7 Best Android Emulators for Windows 10

Run Android apps on your computer with these Android emulators

You can run Android on Windows with an Android emulator. What this does is emulates the mobile operating system, or at least a portion of it, through a software program that’s capable of running Android.

Everything is contained within the emulation software. This means you can do things not normally possible on your computer, like install Android apps on Windows and test drive various versions of the OS without needing a phone or tablet.

An Android emulator can be helpful if your favorite app only runs on your phone but you’d like to use it from your computer, too, or on a bigger screen. If you’re new to Android and want to test out the newest version before buying an Android phone, some emulators can do that for you.

BlueStacks

Includes a built-in app store

Installing and opening apps is really easy

Emulates Android 7.1.2 Nougat

Lets you install other APK files that aren’t in the store

Advanced settings like RAM and CPU allocation can be adjusted in the settings

You can earn BlueStacks Points to trade in for things like gift cards or a premium subscription

Android version isn’t current

Unlike a whole-OS emulator, BlueStacks emulates just Android apps on Windows. It’s really easy to use, so you don’t need to know anything about emulators or even Android to get your apps up and running.

Google Play is built in, so to emulate Android apps on your computer, just install them and open the shortcuts like you would on a mobile device.

If you’re looking for an emulator that lets you quickly install an Android app on your PC, you can’t go wrong with this one. Check out the apps you can download here.

It’s free but you can upgrade to BlueStacks Premium for no ads, daily wallpapers, app recommendations, premium support, and more.

Windows 7 and newer and macOS Sierra and newer are supported.

Supports both landscape and portrait mode

Lets you spoof your GPS location

Can remap keyboard keys

Supports full screen mode

Emulates Android 7.1 (most use older versions)

Huge setup file, over 850 MB

Can’t install apps by their APK file

The Andy emulator for Windows puts Android Nougat on your computer. You can run games and other apps by installing them through the Google Play Store.

Since this is a full Android emulator, you can also reposition the apps on the home screen and install widgets just like you can on a real Android device.

Andy works on not only Windows 10 but also Windows 8 and Windows 7, plus Ubuntu 14.04+ and Mac OS X 10.8+.

Remix OS Player

Installing and using apps is really simple

You can run multiple apps at once

Lots of settings can be manually set, like the GPS location and the phone coverage and battery levels

The orientation of the emulator can be rotated

Setup file is over 700 MB

Unable to install APK files

Last update was in 2016

Remix OS is an operating system based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, so it looks like your normal operating system with a desktop area, start menu, taskbar, and trash bin.

However, instead of installing the whole Remix OS, you can use the Remix OS Player emulator to run Android apps on your computer.

This software is described as a game emulator for your computer because it lets you customize some of the shortcuts normally used for navigating games, but you can use Remix OS Player for other apps, too, like Snapchat, Facebook, etc.; everything is available through the Play Store.

NoxPlayer

A great emulator for gamers

Emulates the entire OS

Nearly everything is accessible with a keyboard shortcut

Lots of customizable options, like one to root Android in one click

Google Play is built-in but you can open APK files, too

Android 5 is outdated

Tries to install another program during setup

Based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, NoxPlayer is a free Android emulator that’s made with gaming in mind. Google Play is built in for easy access to games and other apps, and you get the whole Android experience, including the home screen, folders, the notification center, etc.

Nearly every option in this emulator makes playing games easier. For example, you can record macros, define keys for things like multiple strikes and weapon fires, adjust FPS settings, record the screen, and take screenshots, among other things.

Install it on Windows 10 down through XP. There’s also a Mac version of NoxPlayer.

Android Studio

Emulates the entire Android OS, not just one app

Always supports the newest Android operating system

You can emulate old Android OSs, too

Lets you build Android apps

No built-in app store

Setup can get confusing

Android Studio might be what you’d call the “official” Android emulator since it’s from Google. However, the core of the program is meant for app development and testing, there just happens to be an emulator built-in as well.

This program doesn’t have an easy-to-use interface like the other emulators in this list, so it isn’t the greatest if you just want to run some Android apps on your computer. However, if you plan to create your own apps and you want an easy way to test them throughout the creation process, then this might be all you need.

The Android Studio emulator works on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.

Genymotion

Supports lots of Android versions

Easier to use than Android Studio

Emulates the whole Android device

Lets you adjust processor and memory settings

The Play Store isn’t included

Another free Android emulator for Windows is Genymotion. It’s a lot like Android Studio’s emulator in that it emulates the entire OS, except that this one doesn’t install all the other developer tools.

This free Android emulator can run modern versions of Android, not just old ones like some of these emulators. The way it works is you install virtual devices by selecting the Android version you want and the device model that should run that version of Android.

For example, you might select Android 10 and Google Pixel 3 to emulate that phone and OS on your computer. Or, maybe you want Motorola Xoom to run Android 4.3. You can also make a custom phone or tablet by specifying the screen resolution.

You can use Genymotion for free only if it’s for personal use. To get started, make a user account, activate it through the link they send to your email, and then download the personal edition.

Otherwise, this Android emulator is available in three paid editions.

Genymotion runs on Windows 10 and 8, macOS 10.13 or above, and Ubuntu.

8 best free Android emulators for Windows 10

• If you have trouble using Android apps on your Windows device, try one of these best free Android emulators.
• Emulators are tools that allow Android-compatible programs to run on Windows PC.
• Luckily, there are plenty of such tools on the market and you’ll easily find an Android emulator online.
• LD Player or BlueStacks are just some of the most common names that you’ll see here.

