- BlueStacks App Player is probably the most popular emulator for running Android apps on Mac. It is available for both Mac and Windows. It creates a virtual copy of Android OS apps on the guest OS. It uses the unique 'LayerCake' technology that allows you to run android apps on your PC without any external Virtual Desktop Application.
- Emulators are applications which allow you to enjoy Android apps and games on your Windows or Mac device. With the help of Android emulators, you can access all Android applications including high-end games on your PC. Emulator users are able to use mouse and keyboard which gives you better control in comparison to mobiles.
- Android Emulator For Mac Reddit
- Best Emulators For Pc
- Memu Android Emulator For Mac
- Emulator Android For Mac Os
- Android Emulator For Mac
- Emulator Android For Macbook
Android emulators are a great way to experience Android on your Windows or Mac computer. They allow you to have the mobile feel of an android phone without having to buy a new device. Plus, they're perfect for playing games that aren't available in the Apple Store!
Jul 07, 2021 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.
So you want to run android apps on your PC? Well, it just so happens that there are a ton of android emulators out there. However, not all android emulators are created equal. Some have limited features while others offer the same functionality as Android devices themselves. In this article, we will discuss our top 10 best android emulators for Windows and Mac!
Hopefully, by the end of this post, you'll be able to find one that suits all your needs!
Advantages of Android emulators
Android emulators are great tools for developers and android enthusiasts to test out android apps without having an android device. Moreover, the android emulators enable you to enjoy the same experience as if you were using a phone or tablet – meaning that they can be used with keyboard+mouse or touch screen, depending on what suits your needs best.
The android emulators also offer an opportunity to test out different builds of android without having access to a variety of devices – meaning that they can be pretty handy if you need a place to tinker with new android versions and new builds of android.
Mostly the android emulators are also compatible with a variety of other operating systems, meaning that you can use them on your Windows or Mac machine without the need for any specialized software – just download the emulator like normal and away you go! Android emulators provide an opportunity for people who don't like owning their own android devices to still be able to use Android apps or games on a computer.
Developers are able to test their app's compatibility with various versions of Android as well as screen sizes and resolutions without having an actual phone. Android emulation allows developers to test out their apps on various devices without having access to each individual device separately.
Emulation also offers users an opportunity to run android apps that may not be compatible with specific OS's, meaning that Android can be used on a variety of different computers.
BlueStacks
The number one Android emulator on this list is BlueStacks. This versatile emulator comes with a variety of benefits such as the ability to run pretty much any version of android you want, compatibility with Windows and Mac operating systems (as well as Linux), an intuitive user interface that's super easy to use and lots more.
BlueStacks comes with an inbuilt app store, meaning that after installation, you can go ahead and download any of your favorite apps without the need for a separate app market.
The emulator also includes integrated Google Play services, making it compatible with all Android games as well! This is one of the safest android emulators on the market for Mac and Windows. This is a great option if you're looking to avoid downloading any malware.
The emulator also offers the ability to record gameplay on your computer without having any additional software – perfect for gamers who want to show off their gaming skills!
However, one of the most notable features of this software is it, instance manager. With it, you're able to launch multiple android instances at the same time. This is great if you need more than one emulator for different purposes – such as testing out a new game or working on an app that needs two versions of Android in order to work properly.
BlueStacks is one of the best android emulators out there and will allow you to access pretty much anything that Android has to offer, including all your favorite apps!
Pros:
- Great for beginners.
- Fits on most screens (meaning that you can enjoy Android without having to buy a whole new computer).
- Ability to test out different versions of android and operating systems.
Cons:
- Doesn't work with all games – especially ones that require an accelerometer or gyroscope.
- Doesn't work with some apps and games that require Android OS versions lower than Jellybean.
- Requires a powerful computer to run smoothly.
NoxPlayer
NoxPlayer is another one of the best Android emulators for Windows and Mac. It's not as popular as BlueStacks, but it has a lot to offer – like support for hardware acceleration! As we all know, there are many games that require good graphics card and processor power in order to run smoothly. So if you're looking for a way to optimize your emulator experience, NoxPlayer might be the best option.
What makes it stand out from other Android emulators? Well, first of all – its performance! It can easily run games with the highest graphics settings without any hiccups or long loading times. Secondly, it's very user-friendly and easy to use – perfect for beginners!
Lastly, it has a big advantage over most of the other emulators on this list. NoxPlayer is also available as an Android app which means that you can install and run it directly from your phone or tablet if you're running low on space. That's pretty neat, right?
Pros
- Easy to use
- Free for personal and commercial purposes.
- High-performance emulation (runs Android apps at near native speeds)
- Completely cross-platform (supports Windows, Mac and Linux)
Cons
- Runs on Android 5, which is too outdated to enjoy new games.
