We’re all well aware about the capabilities of the Android platform. There are smartphones today that can compete with a wide range of technologies. However, what makes those devices really tick is the core Android platform. But what if you own an iPhone and still want to try out Android phone ? Well, you no longer have to purchase an expensive (or inexpensive) phone to find out. There are best Android emulator for Mac today that can help you run and bring full compatibility with all the features of Android (without owning one), while some even update their emulators with the latest version of Android.
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We recently posted about how Visual Studio for Mac is supporting Apple Silicon / M1 architecture through the Rosetta translation layer starting in version 8.9, and we’re working towards native support. We’ve been using and testing with M1 Macs, but it’s always great to hear how.NET and Visual Studio for Mac are working for our customers in the real world. Do you want Android to run on your PC? An Android emulator is required for this purpose. As Android has become more and more popular, emulator popularity has also grown. In this article, we are.
With these Android Emulator For Mac, you can run apps for android, play games, and do pretty much anything like the Android device can (barring phone calls, obviously). Those are just the three main uses of a built in emulator. So we’re going to talk a bit about some of the most popular emulators out there. While some user friendly emulators are present here, we’re also going to talk about developer emulators that can help test out or run android apps and android games.
Instead of giving your only 5 best emulators, we are citing 7 on this post for cross platform. So let’s get to the best Android apps and games emulator for Mac.
Best Android Emulator For Mac
1. ARChon
ARChon is a little different than most of our best Android emulators for PC or Mac in that this one is actually a Google Chrome extension. That’s right — no installing a program on your machine and wasting precious storage space! It is comparable to a virtual machine, virtual device or virtual devices.
Of course, it’s certainly not nearly as seamless as a native program, as it can take a bit of fiddling to get apps and mobile games to work. To use ARChon, once you have it setup in the browser, you’ll have to push or drag APKs to load the apps within the browser. It’s a nice, free program for those that want to be able to use an Android emulator wherever there is Google Chrome.
Not sure where to find APKs for ARChon? You can find many of them for free over at almost any Android APK repository. Some of our most trusted and favorites are APK Mirror or APK Pure.
Download it now:here
2. VirtualBox
Believe it or not, you can actually use VirtualBox to create your own Android emulator for Mac. Download VirtualBox on your Mac machine, and then set it up with the necessary ISO image from Android-x86.org. You’ll be able to create an efficient emulator that allows you to play almost any game or app within Mac.
As an added bonus, VirtualBox gives you a lot of control over how much resources and hardware you devote to it. That allows you to keep your overall machine running smoothly while still running your Android operating system emulator in the background. VirtualBox is free to use; however, it is recommended that you have at least 8GB of RAM on your machine if you want to run this one.
Download it now:here
3. KO Player
KO Player is a relatively new entrant in the emulators game and is one of the newer Android emulators on the list. It markets itself as a mid-market emulator that can run apps and multiple games comfortably. While the focus is mainly on games, this is a full blown Android emulator, so it can run pretty much any app on the Play Store as long as it is compatible with the Android version. The company’s website doesn’t mention which version of Android it’s running, but talks about a few popular apps and games that are compatible with KO Player (WhatsApp, Clash of Clans etc).
It also comes with features like gameplay recording, keyboard gameplay support, and comes with the Google Play Store pre-installed. It is said that about 99% of the Play Store apps are compatible with KO Player. The best part here is that KO Player is a free download, and can be snatched up directly from their official website. As with any free offering, expect some minor issues during usage. However, the app developers are pretty keen on offering a fresh and refined experience through bug fixes.
Download it now:here
4. Nox Player
This is yet another decent alternative for gamers. It comes with the ability to run android games, support joysticks and controllers (assuming your Mac supports actual hardware controller support). There is zero lag during gameplay or general usage, so you can be assured of a smooth performance. Among the list of features here is the ability to keep multiple accounts on Nox, which is handy if you want to use it on the family computer. You will find that the emulator is compatible with pretty much every popular game and app right now.
Further, the emulator is compatible with x86 as well as AMD processors, thus bringing a variety of devices under its compatibility list and access to most Android games. Like with KO Player, Nox allows users to record their screen and share it on social media as they please. It’s one gaming oriented emulator can be very handy for graphics heavy games available as well as strategy games like Clash of Clans and Fortnite (which will reach Android emulation shortly).
More importantly, it’s light on your computer, much like helping it run smoothly and devoid of lag. This is also a free offering with no hidden caveats. Nox also offers the keyboard mapping feature, so the user can play more efficiently with mouse and keyboard. If you are one of those mobile gamers, this one is for you as it is considered as the Android emulator for gamers.
