How to emulate Android on a Windows PC?

August 23, 2013 2:39 AM

Hello, I recently downloaded an Android emulator called Youwave but am finding it very difficult to use due to small font size. Please could someone explain how to install a reputable Android emulator so I can use Android apps on my Windows PC? Thank you for your assistance.
posted by Musashi Daryl to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

Can you be more specific about what you want to use the emulator for?

You probably want Bluestacks.

Another option is getting the Android SDK and using the emulator that comes with it. If you use an Intel x86 image, it can run extremely fast. The drawback is that it will be more of a hassle to get it up and running than Bluestacks, and it might be less compatible.

It's also possible to run Android on VirtualBox, which is free virtualization software from Oracle.
posted by zixyer at 3:34 AM on August 23, 2013

Genymotion is quite popular with developers, and comes with the Play Store app. It's quite fast, runs Angry Birds well at least. It uses Virtual Box to run Android.
posted by rpn at 4:08 AM on August 23, 2013

Short answer: Run Android on VirtualBox.

Long version: A few months ago I was developing some software for Android and decided the reaction time for the emulator (Android Virtual Device) was too slow. While I was looking for tips on how to improve its speed, I learned that VirtualBox running Android is much faster than the AVD. So I followed this guide to installing Android on VirtualBox and I was up and running in 30 minutes including the debug bridge from Eclipse and the virtual network adapter.
posted by ostranenie at 6:48 PM on August 26, 2013