- Comes with some bloatware, i.e., difficult-to-delete software.
- Some antivirus software may detect its files as suspicious.
LDPlayer
LDPlayer is a powerful Android emulator that lets you run your favourite apps on Windows. It has been around for more than five years, and it comes with a user-friendly interface.
LDPlayer includes a built-in web browser, so you can surf the internet right from your desktop computer running Windows or Mac OS X. What's more, this Android emulator introduces support for multi-touch – it supports up to ten points of input at once!
What's more, one of the most prominent features in LDPlayer is its compatibility with thousands of Android games and applications. In addition to that, we must mention that even if your computer doesn't meet the requirements for this emulator; you may still be able to run it.
Pros:
– LDPlayer is compatible with thousands of Android games and applications. It includes a built-in web browser, so you can surf the internet right from your desktop computer running Windows or Mac OS X.
What's more, it supports up to ten points of input at once!
Cons:
- The emulator is not free.
- It takes a while to set up the emulator and get it running smoothly on your computer, depending on how powerful it is.
- LDPlayer doesn't come with any keyboard shortcuts by default.
Andy Android Emulator
Andy is one of the best on this list. It has a lot of features and it's pretty fast, requires just minimum system requirements to install on your computer. With Andy you can experience the same Android as on an actual device but without having to actually own one. This emulator also allows for multiple users accounts which makes great for testing apps or games.
The emulator also supports sync with Dropbox which is very convenient when you want to access your files from any device.
Andy allows you to sync the folders and system settings with a computer, while this may not sound like much it can come in handy at times where all other Android Emulators fail.
Pros:
Great for testing apps and games. Multiple accounts
Cons:
Expensive service, Requires more system resources so it's not as fast as some other emulators in this list
MEmuPlay
One of the top rated Android emulators on our list is MEmuPlay. It is specifically created for gaming and offers an amazing user interface.
MEmuPlay is a highly customizable Android emulator which is available for Windows and Mac.
It has many features that make it one of the most desirable emulators on our list, including:
– It can be used to play games in high performance with its frame rate limit feature
– Ability to change screen size
– Optimized graphics engine for smoother HD graphics
Android Emulator For Mac Reddit
– The emulator is quite lightweight and can be used on a wide range of PC's
– It offers the ability to change the orientation of your screen from portrait to landscape while you are playing games. This allows users to play in either position which may come up depending on what they want to do with their device at that moment.
Pros:
– Its frame rate limit feature allows you to play games on a high-performance level. With this, gamers can enjoy smoother HD graphics and never experience lag when playing their favourite game.
You have the ability to customize your resolution which means that MEmuPlay will be perfect for any type of computer.
This emulator is also quite lightweight and can be used on a wide range of PC's, regardless of the hardware specifications.
Ability to change screen orientation from portrait to landscape.
Cons:
– There is a lack of customization when it comes to the home screen
– The emulator may be difficult to use for gamers who are new to these types of programs.
Android Studio Emulator
The Android Studio is the official development environment created by Google. It has an inbuilt powerful emulator that lets you test and debug your applications without the need for a physical device.
The emulator has been designed to be as close as possible to an actual phone, which allows app developers to detect problems before they are deployed on a real-world system. It also enables the testing of different devices with one single installation of Android Studio.
The inbuilt emulator has been designed with some of the following features to make it as realistic as possible:
- Emulates phone calls and sensors like GPS, accelerometer, etc.
- Supports hardware acceleration
- Includes support for USB devices such as keyboard, gamepad, mouse and other peripherals to make testing apps more realistic.
- Provides an easy way to take screenshots at any time
It also comes pre-installed with Android SDKs so you can start developing right away without having to install it separately in your computer. It also has built-in tools like DDMS (Dalvik Debug Monitor Server) and CPU/Memory profiler, which can be used by developers as well as power users to debug and analyze applications.
The emulator lets developers test their apps on different system architectures (x86 or ARM) as well as different Android versions to ensure that it will work across all devices.
The emulator is versatile and has a lot of features for developers such as creating multiple virtual screens, generating pre-defined screen sizes (Smartphone, TV), adding/removing system overlays like battery level or using Google Play Store to download apps into the device.
Lastly, the Android Studio Emulator is enabled with Google Play Services and it can be accessed by logging into your account.
ARChon
ARChon (also known as ARChon Runtime for Chrome) is a versatile custom extension for Chrome or Chromium browser that can easily run Android apps straight on Windows PC and a wide variety of other supported platforms.
ARChon is an open-source, free Android emulator that allows users to emulate the android experience on their PC. Unlike other emulators mentioned above, ARCHON isn't a traditional emulator, it is installed as a chrome extension. Hence, the extension must be downloaded and installed on Chrome browser. When installed, it gives chrome the ability to run android apps and games.