Download it now:here
5. Bluestacks
Bluestacks is probably the most popular Android emulator currently available in the market, and with good reason. This app has served Windows and Mac OS users for a few years now, giving them a viable way using Android on their desktop. This isn’t an ideal setup for developers, though, as Bluestacks is marketed for the masses. This means there will be some lag when you operate, although it’s rapidly diminishing with each update. The recent version of Bluestacks was updated to Android Nougat, making it the freshest Android emulator out there. It’s too soon to tell if and when Bluestacks will update its offering to Android 8.0 or even 9.0 as the latest Android version, so it will have active updates nearly every month.
As it stands, if gaming and social media is your priority, Bluestacks is an excellent emulator to have as it aims itself at gamers. GameLoop is an Android emulator that is used as a gaming platform. It can run all the heavy games and even offer key mapping support, which has become a prerequisite with modern day Android emulators and can bring the better or for worse Android app and game on your Mac. With the added smart keymapping along with a customizable game support, this android emulator is mostly going to boasts a gamer experience.
Bluestacks official emulator is entirely free to download, but will require a subscription per month for continued usage.
Download it now: here
6. Genymotion
One of the newer emulators if you want to run Android on your Mac is Genymotion. We are now coming to the dev-friendly emulators out there. You won’t find all the bells and whistles that you probably see with Bluestacks, Genymotion lets you test out how an Android device and version would work with a particular app or supports Android operating systems. For example, you can have a Nexus 4 running Android 5.0 or an even older device running that version like Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Kit Kat(assuming it’s compatible).
Genymotion can let you run an emulator directly on your PC or on the cloud, which very few emulators out there can do. This means you can share the functionings of your app with the rest of the world without them having to download a dedicated emulator.
This is a game changer for developers who like to get opinions on their projects from the masses or close associates. Naturally, the android emulator for PC option is also present, so you’re free to use it the old fashioned way. This isn’t a free version offering for personal use, though, so be prepared to subscribe to one of Genymotion’s plans to reap the benefits of all the features mentioned above.
Download it now: here
7. Android Studio
Google’s very own Android Studio emulator also comes with an emulator you can download, although it’s significantly less flashy than a few commercial use emulators and actually run android natively. However, it is updated frequently with new features. This is designed specifically for budding and experienced Android developers to test out their apps before it is pushed to the Play Store. It works with both PCs and Macs, so neither platform is left out. It has all the tools to build and design your apps, while the emulator feature allows you to glance through your creation.
Given the feature set, it is definitely not recommended for amateurs, as setting it up could take some time. Android Studio is a free download on both major platforms, and is a 880MB download for Macs. Though updating those services may take time, watch out for more active development in years with this productivity emulator.
Download it now: here
While these emulators offer a great experience for your Mac as it runs android apps/games like Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG mobile, this may also create a negative effect on your device as the level use might increase, especially with the battery life. Running multiple emulators may affect your device operation as it depends on the operating systems and hardware.
Always test your apps or test apps on the emulator you install once you’ve downloaded them and see the emulators ability to run smoothly and see if it is usable as a productivity tool for PC and Mac. There are still best android emulators that you can discover around the web that can run an Android app or game. The installation process may take longer than expected, depending on various factors such as internet speed and the likes.
If you find another Android emulator or free android emulator that is actually a fairly decent, actually works pretty well and that suits your taste, feel free to use it as long as it runs well or work well, gets the work done or the emulators run properly. You can use emulators as a productivity tool for video loading or loading video. Just find one that supports this kind of function. You might be able to get the price free for personal use just like PrimeOS Remix OS player and other Android Studio S emulator or ldplayer android studio.
If you are looking for the best Android emulator for PC then there are dozens of Android emulator software available online. Newbies may think why someone needs Android emulators for PC when they have an actual Android Smartphone, then you need to think again. The Android emulators for Windows or Mac PC help developers those want to debug their newly developed apps or games for Android. Besides developers, the gamers can also enjoy their favourite Android games on the Windows 10, 8, Linux or MacOS using Android emulators. Even while gaming the gamers can use their PC keyboard and mouse for an Android game. The emulator software can also use to recording your favourite app video.
So, we have gathered nine Free Android Emulator For PC to write this article and all the mentioned emulators below work on Windows 10, 7, 8, 8.1. We tried all these Android emulators on our testing PC with i7 intel core processor, 12GB RAM, 250GB SSD and Windows 10 Professional edition. So before installing and using any Android emulators check the application hardware requirements.
Best Android Emulators For Windows 10 and Mac PC
Remix Os Player- Android Emulator
Remix OS Player comes in two forms one is Remix OS Player which is an Android Emulator and secondly is a complete independent Android Operating system for PC. The Remix Os is an Android-based computer operating system and can be installed on Windows or Mac PCs virtually. For physical installation, you need a Windows machine. Now come to the Remix Os Player that can install in one click. The Remix OS player is an Android Marshmallow based Android Emulator.
It comes with pre-installed Google Play store which makes easy to install any Google App. Remix Os Player includes a key mapper tool that allows Android games with touch control schemes to be played more effectively with keyboard and mouse. This Emulator developed on Google’s own Android Studio.
