The free one includes some ads and the occasional sponsored app, but these are pretty discreet.īlueStacks is primarily about games and the interface is essentially a front end for downloading and installing them, but it's also possible to visit the Google Play Store and search for other apps and if you want to add apps and games from other sources, you have the option of using standalone APK files. There are free and paid-for versions available. BlueStacks has been designed with ease of use in mind, and looks and feels just like Android on a tablet or smartphone.

While Windows 11 introduces the ability to set up a virtual install of Android, there are plenty of people still using Windows 10, plus of course, all of the Mac users.īlueStacks App Player is perhaps the best-known Android emulator, and it's hardly surprising given its quality and reliability. But, if you’re hoping to do some gaming, you’ll want to take advantage of one of these emulators. Since many Android business apps are already SaaS-based cloud apps, you might find using a browser on your desktop PC to be just as easy for those. But, with an emulator, you can edit and upload photos from your PC or Mac desktop – something you just can't do otherwise. Unless you’re on the mobile app, you’re limited in what you can do with the social media platform. Or, maybe you want to run an app that’s only available on Android. You can not only do that with one of these Android emulators but you can simulate various screen sizes and phone models as well, letting you see how it does in different circumstances. Maybe you’re working on an app for Android and want to test it on a computer instead of a mobile device.

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