ARChon works with any operating system that can run an instance of Chrome, including macOS, Linux, Windows, etc.
How to download and install ARChon on Chrome.
- Download the ARChon.zip file and unzip it via Winrar or 7zip.
- Open Google Chrome browser on your windows.
- Click on the 3 dot option key at the top right corner of the browser. Select tools> Extension.
- You can also type chrome://extensions// on the address bar to take you directly to the extension tab.
- Once on the extension tab, enable the 'developer mode' option at the top right.
- Select the developer mode and click on 'load unpacked extension'. Select the unzipped ARChon folder.
- ARChon should start installing on your chrome browser. You may come across a warning after the installation but just ignore it.
Once you're done with everything, you can then download any apk file of your choice, unzip it, and follow the same process as you install ARChon.
You should then find the app on your chrome://apps folder.
Beware that note all files are compatible with chrome. So ensure that the one you're using is compatible and also update your browser to the latest version.
– It can be used to play games in high performance with its frame rate limit feature
– Ability to change screen size
– Optimized graphics engine for smoother HD graphics
Android Emulator For Mac Reddit
– The emulator is quite lightweight and can be used on a wide range of PC's
– It offers the ability to change the orientation of your screen from portrait to landscape while you are playing games. This allows users to play in either position which may come up depending on what they want to do with their device at that moment.
Pros:
– Its frame rate limit feature allows you to play games on a high-performance level. With this, gamers can enjoy smoother HD graphics and never experience lag when playing their favourite game.
You have the ability to customize your resolution which means that MEmuPlay will be perfect for any type of computer.
This emulator is also quite lightweight and can be used on a wide range of PC's, regardless of the hardware specifications.
Ability to change screen orientation from portrait to landscape.
Cons:
– There is a lack of customization when it comes to the home screen
– The emulator may be difficult to use for gamers who are new to these types of programs.
Android Studio Emulator
The Android Studio is the official development environment created by Google. It has an inbuilt powerful emulator that lets you test and debug your applications without the need for a physical device.
The emulator has been designed to be as close as possible to an actual phone, which allows app developers to detect problems before they are deployed on a real-world system. It also enables the testing of different devices with one single installation of Android Studio.
The inbuilt emulator has been designed with some of the following features to make it as realistic as possible:
- Emulates phone calls and sensors like GPS, accelerometer, etc.
- Supports hardware acceleration
- Includes support for USB devices such as keyboard, gamepad, mouse and other peripherals to make testing apps more realistic.
- Provides an easy way to take screenshots at any time
It also comes pre-installed with Android SDKs so you can start developing right away without having to install it separately in your computer. It also has built-in tools like DDMS (Dalvik Debug Monitor Server) and CPU/Memory profiler, which can be used by developers as well as power users to debug and analyze applications.
The emulator lets developers test their apps on different system architectures (x86 or ARM) as well as different Android versions to ensure that it will work across all devices.
The emulator is versatile and has a lot of features for developers such as creating multiple virtual screens, generating pre-defined screen sizes (Smartphone, TV), adding/removing system overlays like battery level or using Google Play Store to download apps into the device.
Lastly, the Android Studio Emulator is enabled with Google Play Services and it can be accessed by logging into your account.
ARChon
ARChon (also known as ARChon Runtime for Chrome) is a versatile custom extension for Chrome or Chromium browser that can easily run Android apps straight on Windows PC and a wide variety of other supported platforms.
ARChon is an open-source, free Android emulator that allows users to emulate the android experience on their PC. Unlike other emulators mentioned above, ARCHON isn't a traditional emulator, it is installed as a chrome extension. Hence, the extension must be downloaded and installed on Chrome browser. When installed, it gives chrome the ability to run android apps and games.
ARChon works with any operating system that can run an instance of Chrome, including macOS, Linux, Windows, etc.
How to download and install ARChon on Chrome.
- Download the ARChon.zip file and unzip it via Winrar or 7zip.
- Open Google Chrome browser on your windows.
- Click on the 3 dot option key at the top right corner of the browser. Select tools> Extension.
- You can also type chrome://extensions// on the address bar to take you directly to the extension tab.
- Once on the extension tab, enable the 'developer mode' option at the top right.
- Select the developer mode and click on 'load unpacked extension'. Select the unzipped ARChon folder.
- ARChon should start installing on your chrome browser. You may come across a warning after the installation but just ignore it.
Once you're done with everything, you can then download any apk file of your choice, unzip it, and follow the same process as you install ARChon.
You should then find the app on your chrome://apps folder.
Beware that note all files are compatible with chrome. So ensure that the one you're using is compatible and also update your browser to the latest version.
GameLoop
GameLoop is a free Android emulator software which you can play mobile games on your Windows computer.