Unlike Android Studio and other emulators, Remix OS Player will let Android developers optimize their apps for the Android PC/Chrome OS environment because of its mouse and multiple window support. One thing to note is that the Remix Os Player only supports the Intel processors and not the AMD.
Download Free Android Emulator Remix Os Player
MEmu
This is another good Android Emulator in our list as it runs on the v5.1.1 (Lollipop). It comes with KitKat and you need to download additional packages to upgrade it to Lollipop. Unlike the Remix OS Player, it can support Intel and AMD both along Nvidia and Intel HD graphics. From OS part, it supports the Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7.
It supports Multiple Android Kernels: Android Jellybean, KitKat, and Lollipop spontaneously. You can also run multiple instances at one click to create another Android instance, co-exist with other emulators. It supports most of Android games and app with keyboard, mouse, and joystick. It is the most capable Android emulator we have used while creating this list.
Download the MEmu Android Emulator.
Also See: How to install Android apps on PC with MEmu, the Android emulator for Windows
Ko Player
Koplayer can run all Android games and apps on Windows system smoothly. It built on x86 Architecture, support advanced features like OpenGL & hardware acceleration.
It comes with pre-integrated Google app store and supports multiple accounts, video recording, gamepad & keyboard. You can map the keyboard buttons according to your choice to streamline the gaming experience. The company promoting this Android Emulator especially for gamers.
Download the KO PLAYER Android Emulator.
Nox App Player
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Nox App Player is another popular and reliable free Android operating system emulator. It based on Android 4.4.2 and compatible with X86 and AMD. The Mac version is also available. It allows you to modify player settings, custom skins, and even assigning CPU resources. You can map custom keyboard keys for gaming. Another cool feature is that you can log-in to multiple accounts simultaneously.
Andyroid
Andyroid is available for both Windows 7,8,10 and Mac and supports OpenGL Hardware. It now provides an Android upgrade feature that keeps you up to date. It features Camera integration, Microphone Integration, App Sync to Mobile, Phone as a controller, Google Play store, Desktop Push Notifications, cloud save in Android, Xbox/PS controller support, Keyboard mapper and more.
BlueStacks Android emulator
BlueStacks is the most popular Android emulator and best for playing Android games on PC but due to its bloatware, it loses its popularity. It also comes with pre-installed Google Play store and gives access to over two million Android and apps and games. Some Bluestacks features are there which you can’t get in every Android emulator such as Live Facebook streaming using Bluestacks TV and multitasking support.
Droid4x Emulator
Droid4x
The design of Droid4X is very simple and one of the best classic Android emulators for Windows PC. If you are a casual gamer or just want an emulator for a productivity work; the Droid4X Emulator is the best lightweight one. The Driod4X is also available for Mac. The operating system for Droid4X is based on Android 4.2.2
Download Droid4X Android Emulator
Run Android Apps on Windows PC with best Paid Android Emulators
AMIDuOS
AMIDuOS is not completely free but comes with a free trial period. It comes in two version Lollipop and Jelly Bean. The Lite Jellybean version cost $10 and Lollipop/Jellybean pro version is about $15. The AMIDuOS runs on Microsoft Windows devices. It converts any Windows 10, 7 and 8 PC or tablet in Android without the need of dual boot. If you are a developer or want a professional Android emulator then you can try it before purchasing.
Download the AMIDuOS trial version
Genymotion
Genymotion is paid and the good alternative to Android Studio. This emulator software runs on PC by installing the Virtual Box, so be sure you have enabled the Virtualization form the BIOS menu. A developer can develop test cases with JAVA API to automate them with the command line tool. It allows stimulating the Android 4.4 KitKat to Android 7.0 Nougat.
Android Studio M1
It provides plugins for Android Studio, IntelliJ IDEA, and Eclipse for smooth integration of Genymotion. It is dedicated for developers and doesn’t come with Google Play store. You can install Google Apps manually. The trial version is available for this emulator software.
Android Emulators Paid and Free Comparison Chart
Remix OS Payer | v.6.0.1 9 (Marshmallow) | Free | Yes | No |
MEmu | v5.1.1 (Lollipop) | Free | Yes | No |
Ko Player | v5.0. (Lollipop) | Free | Yes | No |
Andyroid | v4.4 (KitKat) | Free | Yes | Yes |
Nox App Player | v4.4 (KitKat) | Free | Yes | Yes |
Bluestacks | v4.4 (KitKat) | Free | Yes | Yes |
GenyMotion | v4.4 (KitKat) to v7.0.1 (Nougat) | Paid | Yes | Yes |
AMIDuOS | v5.0. (Lollipop)/Jellybean | Paid | Yes | Yes |
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If we missed something and you know or experienced any other best Android Emulator that can fit in this best emulator list, please let us know.
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