Just a couple of days ago the first PREVIEW version of the Android Emulator for Apple M1 (Apple Silicon) Chips were released. I downloaded the latest. If you want to run Android apps on your PC and Mac, you will need an emulator. So here are the Top 15 Best Android Emulators on the market Free and Paid. Make deploying, testing, and debugging your Android apps a breeze with our fast, free, best-of-breed Android emulator. Experience first-class.
Macintosh OS or popularly known as Mac OS used by Apple on its Mac PC’s and Macbook’s is an awesome OS, with its awesome user-interface, and great features, wouldn’t it be more awesome if we are able to run Android on Mac os.? like WhatsApp on mac os, yes it’s possible by these unique Android Emulators , so let’s have a look on these 3 best Android Emulator for Mac OS’s
Bluestacks AppPlayer Android Emulator for Mac OS
- Bluestacks AppPlayer is probably the Best Android Emulator available because it uses the unique “LayerCake” technology which allows android OS apps to be emulated and run without requiring an external Virtual Desktop App whatsoever.
- Also Bluestacks contains inbuilt search manager which allows you to install any apk within itself.
- The .apk files can be installed into Bluestacks from guest OS [Mac OS] itself, simply by double-clicking, as well as the apps can be launched directly from the MAC dashboard!
- moreover Push Notifications of app installed in Bluestacks are pushed directly to the host OS, hence you can use chat applications like whatsapp and the MAC Os simultaneously and smoothly!
- Bluestacks automatically takes up the internet connected to the Guest OS [mac] hence no need of configuring anything!
- Bluestacks for MAC can be downloaded from either bluestacks.com or by Clicking here to download the Bluestacks .dmg file .
Droid4X
Droid4X is the sort of emulator designed for Power, and its the best android emulator for gaming be it for Mac OS or Windows.
- It provides options to configure Keyboard as Controller for gaming.
- Comes pre-rooted and with Google Play Store installed.
- Simply, drag and drop the apk file to start the installation.
Andy OS
- Andy OS by Andyroid.net is another great Android Emulator for Mac OS , but it requires Virtual Box to be preinstalled on the MAC.
- Features of ANDY emulator include Google Play Store support inbuilt, none of the emulator has this feature inbuilt even for Windows builds!
- Multi-Touch support – the word explains it all !
- you can also use your phone as a controller for controlling / playing the games, the picture alongside explains it 🙂
- Access the installed apps directly from the Desktop environment!
- OpenGL hardware acceleration, Camera and Microphone all features supported!
- You can download the MAC version of Andy from here –> The link will automatically redirect you depending on your OS —
- Click here to download & get Andy Emulator for Mac OS X .dmg file .
Genymotion
- One of the most striking features of Genymotion is unlike other Android Emulators it allows us to change the type of android device as well as android version we are using!!
- This is a great feature and allows us to select a particular device as well as particular Android version which we want to emulate.
- It also supports configuring the amount of resources e.g RAM ,harddisk to be allocated to the Android device is possible! Great feature if your are limited on hardware resources.
- Directly supports networking through ethernet /Wi-Fi , emulates your connected connection directly so you can use internet directly in your emulated android.
- ADB Support and it also supports OpenGL hardware acceleration so you can use your Android device fullscreen and play Games on your MAC!
- Also supports drag and drop file transfer to the emulated SD Card 🙂 , supports Gyroscope,Light and accelerometer sensors too.
- You need an account on Genymotion Cloud – to Download and deploy Genymotion android device .
Xamarin Android Player for MAC
Xamarin is yet another android emulator with variety of devices supported, it supports OpenGL, and virtualizes a device instead of emulating it.
- This Virtualization increases speed of the emulator to a great extent!
- Click here to download Xamarin Android Player for Mac.
- The Configuration/installation instructions for Xamarin on Mac OS can be found here .
NOTE – You might want to check out this new emulator which runs directly inside Google Chrome Browser – ARChon! Android Emulator., thus it will work on Mac too!
So these were the Best 5 Android Emulators for Mac OS , besides these there are other options available too such as the Android SDK (Official) Emulator ,AndroVM , AndroLite but configuring official Android SDK is a tedious task and other two didn’t interest me much , you can check them out too..
Hope you liked this post, if you have any doubts/queries/suggestions feel free to comment!