However, as the name suggests, GameLoop was specifically built for gamers. It was formerly known as TenCent Gaming Buddy, and was developed by TenCent, a company that also created and distributed the Android version of the popular game 'PUGB'.
With its help, gaming enthusiasts can discover, download, and play almost all available Android games on their PCs instantly!
Like other Android emulators, GameLoop allow users to install and play mobile games directly from its game store. You can instantly start playing any game you find without additional configuration.
Additionally, whenever a new game is updated or released, you can immediately access it using GameLoop.
While you can't use the emulator to play all Android games, GameLoop does have a massive library of gaming apps. Once installed, you can use it to play many popular games, the likes of Clash of Clans, Call of Duty Mobile, Candy Crush Saga, and lots more! As soon as these games get emulated on your Windows laptop or desktop, you can start using your mouse or keyboard for control.
Nox App Player For Mac is the name for the Android emulator which has become extremely popular these days. An emulator is a computer application that simulates the entire Android ecosystem onto a computer such as Mac or Windows. It also lets you access all the Android applications. The users love it as they can access the apps on computer and interact with them using mouse and keyboard. Developers love emulators as it allows them to test their app on a computer.
Download the official Android IDE and developer tools to build apps for Android phones, tablets, wearables, TVs, and more. For more information on recommended devices as well as Android emulator support, visit chromeos.dev. Download Android Studio for Mac Download Android Studio for Mac android-studio-ide-1-mac.dmg.
- Join 400+ million users on the largest, FREE Android Gaming Platform on PC and Mac. Play Brawl Stars, Free Fire, Arena of Valor + more.
- Every detail matters. DOWNLOAD Version 6.6.1.2 2020/08/27. Google Drive Version Log Mac Version. New Android 7 Play mobile games on PC with powerful Android 7. I've played free fire with NoxPlayer for over a year and I've not met a better lightweight android emulator that renders me smoother game-play on my PC.
- ARChon is a little different than most of our emulators for Mac in that this one is.
Nox App Player is built upon Android KitKat and Jellybean. It has built-in support for Google Play Store, allowing you to access any official app you want. You may also install third-party apps using APK files or the third-party app stores. In this article we will learn how to install Nox Player for Mac. Keep reading!
How to Download & Install Nox App Player For Mac
I am excited to share this guide with you that will help you get Nox for Mac. You will find that installing Nox App Player for Mac is incredibly easy and straightforward.
Without any further ado, let's jump into the installation process.
Download Nox App Player For Mac
To get this emulator you will need to download Nox for Mac installer file first. It is the file with the DMG extension. Here is how you can download it:
- Open any web browser on your Mac computer and visit the following link
- Locate the Download button and click on it
Download Mac Version
- If you see any prompt, hit the appropriate button to continue with the installation
- Save the file at the desired location (it may also go to the default download location)
Install Nox Player 6 on Mac
Now you can install Nox Emulator for Mac using the DMG installer file we downloaded. On some computers the installation process starts right after downloading the file. In some cases, it does not. So, here is the manual process:
- Go to the location where you have downloaded the DMG file
- Double click the file to run it and to start the installation
- Grant all the required permission so that you may proceed with the installation process
- Agree to the terms of service and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation process
Within a few minutes you will have Nox Player for Mac installed and ready for use.
Please note that you will need to sign in with your Google ID to use Nox.
CONCLUSION
If you want to access the Android applications on your Mac computer, Nox for Mac is the best option. You may have heard of BlueStacks as well and if you have used it, you may have noticed it is slow. Nox is better performing and smoothly runs all the apps on your computer. Using the above steps, you can easily complete the Nox for Mac download and installation. You can then sign in to it using Google ID and enjoy all your favorite Android apps on the bigger screen.
If you are looking for Android Emulators for PC & Mac, you want to do at least one of the following – develop apps for Android or, you want to enjoy Android games on a big screen. There may be other reasons as well like testing out a new ROM or perhaps you are just planning on making a switch from iOS to Android and want to get a taste of Android before you end up making the actual switch.
In this article, I will sum up the best Android emulators for PC & Mac that I have personally used and tested to find out their strengths and weaknesses. I will rank them in the order of my preference but albeit, you may have a different order altogether.
1.BlueStacks
BlueStacks is one of THE MOST POPULAR emulators available today. It has been in the market for quite some time. One of the primary reasons why I used BlueStacks was gaming.
Why not productivity? That's simply because I have access to every productivity tool I need on my desktop. I don't need an Android device for productivity and as far as mobility is concerned, I will definitely not carry around my desktop to work with BlueStacks!
While on the move, I will be invariably stuck with a tiny device (running Android) that will anyway cripple my productivity. So, I find whining about BlueStacks performing sluggishly while dealing with productivity tools senseless.
Pros of BlueStacks
- BlueStacks has a super easy setup. Just download, install, put in your Gmail login credentials, and you are good to go!
