Play Games or Test Apps with Ease on Your PC or Mac
An Android Emulator Helps you Run Apps on a Variety of Devices.
Version Updated: March 02, 2021
What is an Android Emulator and How is it Useful?
Android Emulator helps in creating an Android Virtual Device (ADV) on your PC. It can be used for running Apps from Google Play Store on Windows or macOS. You can install, use, and uninstall any Android application, just like a physical Android device does. Anyone from a gamer to an Android app developer can use it. It offers Android developers the convenience of testing apps on one emulator by simply changing the device profile rather than switching between multiple physical devices.
Advantages of using an Android Emulator
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![Game Benefits]()
Gaming Benefits
- Bigger screen, never miss a detail
- 100% accuracy with keyboard & mouse controls
- Mobile-exclusive Android Games on PC
- Multiple games at the same time
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![Additional Benefits]()
Other Amazing Benefits
- No worry about battery life
- No need for high-end phones
- Effortless Multitasking
- No text or call interruptions
Common Questions
- Devices and OS supported
- Apps and Games you can run on an Android Emulator
- Other Common Questions
Devices and OS supported
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Can I use it for Mac?
Most of the Android Emulators can be downloaded and run on macOS. Make sure to check the file format, download from the official website, and install as per instructions.
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What versions of Windows are supported?
You can run an Android Emulator on a device with Windows 7 and above.
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What are the basic hardware requirements for using Android Emulators?
Basic configurations requirements may vary for different Android emulators but the following should be enough for you to successfully run the most popular ones on a Windows PC:
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Operating System
:
Microsoft Windows 7 and above.
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Processor
:
Intel or AMD Processor.
-
RAM
:
Your PC must have at least 4GB of RAM. (Note that having 4GB or more disk space is not a
substitute for RAM) -
HDD
:
5GB Free Disk Space.
- You must be an Administrator on your PC.
- Up to date graphics drivers from Microsoft or the chipset vendor.
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Minimum System Specifications required for Mac:
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Operating System
:
Mac® OS X® 10.12 (Sierra) or higher, up to 10.15 (macOS Catalina)
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OS Architecture
:
64-bit
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Processor
:
Intel or AMD Dual-Core Processor
-
Virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V)
:
Should be enabled
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Graphics
:
Intel HD 5200 or higher
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Memory (RAM)
:
4 GB
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Storage HDD Space
:
8 GB of available disk space
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Graphics Drivers
:
Graphics Driver with OpenGL 2.1
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Administrator
:
You must be an Administrator on your PC
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Power Plan
:
High Performance
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Resolution
:
1280 x 800
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What are the ideal hardware configurations for getting the best out of an Android Emulator?
Ideal configurations may be different for different emulators, however, experts recommend the following:
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Operating System
:
Microsoft Windows 10
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Processor
:
Intel or AMD Multi-Core Processor with Single Thread benchmark score > 1000.
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Graphics
:
Intel/Nvidia/ATI, Onboard or Discrete controller with benchmark score >= 750.
-
RAM
:
8GB or higher
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HDD
:
SSD (or Fusion/Hybrid Drives)
-
Internet
:
Broadband connection to access games, accounts, and related content
- Please ensure Virtualization is enabled on your PC/Laptop.
- Recommended Specifications for Mac to run BlueStacks:
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Operating System
:
Mac® OS X® 10.14 (Mojave) or 10.15 (macOS Catalina)
-
OS Architecture
:
64-bit
-
Processor
:
Intel or AMD Multi-Core Processor with Single Thread PassMark score > 1500
-
Virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V)
:
Should be enabled
-
Graphics
:
Intel/Nvidia/ATI, Onboard or Discrete controller with PassMark score >= 750
-
Memory (RAM)
:
8 GB or higher
-
Storage HDD Space
:
SSD with 32 GB of available disk space
-
Graphics Drivers
:
Up-to-date Graphics Driver with OpenGL 2.1 or higher
-
Administrator
:
You must be an Administrator on your PC
-
Power Plan
:
High Performance
-
Resolution
:
1920 x 1200 or higher
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How to keep your system from getting slow while using an Android Emulator?
Just check the following things to optimize your machine to experience the best ‘Android on PC’ experience:
- Make sure that Virtualization is ON
- Update GPU drivers (NVIDIA/AMD)
- Close other programs consuming a high amount of RAM
- Configure your anti-virus so it doesn’t interfere with Virtualization
Apps and Games you can run on an Android Emulator
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What type of games can I play on an Android Emulator?
With the right kind of App player, you can play games from all popular genres like Action, Strategy, Role-playing, Casual, or even Simulation games. This also includes mobile-only games as well.
Other Common Questions
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Are Android Emulators free?
Some are free, some are paid. It would be wise to check the popularity and performance before downloading.
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Are Android Emulators a virus or are they safe to download?
Make sure to download the software from a trusted source like the official website in order to save your system from malware. The chances of an emulator being a virus are likely in case of downloading from third party websites
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What’s the best/safest way to download Android Emulators on my PC?/ How do I download an Android Emulator?
Simply go to the official website and follow the download and install instructions from there.
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What is the difference between a simulator and an emulator?An Emulator basically mimics the software, hardware, and operating system of let’s say a mobile device on your PC. The outcome of performing a task on an emulator is always the same as the original object.A simulator mimics the internal behavior of the device and not the hardware. The simulation gives you a similar output as the original device and is used to estimate, understand, and optimize the real system whereas the output of Emulation is the exact match like the original device.
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Why do Android Emulators ask to log in to a Google account?
Google account login is required to help install games from Google Play Store and for troubleshooting issues just the way it is on your phone.
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How does an Android Emulator improve my gaming?Playing Android games on a PC through an Android Emulator helps take the gaming experience and skills a level higher with useful advantages like:
- The ability to run multiple games/same game in multiple tabs by running instances
- Better gaming control with keypad and mouse/gamepad
- Freedom to play Mobile exclusive Android games on PC
- Customizable gaming controls
- Playing on a bigger screen helps you to truly immerse in the game