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We’re all about Windows 10 Mobile here, but the fact is that a lot more users use Android. However, a lot of Android users are also using Windows 10-powered computers.

We’re going to combine these two things, and present you the best Android emulators for your Windows PC you can find.

Although the title of the article says Windows 10, because that’s the most used OS by our readers, all these Android emulators will work for other Windows versions that you might be running, such as Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

As usually, the 1st position is the one we suggest as being the best and with the most features, but feel free to examine all your options.

What are the top 10 Android emulators for Windows PC?

LDPlayer

Topping off our list is an android emulator that deserves the #1 one spot not only because it is indeed completely free, but also because it is the best there is.

While relatively newer to the market and maybe not with the same resounding name as our other entries, LDPlayer does a wonderful job of breaking the barrier between mobile and PC gaming.

Enjoy all of the top games on Android on your PC device, and instead oh wearing and tearing through your phone’s battery and touchscreen, simply use your mighty PC with a mouse, keyboard, or controller.

The games will run smoothly, no matter how complex or large they are, even full-scale mobile MMORPGs.

All in all, LDPlayer is our top choice when it comes to merging Android and Windows OS.

LDPlayer

BlueStacks

BlueStacks is definitely the most famous Android emulator (founded 8 years ago) on our list, and it is also the most widely used one. And rightfully so.

It is totally free and after several tests, we concluded that this is the best Android emulator for Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 10 .

BlueStacks runs 97% of what’s inside the Google Play Store on your Windows PC, as long as you run Windows XP or later.

It is the single Android App Player that we recommend virtualizing the full Android experience as a Windows software without any harm to your system.

In general, BlueStacks is the best for playing Android games on their computers, but it’s okay for other purposes, as well. Also, it’s very simple to use, so even if you’re not an ‘advanced’ user, you’ll do good with this emulator .

Unlike others, BlueStacks 3.0 allows you to run multiple Android Apps and Games simultaneously.

Furthermore, the most recent update – BlueStacks + N Beta, represents the first and only Android gaming platform to have Android 7 while the majority of other Android emulators run Android 4.4 .

This means you will use an upgraded graphics engine, making your games faster and better looking. And this is exactly why BlueStacks is our single and most honest recommendation.

Bluestacks

Make sure to download the associated game, as shown in the screenshot above to get bonus Pika points .

You will be able to use them for special features and products. Once the link opens, you will get a ‘Download the Bla Bla Bla game’. When you click on it, BlueStacks automatically downloads and you can proceed from there.

Nox Player

Nox Player is another great Android emulator for playing Android games on your PC.

To complete the gaming experience, Nox offers some additional utilities and additions, such as the support for the computer’s keyboard and mouse, as well as the gamepad.

It could be laggy sometimes, but the overall impression is satisfying. Another good thing is that it doesn’t come with any additional software.

MEmu is an excellent Android emulator created for one purpose only: gaming. Supporting both AMD and Intel chipsets, this tool will run on every computer.

It also supports KitKat, Lollipop and Android Jelly Bean. This makes it extremely powerful and puts it in a good position.

Run a System Scan to discover potential errors

You can play and run almost every apps and game (problematic apps and games are problematic for every emulator, right?). From all its features, here are the most important that you should consider:

• Sharing files between Android and Windows PC
• GPS location simulation
• Watch live shows and TV channels
• Fast APK installation
• Great experience with a well-designed user desktop

Droid4x

Droid4X is one of the best choices for simulating Android on your computer. Addons are among the most interesting things in this emulator, which you can use to enhance the application’s functionality.

It comes with a pre-installed Google Play Store, and also beats the competition in gaming, although there are better options in terms of stability.

Another great feature is an app that you can install on your Android phone, so you can control games on your computer. Use this free Android emulator for your Windows PC with confidence.

Genymotion

And now something for developers! Genymotion is absolutely the best Android emulator you can get, if you’re into developing Android games on your computer.

It emulates apps and games on a variety of Android devices, without requiring you to own that device.

Also, besides choosing the device Genymotion will ‘act’ as, you can also set up various versions of Android , so you can experience how apps and games work in different environments.

You can, as well, easily switch between devices, by your desire. Genymotion is something like the opposite of AMIDuOS, because it’s great for developers, but not so great for regular users.

⇒ Download Genymotion

Andy is a lesser known Android emulator for Windows PC users, but it’s completely free. It used to be a little buggy when it first came out, but most of the issues have been fixed since then.

Andy supports some unique features that are not supported by all Android emulators out there, like remotely playing games on your computer from a mobile phone, ARM support, and the ability to directly install apps, using your desktop browser.

This emulator is also interesting because it nsures most up to date Android OS at all times.

⇒ Download Andy

Koplayer

Koplayer is a well-rated app that is totally free and lets you open all the apps from Google store.

This emulator uses a brand new x86 Kernel technology that should make it faster,r better and more compatible than any other emulators. Koplayer is compatible with Windows 7, 8/8.1 and 10.

The game supports gamepad, mouse, and keyboard so your gaming sessions could be more pleasant. It also offers you some interesting features for the camera, keyboard, and microphone.

That lets you record your gaming sessions, make screenshots and share it with your friends.

You can try it and let us know in the comments section how does it work.

We’ll end our list here. As you can see, there are a lot of useful Android emulators for Windows out there, which is a great improvement over a few years’ periods.

You basically can choose the right emulator , based on your needs, skill level, and desires, which is great.

To help you with that, here are a few more specific lists of emulators, depending on where you want to use them, and for what purpose:

What’s your favorite Android emulator to use on your Windows 10 computer? Or you maybe know some quality emulator that we didn’t list here? Tell us in the comments.