How do I run an Android app on my Windows computer?

Noah August 24, 2022 0 Comments

Mobile gadgets and PCs usually have different operating systems, so the ability to run applications together is very limited. To solve the problem of using games and programs for Android on your PC are emulators, which “recreate” on your computer full-fledged operating system of mobile gadgets. Their functionality and capabilities often differ significantly, and about this – below.

Bluestacks 2

The developers position this emulator as a player of APK applications for Windows. Downloads and installs in 2 clicks, to run any application you need to do a couple more clicks: you need to find the game in the built-in Play Market and install it in a virtual device. At first glance, the program seems very simple and its capabilities – very limited, but after an hour of use you can understand – the functionality in Bluestacks provided serious.

Features:

  1. easy launch and installation of Android apps from AMD AppZone, Google Play, Amazon Appstore;
  2. Support for 96% of apk applications and 86% of Android games;
  3. ability to open dozens of games in different tabs;
  4. There is a full-fledged classic Launcher with the ability to replace it with a custom one;
  5. access to almost all settings of Android OS;
  6. the fast transfer of applications to the gadget is supported.

Advantages:

  • is oriented “for housewives” and is very simple in operation;
  • supports applications with cache and 3D graphics, as well as x86 architecture;
  • is in active development, constantly updated and improved;
  • can send notifications to users when closed, through an icon in the tray;
  • Android apps appear as shortcuts in the Start menu.

Weaknesses:

  • Doesn’t fully support controls in some games;
  • reduced functionality of the Android OS, caused by the emulator’s focus on games;
  • Requires a large amount of computer resources, does not run with a lack of RAM (less than 1 GB);
  • difficult to implement the process of changing the emulated device;
  • provides slightly worse performance than its competitors, although it is geared for games.

Genymotion

Pretty fast emulator for Android OS, which is focused on application developers. The creators of the emulator themselves have set a goal to develop a full-fledged replacement for the “proprietary” emulator from Google’s Android SDK. It has several license options, the choice of which depends on the needs of the user, there is also a completely free version for private use.

Emulator features:

  1. rapid testing of the application on several images of Android devices at once, and the list of gadgets is constantly growing;
  2. Full integration into Eclipse and Android SDK;
  3. emulation of both gadget cameras, GPS (you can set the location) and battery (with adjustable battery level);
  4. Installation and first launch in a few clicks, a wide range of functions “out of the box”.

Benefits:

  • user-friendly interaction with the Windows environment;
  • the ability to run your own applications without a signature;
  • Emulation of several gadgets simultaneously in different windows;
  • Emulation of the Internet connection via 4G, 3G, EDGE, GPRS;
  • Full integration into the development environment for Android OS;
  • higher speed than the emulator from Google.

Disadvantages:

  • limited functionality in the free version;
  • Lack of emulation of the gyroscope, calls, display brightness and other functions;
  • requires the processor to support hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x). If the emulator reports processor incompatibility, try to enable virtualization support in the BIOS.
  • Late release of new Android OS versions for the emulator.

Andy

Free emulator with a lot of features. Completely emulates the Android OS on Windows, has a huge number of adjustable parameters, including the IMEI of the emulated gadget and its GPU performance. Synchronizes with the real gadget and allows you to use it as a joystick during the game.

Features:

  1. Synchronization with Android device;
  2. full-fledged emulation of the operating system;
  3. The ability to install applications from Windows via the context menu;
  4. emulation of the main gadget sensors;
  5. Ongoing developer support.

Advantages:

  • control in games using a mobile device;
  • constant updates from the developers;
  • Full ARM support;
  • launching applications from the Windows desktop.

Disadvantages:

  • No hardware console (for power users);
  • high resource consumption;
  • complicated approach to the configuration of some parameters.

Nox App Player

New Android OS emulator, which was created as an alternative to the popular Bluestacks. The developers have provided here all the key features of Bluestacks and fixed the main drawbacks of the player – added the ability to simply change the settings of the emulated device, as well as a full-fledged OS emulation with the shell Nova Launcher. Emulator initially works on minimum settings, so as not to load the main system, but supports performance enhancement in a few clicks.

Features:

  1. Full emulation of Android 4.4.2 KitKat;
  2. great performance;
  3. additional tools that simplify the work with the system;
  4. AMD processors and x86 architecture;
  5. fully implemented PC control in all games;
  6. large screen resolution and a lot of settings for users.

Advantages:

  • ability to customize the control in different games;
  • low resource intensity “out of the box” with the ability to increase performance through the settings;
  • full operation of the emulated system;
  • constant improvement by the developers.

Disadvantages:

  • support for now only the outdated version of Android 4.4.2 KitKat;
  • a small number of bugs and defects, especially after the release of updates.

Droid4X

Another emulator from the Chinese developers, which is also positioned as an alternative to Bluestacks. Keyboard settings for use in mobile applications were first implemented here and then partially appeared in Bluestacks and in full form in Nox App Player. The emulator features high performance, allows you to use the gadget as a gamepad and also supports Multi-touch for Windows devices with a touch screen.

Features:

  1. full emulation of OS Android 4.4.2;
  2. 16 GB internal and 32 GB external memory in the emulated device;
  3. Full keyboard control setup;
  4. high performance in resource-intensive games.

Advantages:

  • active development, constant updates of the emulator;
  • Controlling games through a mobile gadget with the help of a special application;
  • Full control via a keyboard in any game;
  • Multi-touch support.

Disadvantages:

  • limited list of supported processors;
  • large number of bugs, that are not always promptly fixed by the developers;
  • frequent problems with the keyboard.

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