Android Emulator Mac Android Studio
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Home » Reviews » Top 5 Best Android Emulator For PC in 2021 Windows and Mac. Android Studio Emulator For PC. Run your Apps on Windows and Mac PC. Here are 9 Free & best Android emulators software for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 including free and paid (developers & Home). Here is a list of the best Android emulators to run Android games and apps on desktop computers. These emulators support Windows PC, Mac and Linux platforms.
The Android Studio 2.0 (or higher) preview includes the new Android Emulator 2.0 with improved performance and a new user interface to control device features. This page describes some of the changes compared to the emulator available with the stable version of Android Studio 1.5 and how to setup your development environment to use the Android Emulator.
For best performance with Android Emulator 2.0, your system should meet the following specifications:
Windows: Intel® processor with support for Intel® VT-x, Intel® EM64T (Intel® 64), and Execute Disable (XD) Bit functionality. AMD and Intel Atom processors do not support VT-x virtual machine acceleration.
Linux: Intel® processor with support for Intel® VT-x, Intel® EM64T (Intel® 64), and Execute Disable (XD) Bit functionality or AMD processors with support for AMD Virtualization™ (AMD-V™)
64-bit Operating Systems.
New Features
The most valuable updates to the Android Emulator are the speed improvements. When running with Android Studio 2.0 or higher on an x86 machine, response time is faster than the previous Android Emulator and you can transfer files from your machine faster than a physical Android device.
The latest Android Emulator supports new multi-finger touch inputs, including pinch zoom and two finger rotate gestures. Holding down Alt or Option reveals two finger points. Moving the mouse moves one finger and the second finger is mirrored across an anchor point. Clicking the left mouse button enables pinch-zoom gestures and clicking the right mouse button enables two-finger rotate gestures (such as to tilt the perspective when viewing a map).
The panel on the right side of the emulator lets you perform common tasks, such as rotate the screen, capture screenshots, and zoom in on the display.
To install apps, you can drag and drop an APK right on the emulator. You can also drag and drop other file types and they'll be saved to the /sdcard/Download/ directory.
At the bottom of the toolbar on the right is an ellipsis button that opens the Extended Controls window. In here you'll find various controls that invoke device events and mock device sensors.
Keyboard shortcuts are available for most actions and are listed in the Help panel, listed on the left.
Get Android Emulator 2.0
The new Android Emulator is available with Android Studio 2.0 or higher, which is available in both the Stable, Beta and Canary channels.
Once you make sure you have the appropriate emulator system image and other tools:
Open the SDK Manager from Android Studio.
Click the SDK Platforms tab, and select the check box for a recent version such as the Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). By default, this includes the x86 system image that you need for the emulator. You can see and modify the files to download by clicking Show Package Details at the bottom-right.
Click the SDK Tools tab, then select the check boxes for the following:
Android SDK Tools (25.0.0 or higher to get the new emulator)
Android SDK Platform-Tools (23.1.0 or higher to get the fast ADB)
Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator (HAXM installer) (rev 6.0.1 or higher to get CPU acceleration)
Click OK to check for updates.
Create new Android Virtual Device (AVD)
To take advantage of the new Android Emulator and adb speeds, you need to create new AVDs. In this example below, we are creating a Nexus 5x AVD.
Open the AVD Manager from Android Studio.
Click Create Virtual Device.
Select the defaults for Nexus 5x.
Select a system image, such as Marshmallow - API 23 - x86.
Select Show Advanced Settings.
Select the Multi-Core CPU check box. The number of cores available depends on the number of cores available on your development machine.
Run your new Android Virtual Device by click on the green Play button.
You should see the Android Emulator now start up.
Troubleshooting
Check Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator Installation
If you selected the defaults during the Android Studio installation you should be ready to go. If you created a custom Android Studio installation or run into issues, read the troubleshooting guide below. If your Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator is out of date, Android Studio will automatically inform you and suggest a quick fix to update, as shown in the following screenshot in the AVD Manager.
Installing CPU Accelerator (HAXM)
If you skipped the initial setup of Android Studio, you should make sure the CPU acceleration is installed.
You can manually install Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator by opening intelhaxm-android.exe (on Windows) or intelHAXM_6.0.1.dmg (on Mac) from /sdk/extras/intel/Hardware_Accelerated_Execution_Mangager, as shown below:
Installing HAXM in Windows
Installing HAXM in OS X
For Linux, the Android emulator usesKernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM). If you are using Ubuntu, you can run check your KVM system compatibility by running the following on the command line:
$egrep –c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo
on the command line to check for for a return value of greater than 1
To check if you have KVM installed by running the following on the command line:
$kvm-ok
If KVM is missing or to ensure you have the latest KVM installed, run the following on the command line:
$sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-bin ubuntu-vm-builder bridge-utils ia32-libs-multiarch
The linux commands look like the following on Ubuntu:
Known Issues
Emulating inbound phone call freezes emulator.