- Not only did BlueStacks allow me to access Play Store, but it also gave me access to its very own app store that has apps optimized for BlueStacks!
- It has a clean and intuitive interface that makes navigating around quite simple!
- It allows keyboard mapping. It found it quite beneficial while playing games.
- It supports multiple accounts!
- It is a freemium software, which means that you can test it for free before you decide to make a purchase.
Cons of BlueStacks
- It doesn't perform well with touch gestures. So, before you go ahead and install it on a touchscreen-enabled laptop, think twice. I will instead suggest sticking around with your keyboard.
- Because BlueStacks' free version is meant to remain free forever, you will occasionally see advertisements popping up. That's quite frustrating.
- On computers with low-end hardware, BlueStacks gave significant lags while playing games. So, if you don't like delays (which no one does), don't bother putting it on laptops or desktops that do not have powerful hardware.
Minimum System Requirements for BlueStacks
I installed and used BlueStacks 4. This version has the following minimum system requirements:
- OS – Windows 7 or higher.
- AMD or Intel Processor.
- At least 2 GB RAM.
- At least 5 GB of free space on your hard disk.
- Administrator rights to your PC.
- Up-to-date graphics driver from chipset vendor or Microsoft.
The minimum system requirements for running BlueStacks 4 on Mac are:
- OS – macOS Sierra (10.12), High Sierra (10.13), or Mojave (10.14).
- Minimum 4 GB RAM.
- Minimum 4 GB of free space on the hard disk.
- Up-to-date graphics drivers from the manufacturer of the graphics card.
- Latest App Store updates applied on Mac.
This is the minimum requirement, but BlueStacks has what is called recommended system requirements for best performance. Do check that out.
2.GameLoop
Honestly, I have a mixed feeling for this one in particular, and I don't know whether to hate it or love it. It was previously known as Tencent Gaming Buddy. It has exclusive support for CODM or Call of Duty: Mobile, but it does support other games as well. What made me say that I don't know whether to hate it or love it? Read the pros and cons to find out!
Pros of GameLoop
- It is highly optimized for CODM, and the experience is surprisingly smooth, with no lags or stuttering! That was a pleasant surprise.
- It has support for PUBG Mobile.
- Completely free.
- Excellent integration of keyboard and mouse!
- Shallow system requirements. Mostly it can run on a gaming PC that was built back in 2005!
- It is a minimal app and doesn't eat up much space on my computer's hard disk. So, I don't mind keeping it installed forever!
Cons of GameLoop
- It can play a limited number of games and supports a very limited number of apps. It was designed and developed specifically to be compatible with Call of Duty: Mobile.
- It is not available for Mac users. Bad luck!
- Because it has minimal support for apps, it is useless for app developers.
Minimum System Requirements for GameLoop
This thing can run literally on a dinosaur. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to test it on a system with low-end hardware because my desktops are quite powerful and can run almost every resource-intensive game or application I throw at them. But if you don't have a high-end computer, here is a quick list of the primary system requirements:
- A dual-core CPU either from Intel or AMD clocked at 1.8 GHz.
- Minimum 2 GB RAM.
- Minimum 1 GB of free space on your hard disk.
- OS – Windows 7 and above.
- GPU – ATI/AMD Radeon HD2600/3600 or Nvidia GeForce 8600/9600GT.
3.MEmu
MEmu Play is a relatively new player in the market. It was launched back in the year 2015 and it is based on Android Lollipop. It is quite decent for gaming but does exceptionally well in dealing with productivity apps. Here are the pros and cons that I found while using MEmu:
Pros of MEmu
Best Emulators For Pc
- To start with, MEmu Play is very fast.
- Though it is based on Android Lollipop, it can actually support other versions like Jelly Bean and Kit Kat.
- It comes with support for both Nvidia and AMD chips.
- The key mapping feature is terrific.
- You can even set virtual locations on Google Maps.
- It supports a lot of Windows operating systems, including XP, Windows 7, 8, and 10.
- It allows you to launch multiple instances and play games separately in each situation. Alternately, it also allows running multiple accounts on a single instance for the same game.
- Best of all, it is free.
Cons of MEmu
- Though MEmu touts of high performance in gaming, it is not true! I will like to see better performance in graphics.
- It has no support for Mac.
Minimum System Requirements for MEmu
- You need to have Intel or AMD CPU with either 32-bit support or 64-bit support.
- OS- Windows XP (SP3), Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10.
- You will need at least 2 GB of RAM.
- You will need at least 2 GB of space on the hard disk.
- Your BIOS should have Hardware Virtualization Technology enabled.
While these are the basic requirements, it works best with recommended system requirements. Do check out the recommended requirements.
