best way to run android apps on windows 10

This might not impact you if you’re only testing or using one app, but if you want it as an Android emulator too, you might find it limiting. The other downside to ARC Welder is that you can only run one app at a time. That means you’ll have to acquire the APK files, download them onto your computer, and add them manually from within ARC Welder. Select how you want them, portrait or landscape, and whether you wish to allow clipboard access.ĪRC Welder is pretty good at simulating Android but doesn’t have Google Play Store access like BlueStacks and Nox does.

Download your APKs and point ARC Welder to them.

Download and install the ARC Welder extension.

Bluestacks users can upgrade to a premium membership that blocks ads, lets the user create their own custom desktops, and gives access to premium tech support, for a charge of $4 per month or $40 per year. 4, with the option to emulate 7.1.2.īoth Bluestacks and Nox have free versions that are fully-functional. Nox is currently on version 6.6.0.8 and runs Android v. Nox does not have a paid subscription model. When you run Nox, it creates a full-featured Android desktop, just like BlueStacks.

Load the app(s) you want to use, either through the Play Store or manually with APK files.

Set up the player with your preferences and defaults.

Like BlueStacks, Nox is not a perfect emulation of Android, but it runs apps very very well. Nox is aimed more at the serious Android gamer who would like to play Android games on a big screen. There is a 64-bit beta program that runs 64-bit Nougat for folks who just have to be on the bleeding edge. Bluestacks runs 32-bit Android Nougat (7.1.2). Other than that, it’s a good emulator that mimics an Android device well.

Load apps, play games, and whatever you want to do through the Play Store.īlueStacks does like to alert you with every possible message it can think of which can be annoying.

Download and install the BlueStacks App Player.

For everything else, BlueStacks App Player works just fine.

If you’re looking to QA code or soak test an app, this may not exactly replicate the release environment. It doesn’t use a pure Android version like Android SDK. BlueStacksīlueStacks App Player is an Android emulator that works very well. There are several good emulator programs out there, but I will briefly describe two of the more popular options, Nox and BlueStacks.

You are basically running an Android device from within your Windows device. Running the SDK is fine if you just need to take a quick look at an app or something, but if you really want to use apps (especially games), then you will need to install a full-fledged emulator.Īndroid emulators for Windows essentially create a fake Android machine on your Windows PC. Using an Android Emulator to run APK files in Windows 10

Best way to run android apps on windows 10