Emulators are a good way to test the Android OS on your computer. With an Android emulator, you can test apps, features and tweaks without the worry of messing up your smartphone’s software.
Developers use Android emulators on both Mac and Windows to ensure that their apps do not have bugs or glitches before sending them to the Google Play Store. There are the best Android emulators for both Mac & Windows.
Best Android Emulators For PC/Windows
Android Studio Emulator
Google recommends Android Studio Emulator as one of the best emulators for app development. That is, if you want to run Android apps on your PC, this is a good start.
- Choose from multiple APIs.
- Easy setup and low learning curve.
- The emulator is free.
- Google officially supports it.
But, if you’re not a developer, then there are other Android emulators for Windows that caters to the regular folk like you and I.
Bluestacks 3
Android Studio Emulator Mac M1
Bluestacks 3 let’s you run Android on your PC and it one the oldest and most reliable emulators available.
- Simple interface.
- Easy to use.
- Bluestacks 3 supports most apps on Google Play Store or otherwise.
- Run multiple instances of apps.
- Adjust keys to suit your needs.
It’s user friendly. Hence, even if you are not tech savvy, you can get by. There is a free version and a paid version.
I use Bluestacks mostly for playing games. I can access all the games on the Play Store and play them on my Windows 10 PC. There’s even a nice selection of games that don t need WiFi.
Andy
Andy is an emulator for Windows that can run any and all Android apps. Moreover, it has support for root access. So, for apps that need it, it’s as simple as a click.
Remix OS Player
As one of the first Android simulators for Windows that ran Android Marshmallow, Remix OS Player is great for both testing apps and for casual gaming.
But, the only drawback is that it does not support AMD Chipsets. It works with Windows 7 (64-bit) and above.
AMIDuOS
AMIDuOS claims to be the fastest Android emulator to run Android on Windows.
There claim isn’t far off. AMIDuOS really is fast. For now, it runs Lollipop or JellyBean (both paid). But, there is a free trial.
- Test your apps for bugs (developers).
- Unlimited installation of Android applications.
- Light on system resources.
As of writing, AMIDuOS has been discontinued. As, I had already purchased the software, I still have access. However, for new users, please use an alternative.
Virtual Box
If you ever wanted to build your very own emulator from scratch, then Virtual Box lets you do just that.
The learning curve is high. And, if you are not already accustomed to building your own OS, then, this software is not for you.
However, there are lots of guides online and if you’re determined to learn to code and build your own OS on the emulator, then you can give it a try.
MEmu
This emulator allows you to play Android games on PC with ease. It’s easy to install. Easy to set up. And, best of all, it’s free.
Genymotion
This emulator emulates the Android OS from 4.1 to 6.0. For most common fold, this may seem trivial. But, for a developer, it’s always good to know how your apps work on different versions of Android.
Xamarin
Xamarin now belongs to Microsoft. And it is a cross-platform emulator that can emulate the Android OS. It’s good for developers and gamers alike and is free for personal use.
Nox Player
This is another free emulator that prioritize games. It even goes a step forward and lets you use a gaming controller to play your favorite Android games.
Windroy
Windroy is an emulator that works just as well on older PCs as well as new PCs. It’s not so good for gaming. Better to use an alternative on the list for that.
But, for productivity, it checks out. It can run most of the office apps without an issue.
Also, in Windroy, you won’t find Google Play, the Android’s app store. To run applications, you have to download the APK file, and put it
Droid4X
Droid4X focuses mainly on Android games. Hence, it’s not the best option for other purposes. On the bright side, the emulator is free to use. There are a few glitches here and there so don’t expect a smooth ride.
Best Android Emulators For Mac
ARChon
ARChon is a web-based emulator and thus works on Mac and other platforms. It comes in the form of a Google Chrome extension.
It’s free to use and has instructions on how to use it readily available. All you need is the APK file for your app or game.
Android Studio Emulator Not Working Mac M1
Droid4X
Droid4X is also a good Android emulator for Mac. However, as mentioned, it’s more for people wanting to play Android games on their MacBooks.
Conclusion
These are some of the best Android emulators for both Windows PC and Mac. Feel free to try them out or try out the free trials for the paid ones.
Android Studio Emulator Mac M11
Most work great. And, some are better at gaming than others. There are also emulators that work best for developers. There’s one for every need.