In case you’re hoping to run Android on your Windows PC, there’s no deficiency of emulators accessible today. For the individuals who are wondering, there are various reasons why you might need to utilize an Android emulator on your Windows PC. For example, Android developers can debug their apps right onto their desktop, gamers can appreciate Android-particular recreations on a bigger screen and the rundown goes on. In this way, now that you see the different advantages of utilizing Android emulators, it may entice to attempt one. The issue with Android emulators is that a considerable measure of them are finicky and have a tendency to not act as publicized. Subsequently, I attempted more than twelve emulators to present to you the 7 best Android emulators for Windows:
Note: I tried all the emulators on my HP Envy (Core i7) running Windows 10 Home and can confirm that they work as advertised. All of these apps should work on Windows 7, 8, 8.1 as well but given the wide range of Windows hardware, they may or may not work well.
1. Remix OS Player:
We’ve covered Remix OS before, which is a working framework in light of the Android x86 project. While you can install Remix OS on your Windows or Mac, there’s a considerably less difficult approach to encounter Remix OS without experiencing the bother of introducing it. Remix OS Player is a free Android emulator for Windows in view of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Before introducing Remix OS Player, please take note of that it doesn’t bolster some AMD chipsets and furthermore requires “Virtualisation Technology” empowered in your BIOS.
The first time you run Remix OS Player, you ought to be welcomed with a crisp looking interface, finish with the taskbar on the base and an alternate way catch to get to all the introduced applications. The Remix Central application offers you proposals of inclining applications and diversions you can download. It underpins Google Play Store, so you can download applications and diversions with no additional setup.
The team acknowledges that there’s something enormously satisfying about catch squashing while at the same time gaming that occasionally you can’t get from a touch screen thus they have intensely upgraded Remix OS Player for gaming. In particular, you can outline catches and deal with different recreations all the while on one screen. There is likewise a considerable measure of in the engine upgrades to enhance gameplay. In case you’re an engineer, despite everything it has you secured. You can physically set flag quality, organize sort, area, battery and bunches of different things that can help you troubleshoot your Android application.
Overall, Remix OS Player is a solid Android emulator and perhaps the only emulator that runs Marshmallow, a relatively newer version of Android.
Download: (Free)
[ad type=”banner”]2. MEmu:
MEmu is a high-performance Android emulator for Windows that is based on Android Lollipop. Unfortunately, it comes preinstalled with Android Jellybean 4.2 and upgrading to Lollipop requires downloading additional packages. It is compatible with Intel, Nvidia powered Windows PCs and unlike Remix OS Player, it is also compatible with AMD chipsets.
The first time you open it, you are received with an ancient 4-year old Android version, with the main menu tucked in the right-hand sidebar. It comes pre-loaded with the Google Play Store, so you can browse and download Android apps and games to your heart’s content. Also, MEmu associates itself with APK files on Windows, so you can just open the APK file from anywhere and it would automatically open and run in MEmu. Also, if you happen to discover new cool Android apps, you can have MEmu push the app right away to your phone via the USB cable.
It supports keyboard mapping, so you can give certain keys to simulate touch in specific areas of the screen. Other than this, it supports full-screen mode, screenshot tool, a handy “kill process” tool, screen record, amongst numerous additional features. Also, it features an interesting “operation record” tool, so you can record certain touch-screen actions and replay it anytime, thus automating tasks on-the-fly.
I really like the flawless pointer and keyboard integration in MEmu. Perhaps my only rant about it is that it ships with a really old version of Android. You can upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop, but that is still at least 2-years old. If you can compromise on the amazing features that Android Nougat brings to the table, MEmu is one of the most capable Android emulators I’ve tried.
Download: (Free)
3. Nox Player:
Nox Player is another Android emulator for Windows, based on Android 4.4 KitKat that boasts of class-leading performance and advanced features. It ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to features, so it’s possible that some may find the interface to be a little overwhelming at first. But as you spend some time with it, you are bound to fall in love with it.
In the settings, you can change the number of CPU cores, FPS or the amount of RAM you would like to allocate to Nox. If you’ve compatibility problems with some games, you can switch between two graphic rendering modes: DirectX or OpenGL.
It comes with inbuilt support for Google Play Store and also, you can just drag and drop APKs to the Nox player to install them. There’s a “simulate touch” functionality which is just additional name for keyboard mapping and it aids you in playing games. The “script record” functionality lets you record specific events on screen and replay them later. It can be especially useful when you need to automate an action on Android, that would otherwise be very monotonous to perform manually. To amaze you further, it comes with a rooted version of Android out-of-the-box. Also, the multiplayer feature lets you run multiple instances of Android at the same time.
As you can see, Nox player is an amazingly feature-rich Android emulator that is let down only by an older version of Android.
Download: (Free)
[ad type=”banner”]4. BlueStacks:
You saw this one coming, isn’t, that right? All things considered, BlueStacks depends on Android 4.4 KitKat and has been one of the early pioneers of this entire “Android on PC” thingy. In any case, of late, BlueStacks has turned into a great deal bloated and the opposition has rapidly gotten up to speed with it. Be that as it may, it is as yet an exceptionally skilled Android emulator and I emphatically feel that this rundown would’ve have been fragmented without saying BlueStacks.
