google Play and installation of applications via APK.
On MEmu you can emulate “heavy” games - there are no problems with performance, but the picture quality suffers a little.
Music, videos, images, and downloads are accessed through Windows-shared folders, so you can quickly transfer files between the emulator and your computer.
There is root access and a built-in application directory. But there is nothing interesting in the catalog: games and programs in Chinese of dubious origin.
- Platforms: Windows, macOS.
A free emulator for games that works thanks to its low resource requirements. If other programs need at least 4 GB of RAM for normal operation, then 2 GB is enough for Koplayer. It is installed with an English interface, but in the settings there is a Russian language, just like in regular Android.
Google Play and APK files are available for installing applications. The main advantage of Koplayer is the ability to customize the keyboard layout for each game. You can also control it with a mouse or gamepad: just mark a virtual button on the screen and assign it a physical analogue on the controller.
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Genymotion is a program for developers that can emulate a large number of Android devices with real characteristics: from flagships of popular brands to unknown budget devices. Before downloading, you must create a free account - your data will be needed the first time you launch it for authorization.
For ordinary users, Genymotion is unlikely to be a convenient solution: there is no Russian interface, games and programs from Google Play often do not launch.
But if you are starting to study on Android, then this emulator will help you carry out all kinds of tests. When you launch an application or game, the device settings control panel is available. Thanks to it, you can see how the application behaves in a different screen orientation, without connecting to GPS, with Bluetooth turned on, and other conditions.
On which computer can I install an Android emulator?
There are no special requirements for installing the emulator on Linux and macOS.
To run the emulator on a Windows computer, AMD-v or Intel VT-x virtualization must be enabled in the BIOS. This is usually done by default. But if the Android emulator does not start, check your settings.
In the Advanced BIOS → Features or Advanced → CPU Configuration section (look for something similar) there should be an option for Virtualization or Intel Virtual Technology. Make sure it is set to Enabled.
Most emulators are demanding on RAM resources. If your computer has less than 4 GB of RAM, the program may slow down.
Also pay attention to your graphics adapter drivers. They must be the latest version, otherwise the emulators will not start. To check the driver version on Windows, press on your keyboard, type dxdiag and click Run. Go to the “Screen” tab and look at the version in the “Drivers” field.
Go to the video card manufacturer's website and check what version of drivers is available for your graphics adapter. If new drivers are available, install them.
You can simplify the process using the program. Once launched, the utility will scan all computer components and show which drivers need to be updated. All you have to do is open the “Drivers” tab and click “Install”.
On macOS, to keep drivers up to date, it is enough to promptly install system updates. On Linux, the procedure depends on . For example, on Ubuntu there is a built-in Software and Update utility for updating drivers from third-party developers.