Memu Android Emulator For Mac
4.Android Studio
In my experience, use this emulator only and only if you are trying to develop an Android app or if you want to play fundamental games. Android Studio is not a proper emulator. It is a development IDE. IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment.
There is an integrated emulator that you can always use, but even it is best used for testing different apps. Playing games just don't work well.
Pros of Android Studio
- When it comes to Android app development, this is almost always a standard choice.
- It has been developed by Google and receives regular updates.
- It allows for faster deployment of fresh builds.
- Developers can enjoy accurate programming.
- It allows developers to create only a single build and then test it on multiple devices using the feature called Cloud Test Lab Integration. This will enable developers to ditch the prospect of creating numerous builds.
- It comes with a lot of built-in plugins and tools that allow developers to test their apps with ease.
Cons of Android Studio
- I found Android Studio to be pretty slow on Windows. It performed comparatively better on Mac. It was, however, flawless on Ubuntu. On Ubuntu, it was fast, and even the emulator launched pretty quickly as compared to the time taken on Windows.
- It is designed for the development of apps. It cannot work if you want to play games like Call of Duty: Mobile or PUBG or, as a matter of fact, any resource-intensive game.
Minimum System Requirements for Android Studio
For Windows:
- Windows 7/8/10 – Only 64-bit OS.
- Minimum 4 GB RAM.
- Minimum 2 GB of available space on the hard disk.
- Minimum screen resolution of 1280 x 800.
For Mac:
- Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) to macOS Mojave 10.14.
- Minimum 4 GB of RAM.
- Minimum 2 GB of available space on the hard disk.
- Minimum screen resolution of 1280 x 800.
For Linux:
- Debian-based KDE or Gnome desktops.
- 64-bit system with support for running 32-bit applications.
- glibc (GNU C Library) 2.19 or higher.
- Minimum 4 GB of RAM.
- Minimum 2 GB of space on the hard disk.
- Minimum screen resolution of 1280 x 800.
5.Nox App Player
Just like BlueStacks, Nox App Player is hands down, one of the best Android emulators you can find. In my opinion, it is also an all-round emulator if you want to play Android games or use productivity apps or get an overall hang of Android.
During my stint with Nox App Player, I found something exciting and yet useless. It allows you to root your virtual Android device in a jiffy. I found it pointless because a real Android device with root access is far more beneficial than a virtual machine. If you can find any practical utility of a rooted virtual Android device, feel free to let me know.
Anyway, here is my impression of Nox App Player:
Pros of Nox App Player
- Amazing performance with games. No glitches and no lags at all.
- Allows quick mapping of gamepads, mouse, and keyboards.
- You can literally specify just how much amount of RAM and CPU should the emulator use.
- Very much capable of playing very resource-intensive games like PUGB, Call of Duty: Mobile, Justice League, etc.
- Perfectly capable of dealing with all apps on Google Play Store.
- It comes with its own optimized app store.
- The UI is really stunning.
- You can open and use multiple windows at a time.
- It has support for Mac users, which is great.
Cons of Nox App Player
- It has a lot of unwanted software bundled with the installer. If you accidentally install any of them, you may have a really hard time deleting them. So, be careful.
- Your antivirus may flag Nox App Player files as suspicious.
Minimum System Requirements for Nox App Player
For Windows:
- OS – Windows XP (SP3)/Vista/7/8/10.
- Needs DirectX 9.0c.
- Dual-core processor from AMD or Intel.
- Support for Open GL 2.0.
- Minimum of 1.5 GB of RAM.
- Minimum 1 GB of hard disk space.
- Broadband connection.
For Mac:
- OS – Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or higher.
- Minimum 1.5 GB of RAM.
- Minimum 1 GB of hard disk space.
- Internet connection.
Android Emulator Download For Mac Pc
6.GenyMotion
In case you are looking for an Android emulator for casual usage, or simply for playing games, GenyMotion is going to disappoint you big time! It is a premium emulator, and it is not cheap. This emulator is targeted for serious Android app developers.
GenyMotion is meant for serious business and comes with different pricing plans, customer support depending on the purchased plan, and it even comes with a whole cloud version. Basically, you can skip installing GenyMotion on your desktop and use it directly on the cloud.
In case you are interested, here are the pros and cons of this Android emulator are:
Pros of GenyMotion
- Extremely powerful and extremely versatile.
- It has support for 3000+ Android configurations, allowing developers to test their applications over a wide range of devices.
- It is entirely compatible with Android Studio and Android SDK tools.
- It allows testing websites in different Android browsers.
- It is compatible with multiple platforms.
- It is even available on the cloud!
Cons of GenyMotion
- It is not at all designed for casual users and gamers.
- It is very pricey compared to other emulators, and the minimum price starts at USD 136 per year per user. Genymotion is the price for the desktop version. Cloud versions have different pricing.
