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Android'southward application ecosystem has proven to be versatile and developer-friendly afterward a bit of a tiresome start. You are free to develop an app for Android and publish it to the Play Store with Google'due south restrictions, or you can distribute it yourself outside the Play Store. This has led to a plethora of cool Android apps, some of which aren't available on iOS or other platforms. Fifty-fifty in this age of behemothic phones, y'all might occasionally want to use those apps on a bigger screen, like the 1 connected to your Windows PC. Fortunately, with a niggling leg work, you can run Android apps on a PC. There are a few different ways to get about it, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Android Studio

Ane popular style to become Android apps running on a PC is to get through the Android emulator released past Google as role of the official Android Studio. The emulator tin can exist used to create virtual devices running whatsoever version of Android you desire with different resolutions and hardware configurations. The showtime downside of this process is the somewhat complicated setup process.

Android Studio

Y'all'll need to grab the installer from Google'southward site and run through the setup process to download the platforms yous want — probably whatever the most recent version of Android happens to exist at the fourth dimension (7.1 at the time of publishing). Google has some pre-configured emulation options available in the menu for Nexus/Pixel devices, but you can set the parameters manually, too. Once you lot've booted your virtual device, you'll need to get apps installed, but the emulator is the bone stock open up source version of Android — no Google apps included.

Since there's no Play Shop, y'all need to practise some file management. Take the APK you want to install (be it Google'southward app packet or something else) and driblet the file into thetools folder in your SDK directory. And so use the command prompt while your AVD is running to enter (in that directory) adb install filename.apk. The app should be added to the app list of your virtual device.

The big upside here is that the emulator is unmodified Android right from the source. The way apps render in the emulator will be the same as they render on devices, and almost everything should run. It's peachy for testing app builds before loading them onto test devices. The biggest problem is that the emulator is sluggish enough that y'all won't want to make a addiction of running apps in it. Games are out of the question every bit well.

BlueStacks

If y'all're looking to get multiple apps and games upwardly and running on your computer with the minimum of attempt, BlueStacks is your friend. BlueStacks presents itself as just a way to get apps working, but it actually runs a total (heavily modified) version of Android backside the scenes. Non merely that, but it has the Play Store congenital-in, and then y'all have instant access to all of your purchased content. Information technology really adds an entry to your Google Play device list, masquerading as an Android phone.

The BlueStacks customer will load upwards in a desktop window with different app categories like games, social, and so on. Clicking on an app or searching does something unexpected — it brings up the full Play Shop client as rendered on tablets. You lot can actually navigate around in this interface just as you would on a real Android device, which makes it clear there's a lot more to BlueStacks than the "App Actor" front end. The main screen in BlueStacks with the app categories is just a custom home screen, so replacing it makes BlueStacks feel almost like a regular Android device.

Having full Play Store access means you won't be messing around with sideloading apps, and BlueStacks manages to run apps pretty well (and ameliorate if you have a CPU that supports hardware virtualization). Most games are playable, simply keep in heed y'all'll have trouble operating many of them with a mouse. If your PC has a impact screen, y'all can all the same use apps and games that rely on more than one affect input. BlueStacks tin substantially make a Windows tablet PC into a part-time Android tablet.

The biggest outcome with BlueStacks is that it'south not running a standard Android build. All the alterations the company fabricated to get apps working on a PC tin cause issues — some apps fail to run or crash unexpectedly. This customized environment is also of little value equally a development tool considering there'due south no guarantee things will render the same on BlueStacks as they might on a existent Android device without all the back-end modifications. It's as well a freemium service with a $ii pro subscription, or you can install a few sponsored apps.

Link to Windows

Some Android phones (by and large Samsung devices) accept enhanced support for Microsoft's Your Phone Windows client, offering access to your letters, notifications, photos, and aye, apps. The apps aren't technically running on the PC — they're mirrored from your phone. Withal, this system is very fleshed out and officially supported. Everything else nosotros've talked almost is a bit of a hack or non for regular users, but you tin can be up and running with Link to Windows in a few minutes.

You volition need a phone that works with the latest Your Phone features. That includes the Samsung Galaxy S9 and newer, as well as the Microsoft Surface Duo. The feature will aggrandize to more phones in the future, though.

Outset, make sure you've got the Your Telephone app on your Windows PC. Side by side, launch the Link to Windows client on your Samsung phone — it should exist accessible under Avant-garde Features and from the quick settings. You'll have to scan a QR code on your computer with the phone and sign into your Microsoft account. And that'south it.

Your app list appears in the Your Phone app, and you can launch any of them. Your phone doesn't need to be plugged in, but Wi-Fi is recommended. Supported devices running Android eleven can run multiple apps side-by-side on Windows, but be enlightened that less powerful phones volition exist sluggish with more than one simultaneous app.

Then What'southward the Best Way?

If y'all need to test something with the intention of putting it on other Android devices, the emulator is however the best way. This is best suited to developers as the configuration and management of apps is complicated. It's boring, but yous'll exist able to meet how things will work on the real deal. If you're interested in getting more than a handful of apps running on your PC so y'all can actually apply and enjoy them, BlueStacks App Player is the best solution for most people. Information technology'due south easy, has Play Store access, and works on multitouch Windows devices.

If you lot happen to have a phone compatible with Microsoft's latest Your Phone features, that'southward by far the easiest way to get Android apps on your PC. Many of these phones are expensive, so it's non worth ownership one just for this single use case. However, if yous're due for an upgrade and running Android apps on a PC is on your list of priorities, this might influence your decision. I still don't call back y'all should buy the Surface Duo, though.

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