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!
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!
Best Android Emulators for Windows 10/8/7 & Mac for 2021. Your search for the best Android emulator for Windows 10/8/7 and Mac ends here. Let’s review best emulators you should try in 2021 to emulate Android screen on larger computer screen. Device Support: Windows and Mac.
- 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.
- Jul 06, 2021 Price: Free / $ 2 per month. Bluestacks is the best-known Android emulator. Bluestacks is compatible with Windows and Mac, which works very well and still gets regular updates. This emulator targets mobile gamers. Bluestacks is one of the toughest emulators around, but it has the most features. Download Bluestacks.
- Aug 07, 2021 In case you’re searching for Android emulators for Mac, odds are the one you’ve utilized and most likely abhorred, is the one that comes packaged with Android Studio. You badly wish to run Android applications on your Mac, or possibly you’re a designer and are searching for an Android emulator to investigate your applications on.
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
– 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.
Welcome Readers, here you are going to get the ‘Best Android Emulator for Mac’ Android gives the best function at a low cost so maximum people use android phones. And if you are an android app developer then it is important to test your app on android phones. All the professional programmers or app developers use MacBook and in the MacBook, you aren’t able to test your app for android phones. So you need the Best Android Emulator for Mac.
If we talk about gaming purposes then MacBook or apple laptops are far better than others. MacBook laptops are best because they have the efficiency to work on high load with multitasking. If you want to play android games on your MacBook then you need the best android emulator for your MacBook. In this article, you are going to learn about some best emulators present on the internet.
Best Android Emulator for Mac
There are so many Emulators available on the internet but it is difficult to find the best and genuine Android Emulator at this time. In this article, we select the best and genuine Android Emulators for your MacBook. I am going to show you the best android emulators for mac and also I am going to give the best and genuine review by describing the features of each emulator.
1. Bluestacks the Emulator for Mac
There are so many emulators available for gaming but the Bluestacks is the best one of all time. The Bluestacks offers unlimited features to level up your gaming. Bluestacks is also best for the testing of android apps because it has so many features for gaming that can be used for Android app testing.
- This Emulator is one of the best emulators which gives you its features for free of cost. There are so many amazing features available in this Emulator and you can install it for free of cost.
- Bluestacks offers you so many modes like multi-instance sync. By using this mode you can play multiple games at the same time. This Emulator makes multiple gaming very easy. You can play one or more games using this mode very easily.
- Bluestacks have the feature of game control. You can play the games with the help of a gamepad and you can use your keyboard also to play the games.
- It also has the shooting mode for playing games like pubg and Call of Duty. If you will use this Android Emulator then you can be a pro player in playing the games of the battleground.
- All these features can be used in the testing of apps. There are more features available in the Bluestacks emulator but these are the main and you can visit the website and then you can download it from that website also.
You can visit the website and download the Bluestacks. You have to just click on the Bluestacks Emulator and visit the website and read more about blue stacks. If you like this Emulator then just download it and enjoy your gaming and if you want to download it for working purposes then also this is the best android emulator. You can use it for your work like testing the apps of android devices.
2. Genymotion the Android Emulator for Mac
We place the Genymotion on the second number because it has so many amazing and advanced features that can boost your work of testing the applications. This Android Emulator has the best features and it is specially made for testing the applications of Android on the macOS. This Android Emulator can also be used for gaming purposes and it gives its best results. Let’s look at its features.
- The android emulator Genymotion takes the subscription fee for using this emulator. You can use the first 60 minutes for free of cost. This is the trial time in which you can use this emulator and test your application.
- You can see the complex changes of your application while testing the app in this android emulator. You can just use this app for your ultimate work.
- Genymotion offers you different plans to take the subscriptions as your needs and as your work.
- You can run your apps in web browsers. Genymotion gives you access to web browsers for testing the apps securely.
- Genymotion is the fastest and secure emulator which is present on the internet. This emulator is the best emulator ever which is known for its unique features.
If you have advanced work of testing the android applications then once you have to test this emulator in your MacBook. You have to click on Genymotion Android Emulator for downloading this Android Emulator.
3. NoxPlayer Emulator for Mac
Nox is another best Android Emulator for macOS. This android emulator is also best for gaming purposes. Nox Player is specially made for macOS and can get the mac version of this emulator by visiting the site of the Nox player. Nox player is also called the perfect Android emulator and this android emulator gives lots of amazing features for playing the game on the next level. This Android Emulator is the highly demandable Android Emulator on the internet for playing games.
- Nox player gives you the best interface for the Android virtual device.
- You can feel the perfect android device on your big screen of your MacBook or iPad.
- Nox player supports the keyboard, gamepad, script recording, and multiple instances for playing the game.
- You can also record your complex operations. You can use these operations and the script with a single click. This feature is best for both gamers as well as app developers also.
- Nox player is a safe and secure Android emulator ever. You can play the game and test your applications with a surety of safety.