Minimum System Requirements for GenyMotion
Hardware requirement
Android Emulator For Pc
- At least 8 GB RAM is required. The more, the better!
- Minimum 1.5 GB of free space on your hard disk.
- Your desktop or laptop should have a screen resolution higher than 1024 x 768 pixels.
- You will need a 64-bit CPU with AMD-V, or VT-x capability enabled right from the BIOS.
- You will need a video card with support for OpenGL 2.0. Some of the compatible video cards are ATI Radeon HD 6000 series, Nvidia GeForce 500 series, and Intel HD Graphics 4000.
Operating System requirement
- 64-bit Windows 7/8/8.1/10.
- macOS High Sierra (minimum).
- 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Code Name – Bionic Beaver) or higher version.
- 64-bit Debian 9.
- 64-bit Fedora 30 or higher version.
7.PrimeOS
Okay, let me be clear. PrimeOS not just an emulator. It is a full-blown operating system! You can install it on your desktop or laptop as a standalone operating system or you can use dual boot! It is restricted to Windows users only. Mac users cannot enjoy this incredible OS!
Honestly, I did not find a reason that can make me install PrimeOS as a standalone operating system and ditch Windows completely. I use various software like Adobe Suite, Audacity, GIMP, InkSpace, Blender, video editors like Movavi, DaVinci Resolve, etc.
These cannot run on PrimeOS because they are not meant to! PrimeOS is based on Android! Yes, the whole thing is Android that is designed to give you a desktop experience similar to Mac or Windows.
On the flip side, however, if you have a spare desktop or laptop that you can dedicate to Android only, that's fine. App for facebook mac. I did like PrimeOS a lot! Needless to say, I have PrimeOS on a dual boot and I intend to keep it that way.
Pros of PrimeOS
- Gives a complete desktop experience while running on Android.
- Gives full access to millions of Android apps from Google Play Store.
- It comes with a regular taskbar as found on Windows or other traditional operating systems.
- It has an app launcher similar to the start menu in Windows.
- It allows multiple app windows and even has a resizing option for app windows.
- Setting and notification panel retains the look of Android Nougat.
- It allows installing any app and game.
- For gamers, the PrimeOS makes use of all the computer hardware natively, giving an excellent gaming experience, which is far better than any emulator I have seen.
- Gamers can also enjoy the features of keyboard and mouse mapping.
- Any and every game including the resource-intensive games like PUBG, CODM, etc. can run smoothly without a glitch.
- It can be installed as the only OS on a computer or as a dual boot option.
- Just like Linux, PrimeOS allows testing the OS before committing to an installation. You can run the live OS from a bootable USB disk and navigate around to see how it works and how it feels before installing.
Cons of PrimeOS
There isn't enough to actually complain about it! Whatever I think is not really a con as such. Here is what I feel:
- It is not good for designers who use creative software like Adobe Suite, Corel Draw, or 3D Rendering software like Rhinoceros or Maya. After all, such software is not designed to work on Android. So, complaining about them doesn't really count.
- In case of productivity, one cannot really utilize certain well-known office productivity suites like SoftMaker or LibreOffice but Android does have its own share of such productivity apps that work smoothly even on PrimeOS and are easily comparable to traditional office suites.
- It cannot play Windows games.
- It is not available for Mac users.
If you ask me, you can definitely go ahead and replace your Windows OS with PrimeOS if your computing needs are restricted to social activities, emailing, and usage of office suites. You can even open websites and get into website backend (if you own one)! It is pretty good!
Minimum System Requirements for PrimeOS
This is where things can get a bit complicated. PrimeOS comes in three variants with different system requirements. The three variants are:
- PrimeOS Classic
- PrimeOS Standard
- PrimeOS Mainline
The basic system requirements for each variant are:
PrimeOS Classic:
- Designed for older (before 2011) 32-bit systems.
- CPU: Intel Core i series 1st generation processors and below or Intel Pentium Dual-Core or Intel Pentium G620 or AMD Phenom II X6 1100T, etc.
- GPU: Works perfectly well with Old Nvidia GPU, Old AMD GPU, and Old Intel GPU.
PrimeOS Standard:
- Designed for newer (2011 on-wards) 64-bit systems.
- CPU: Intel Core i series 2nd generation processors and above or Intel Celeron N3350 or AMD A8 5550M, etc.
- GPU: Works with older Intel, Nvidia, and AMD GPUs.
PrimeOS Mainline:
- Designed for newer (2014 on-wards) 64-bit systems.
- CPU: Intel Core i series 5th generation processors and above or Intel Celeron N4000 or AMD A8 7410, etc.
- GPU: Works with both Intel and AMD GPU but desktops with Nvidia GPU can lead to freezes and lockups. Switch to Standard variant of the OS in case of graphics glitches.