It accompanies the Google Play Store pre-installed, which gives you access to more than 2 million Android applications and games. Installing APKs is entirely simple as well. It accompanies several components that none of its rivals offers. The first is the capacity to live-stream to Twitch, so you can hotshot your amusement playing aptitudes to your adherents. The second one is that you can live-stream to Facebook Live utilizing BlueStacks TV. Other than this, it underpins multitasking, much like a real Android phone.
The free version is riddled with ads and constantly nags you to install sponsored apps. So, you can get the premium version, which brings an ad-free experience and priority support.
Download: (Free version, $3.33/month premium version)
5. AMIDuOS:
AMIDuOS, also called DuOS, is yet another Android emulator developed by American Megatrends, a Georgia-based company. Before installing DuOS, make sure that the “Virtualisation Technology” is enabled in BIOS and you have Microsoft Net framework 4.0 or above.
DuOS is depending on Android 5.1 Lollipop however oddly enough, there’s a choice to download the Jellybean-based form as well. One important thing you should know is that it does not come with the Google Play Store, but instead, ships with the Amazon App Store. Amazon’s putting forth is no place close to the Play Store with regards to the applications and recreations offered, yet that shouldn’t be quite a bit of an issue since you can simply introduce APKs in DuOS. Truth be told, you can perfectly tap on an APK in Windows and it’ll give you the alternative to introduce the APK straightforwardly in DuOS.
On the equipment side of things, it underpins gamepads and outside equipment GPS. The setup instrument gives you a chance to set the measure of RAM, casings every second and DPI physically. One component I truly enjoyed about it is the capacity to keep running in “root mode”. This implies you basically have prepared in root client benefits and can run all the great root applications for Android. There’s no console mapping highlight, so playing recreations won’t be any advantageous, that is unless you connect an outer gamepad.
There’s a free 30-day trial version available, but you will have to shell out $15 for the full version. The full version comes with Android 5.x Lollipop and there’s $10 lite version that comes with Android 4.2 jellybean.
Download: (30-day free trial, $15 Full version, $10 Lite version)
[ad type=”banner”]6. LeapDroid:
LeapDroid is a powerful Android emulator that was acquired by Google last year and eventually shut-down (you can still download it from other sources). But make no mistake, despite the discontinuation, LeapDroid still manages to be one of the most robust Android emulators around.
It depends on Android 4.4 KitKat and accompanies all the AOSP applications like program, music, camera, and so on. The home screen offers alternate routes to download mainstream amusement titles like Clash of Clans and Pokémon GO. Yet, that is not it. It accompanies full support for Google Play Store, so you can get Android applications and recreations up and running in a matter of seconds.
You can also directly install APKs from your PC if you like. Other than this, it accompanies full-screen mode bolster, a screenshot apparatus and the alternative to pick representation rendering mode between OpenGL or DirectX. It also supports keyboard mapping, so you can play games conveniently with keyboard shortcuts instead of having to awkwardly fiddle around with your mouse pointer. Moreover, you can likewise set motion subtle elements and reenact squeeze zoom utilizing the parchment wheel of your mouse.
If you can shove down the throat the fact that it comes with Android KitKat, LeapDroid is really impressive. Also, because it has been discontinued recently, the company behind it no longer offers any support. So, if you don’t mind searching the web on your own for squashing any bugs you might encounter, give it a try.
Download: (Free)
7. Genymotion:
Genymotion has emerged as a great another to Android Studio’s default emulator. It is intended to be for development purposes but of course, you can use it for personal use, too. Before downloading it, make sure that you’ve enabled the “virtualization technology” in your BIOS and you have the latest version of VirtualBox installed. Also, you’ll need to sign up for an account before you can start using it.
One great advantage of using Genymotion is that it exactly lets you choose any Android phone to simulate and choose to install any Android version — from Android 4.4 KitKat to Android 7.0 Nougat. The free version comes with support for physically setting GPS coordinates, battery level, and camera. The premium version unlocks lots of new features like screen casting and remote controlling of Genymotion using an actual phone. It has plugins for Android Studio, IntelliJ IDEA, and Eclipse to help developers test their apps directly within the Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It doesn’t come with the Google Play Store by default, but with a little bit of setup, you can have it by manually installing GApps.
Genymotion also provides a cloud-based online emulator which you can try right within your browser, though you’d have to contact them and request for a private access.
Overall, Genymotion is the perfect Android tool for developers. You can still use it for casual gaming, although you’d be better off with other options on this list for that purpose.
Download: (Free for non-commercial use only)
[ad type=”banner”]Other Android Emulators for Windows:
There are some extra Android emulators I gave a shot but they didn’t make the cut to the above list. Some of the other Android emulators I tried are AndyOS, KoPlayer, and Droid4X. The reason I didn’t include them above is because I wasn’t able to get them to work on my machine, even after hours of troubleshooting. This does not necessarily imply that these emulators are worthless. If you feel that even after trying out the best Android emulators, none of them really suits your needs, feel free to give these emulators a try. Lastly, there’s also an official Android emulator that comes bundled with Android Studio. It is built from the ground-up mainly for development purposes, and thus may not be an ideal choice for end consumers looking to run Android apps/games on their PC. That being said, there’s no harm in trying it out!
Run Android Apps on Windows with the Best Android Emulators
So, this was my list of some of the best Android emulators you can use to run Android apps on your Windows PC. Whether you’re a developer looking to test apps or you’re a casual user looking to play some games, you will certainly find the best emulator for your need. If you ask me personally, I’m torn between MEmu and Remix OS Player. But with so many good alternatives around, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same for you.