- This is also the best android emulator for macOS which gives you its services free of cost. you can also download Spotify Premium apk.
These are some described features of NoxPlayer and now if you like this emulator then you can download it. You have to just click on NoxPlayer Android Emulator for macOS to download the Nox player.
4. Andy Emulator for macOS
Andy is the best alternative way to run an android device on macOS. This android emulator gives you the best features for playing a game on macOS and also for testing purposes of applications. The Andy Android Emulator is another emulator that offers you everything for free of cost. It has so many features and this android emulator provides you all the features for free. Let’s look at the features of this android emulator for macOS.
- This Emulator provides seamless synchronization between desktop and mobile devices.
- Andy can be enabled to download the apps from any desktop browser direct to Andy OS. This is the best part of this Emulator.
- Andy can run all the communication apps from your desktop like WhatsApp.
- You can also convert your mobile to the remote controller while playing a game.
- Andy the android emulator for mac gives you almost all the needed features for free of cost. You don’t need to pay for the services of this emulator.
These are some features and services which are provided by the Andy emulator. If you like the features of this emulator then you can download it by just clicking on the Andy Emulator.
5. MeMu the Android Emulator for Mac
MeMu play is the last on the list of the best android emulators for macOS. In the last on the list but yet it has amazing features that make this unique android emulator. MeMu releases its latest version and now we can say that this android emulator is the newest android emulator with amazing features. Let’s see the updates and features of this android emulator.
- ‘MEMU’ claims that it is the fastest and smarter android emulator present in the market at this time.
- The performance of this Android Emulator is far better than other android emulators. It gives the best features and says that maximize your happiness.
- You can play the games with the support of a mouse, keyboard, and gamepad also.
- In the MeMu emulator, it is easy to level multiple accounts for the same game or play multiple games on the same account simultaneously.
These are features and services which are provided by MuMu the Android Emulator for macOS. If you want to try this emulator then you can download it. You have to click on MeMu Play to download this emulator.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
We suggest you the best emulators of all time and try to cover each detail of each emulator. Now you have decided which emulator is best for you but little bit confused then just read the below questions. You will get more clarity about emulators.
These are the most asked questions by the peoples on the internet. Most people got confused about these things. So in this section, we will answer the frequently asked questions. If you also have some questions that are not included in this section then just tell us about your query in the comment box and we will answer your question as soon as possible.
Do Emulators Work on mac?
Yes, Memu player, Nox, Bluestacks, and many more emulators available that work properly on the mac. You can read the detailed description of this article on each emulator and choose which is best for your MacBook.
Does Nox Work on Mac?
Yes, it works and it works very well. The features and programs that Nox provides we can use them on mac as well. You can visit the Nox emulator’s site and then download it for mac. You can read this article before using it. It will give you clarity about using any of these emulators.
Which is the safest Android emulator?
There are so many emulators who come with their own privacy policies and features. But Bluestacks, Nox Player, and Memu are the best. If you can go with the expensive then Gennymotion is the best and safest android emulator ever. You can read this article in which we have described each detail about the 5 best emulators and then decide which is best for you.
Why is Bluestack so laggy?
Best Android Emulator For Mac Reddit
If your PC has less ram and if you don’t have any antivirus in your PC then there are chances to slow down your PC while playing games or testing any app. Well, you just need to run an antivirus scan like windows defender and use more than 2GB of RAM on your PC to never face the problem of legginess.
Android Emulators Windows 10
Does the emulator slow down the computer?
Top Android Emulator For Mac Download
There is some configuration of system needs that you need in your Computer to use an emulator on your PC. You need at least 2GB of RAM or more than that and one antivirus is a must needed. It can slow down your Computer you give a hefty workload on PC, and your Computer’s configuration is too low to take a workload of that much level.
Android Emulator For Mac Download
Can Emulators damage your computer?
No, never, they will never damage your computer. If you have a computer with high RAM and high configuration then emulators can’t damage your computer. But if you have a computer with low or medium configuration then use emulators like Memu play. You can also read this article to know which is best for your computer and which can never damage your computer.
Best Android Emulator For Mac
Important Information
I hope that this information will help you in finding the Best Android Emulator Emulator for Mac. In this article, I have suggested the best Android Emulator for macOS. You can play the game of android on your MacBook without any problem and be a pro in gaming. You have to just install the emulator which suits you and your gaming and then play the game which you want to play like Pubg, Call of Duty, and many more.
Free Android Emulator For Mac
If you are using Windows then you can read this article ‘Best Android Emulators for Windows’. You have to just click on this line to read the article.
Don’t burn your smartphones for playing heavy loaded games. Just use these emulators for playing the game on MacBook or windows. This Android emulator works on both MacBooks and windows. You have to just install the emulators on your PC and then just use this emulator for playing a game or for any app testing purpose.
Best Android Emulator For Mac M1
These are some Best Android Emulator for Mac that will help you in your work and gaming. Now you can start your work and gaming and don’t forget to share this article with your friends.