Screenshot feature crashes emulator in certain conditions.
If an AVD has been opened in a previous version of the emulator, it may not boot in the new emulator, therefore create a new AVD.
OSX - screen doesn't go black when you sleep the device.
Linux - segfault on exit in some conditions.
'-gpu mesa' option not supported.
'-net*' option not supported.
'-no-window' option not supported.
Remote desktop not supported.
Emulated hardware 'recents' key doesn't work in older system images.
Multiple DNS servers not supported.
If you find other issues in the Android Emulator, pleasefile a bug report.
We have more features in the pipeline, but if you may also submit feature requests.
If you already heard about an Android Emulator, you might be wondering why people are going crazy over it. Android emulators are software that enables users to access the interface of an Android phone using a computer. Typically, software developers use this technology to test run an app that they will release. Another useful thing about an emulator is that you can literally play an exclusive Android mobile app game using your computer’s keyboard and mouse. So, if you’re a newbie who’s just curious to try one, or a developer trying to find the best Android emulators, this post is perfect for you. Continue reading it, and let us all discover it.
How to Use Android Phone on PC with 5 Emulators below
Nox
NoxPlayer claims to be the perfect Android emulator Mac. It promises superior performance and smoother control due to its Multi-Instances function. It is available for Windows computers running from XP to the 10 version. For Mac computers, Nox is available for version Sierra 10.12/10.11. Additionally, this emulator adapts Android version 7, allowing you to install more apps. Nox adapts the key mapping technology allowing you to type using your computer’s keyboard and send messages to your contacts. You can never go wrong with this emulator if you’re an avid phone gamer. Nox is supported by giant gaming companies like Garena and Lilith Games.
BlueStacks
A considered popular Android emulator for Windows and Mac is BlueStacks. Users can install this Android emulator if they have Microsoft Windows 7 and above. On the other hand, Mac owners must update their computers to OS version 10.112 (Sierra) or higher. BlueStacks boasts over 1 billion downloads from different users worldwide. It claims that anyone can play or install more than 2 million Android apps and games with ease. Another good thing about BlueStacks it can show a display of the Android screen for up to 2160p UHD video quality. Lastly, you can also translate the emulator’s language, and it will sync to the Android apps installed.
MEmu
If you’re looking for a high-performance Android emulator for PC, try MEmu. For Windows PC, it is accessible for OS 7 and above. However, MEmu is not yet available for Mac computers. The emulator boasts that it has twice GPU power more than its main competitors. In fact, users can customize the CPU and memory usage if they prefer a better performance. This function is available for high-end computers and expects to use an Android interface without lag. Furthermore, it is equipped with OpenGL and Direct 3D rendering technology, making the image and video quality higher perfect for bigger screens.
LDPlayer
The last Android studio emulator on this list is LDPlayer. Windows PC users can install the emulator if they have version XP or above. However, LDPlayer is not available if you don’t have any graphics card on your PC. Also, a Mac version of the emulator is not yet existing. LDPlayer is more focused on its gaming functions. Additionally, LDPlayer lets you open several apps and games simultaneously and experience minimal or no lag at all. It boasts high FPS to ensure you’ll experience the best graphics available while playing games. Finally, users can set the FPS for up to 120.
ApowerMirror
If you’re looking for an alternative Android emulator Windows 10 and Mac, ApowerMirror is the perfect choice for you. The tool is a mirroring application that is available to install for both Android and iOS smartphones. The unique thing about ApowerMirror is that it provides other functions other than just being a plain Android emulator. It is perfect for streaming since it records your screen, takes screenshots, and takes notes without hassle. More so, it allows you to control the Android phone entirely on the PC. Not only in playing games, but you can also send messages and use Android apps with ease.
How to Play Mobile Game on PC using ApowerMirror
- Download and install ApowerMirror on your Android phone and PC.
- Next, launch the app on both devices. Then, use your Android phone, tap the mirror button, select the PC’s name, and then hit Start now. You can also connect the phone and PC via USB cable to control it.
- Once the Android is mirrored to the PC, open any mobile game (Clash of Clans, Garena Free Fire, etc.) and start playing it on your computer.
Tip:
Aside from the fantastic features provided above, ApowerMirror still has some tricks left in its bag. It is recommended to use the app, especially if you’re trying to cast on Smart TVs to access your Android device on a larger screen. On the other hand, if you want to transfer your apps and files from your Android phone to PC, it is possible with ApowerManager. This recommended app can even backup your contacts and messages and save them on your computer. It is the perfect app if you want to transfer and save your phone files to your PC.
Conclusion
Android emulators really rose to popularity thanks to the unlimited mobile games that you can play. With that, you can choose any emulator provided above and will surely provide you the best Android gaming experience. Nevertheless, it is still safe to say that ApowerMirror should be the best Bluestacks Android emulator alternative because of the excellent features reviewed above.