8.Bliss OS
Bliss OS is not an emulator. Android emulators emulate Android on either PC or Mac. Bliss OS, just like PrimeOS, is Android itself. You need to install it separately as an operating system that runs natively on your computer hardware using all the processing power, memory, and storage.
Unfortunately, Bliss OS is not really as polished as PrimeOS and comes with some serious problems. Here is what I found:
Pros of Bliss OS
- It can be installed as a sole operating system on a desktop or laptop.
- It can also be used as a dual boot OS. This means that you can keep your existing Windows or Linux operating system. No, you cannot dual-boot it with Mac systems.
- Once installed, the OS will show a nice taskbar and a start menu.
- It comes bundled with certain pre-installed applications like Chrome, YouTube, Wallpapers, etc.
- You can install it one a virtual box or on external storage if you want.
- It allows keymapping – a great feature for gamers.
- You can run it as live OS from a bootable USB stick without directly installing it. This helps to get a better understanding of the OS.
Cons of Bliss OS
Android Studio Emulator Download For Mac
- The applications always launch in the unmaximized state but there is a button to maximize the app window. Unfortunately, there is no minimize button, which I feel should be there when you are porting Android to desktop.
- Installing apps from Google Play Store can be a headache depending on your system hardware. Some won't install and some may install but remain buggy.
- Those installing Bliss OS as dual-boot on a Linux system will not find Bliss OS listed on the boot-loader list after they execute the grub-update or grub2-update command. They need to find a different workaround, which I feel is not worth the time and effort.
Minimum System Requirements for Bliss OS
The minimum requirement for installing Bliss OS (on a system running Windows) are:
Android Emulator Download For Mac Iso
- 1 GB RAM.
- CPU: Intel Pentium 4 (2.00 GHz).
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce 6100.
- OS – Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10.
If you are unsure about your system specs, you can download and run a small utility that will tell you whether it can run Bliss OS or not. You can find the utility here.
9.ARChon
ARChon is far from being a popular Android emulator. It was never meant to be a standalone emulator in the first place. The whole idea behind ARChon development was to allow users to run apps from the Android ecosystem on Chrome OS.
The idea of ARChon was conceived when Google gave support for a couple of Android apps on Chrome Web Browser. Someone independently worked on ARChon after Google's move to make other Android apps available on Chrome.
So, if you are looking for an emulator that you can use for hardcore gaming, ARChon is not up to the task.
Steps to Install ARChon Runtime
First, download and extract the ARChon runtime from the download link below. Once you have obtained the download link, go to chrome://extensions on your browser URL bar and follow the steps below:
- Step 1: Turn on Developer Mode.
- Step 2: Click on the Load Unpacked button.
- Step 3: In the popup, select the extracted folder.
- Step 4: Click on the Select Folder button.
- Now you can see the ARChon Runtime on that page.
Pros of ARChon
- No fancy installation requirement. It is integrated directly into Chrome.
- Pretty good if you want to access productivity apps from Google Play Store on your Chrome OS or Chrome browser.
- Works on Chrome in Windows, Linux, OS X.
Cons of ARChon
- They are not designed for gaming.
- Slightly complicated when it comes to usage.
Minimum System Requirements for ARChon
- You must have an ARM-based Chromebook.
- For architecture-independent usage, make sure you are using 32-bit Chrome or 32-bit Chrome OS.
- For systems with Intel x86 architecture, you will need 64-bit Chrome or 64-bit Chrome OS.
Conclusion
Emulator Android For Mac Os
Okay, let me be honest with you. The list above is not a complete list of best Android emulators for PC & Mac. There are a few more. For instance, there is MuMu App Player that is developed in China and has both Windows and Mac versions available.
MuMu has English-translated versions available (initially available in Mandarin Chinese), but I did not list it on the grounds of concern over data-leak. You may, however, try it on your own risk. The MuMu emulator does come with a polished interface and a lot of features that put it at par with BlueStacks or Nox App Player.
Again, we have KOPlayer – a famous emulator, but I couldn't access its website. The website of KOPlayer simply keeps refusing connection irrespective of whether I use a proxy, or a VPN, or a direct connection.
If I can't access the official site, I don't see a reason why I should try to find an alternate source. I am not a big fan of Malwares and Spywares that can potentially infect my systems when I use an alternative source.
Android Emulator For Mac
Last but not least, there is Remix OS. It was the original Android OS designed for desktops and laptops by a company formed by ex-employees of Google.
Something went wrong somewhere in that company, and they stopped supporting Remix OS. Alternates of Remix OS are PrimeOS and Bliss OS. Since Remix OS is no longer supported, I decided to exclude it from the list.
Emulator Android For Macbook
Mostly, this list of best Android emulators or PC & Mac contains only those that are under active development and received enthusiastic support.