The 6 Best Android Emulators for Windows 10

Try out Android apps on your computer with these emulators

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on September 12, 2022

You can run Android on Windows 10 with an Android emulator. What this does is emulate the mobile operating system, or at least a portion of it, through a software program that’s capable of running Android.

Everything is contained within the emulation software. This means you can do things not normally possible on your computer, like install Android apps on Windows and test drive various versions of the OS, without needing a phone or tablet.

These emulators can be helpful if your favorite app only runs on your phone, but you’d like to use it from your computer, too, or on a bigger screen. If you’re new to Android and want to test out the newest version before buying an Android phone, some emulators can do that for you.

01
of 06

BlueStacks

BlueStacks Game center
What We Like

  • Includes a built-in app store


  • Installing and opening apps is really easy


  • Lets you install other APK files that aren’t in the store


  • Advanced RAM and CPU allocation settings


  • Earn BlueStacks Points to trade in for gift cards or a paid subscription


What We Don't Like

  • Includes ads

Unlike a whole-OS emulator, BlueStacks emulates just Android apps on Windows. It’s really easy to use, so you don’t need to know anything about emulators or even Android to get your apps up and running.

Google Play is built-in, so to emulate Android apps on your computer, just install them and open the shortcuts like you would on a mobile device.

If you're looking for an emulator that lets you quickly install an Android app on your PC, you can't go wrong with this one.

It's free, but you can upgrade to BlueStacks Premium for no ads, daily wallpapers, app recommendations, premium support, and more.

Both Windows and macOS are supported.

02
of 06

Remix OS Player

Remix OS Player Android emulator for Windows
What We Like

  • Installing and using apps is really simple

  • You can run multiple apps at once


  • Can manually set GPS, phone coverage, and battery level settings


  • The orientation of the emulator can be rotated


What We Don't Like

  • Setup file is over 700 MB


  • Unable to install APK files


  • Last update was in 2016

Remix OS is an operating system based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, so it looks like your normal OS with a desktop area, start menu, taskbar, and trash bin.

However, instead of installing the whole Remix OS, you can use the Remix OS Player emulator to run Android apps on your computer.

This software is described as a game emulator for your computer because it lets you customize some shortcuts normally used for navigating games, but you can use Remix OS Player for other apps, too, like Snapchat, Facebook, etc.; everything is available through the Play Store.

03
of 06

NoxPlayer

NoxPlayer Android emulator for Windows
What We Like

  • It’s free

  • A great emulator for gamers


  • Emulates the entire OS


  • Nearly everything is accessible with a keyboard shortcut


  • Lots of customizable options, like one to root Android in one click


  • Google Play is built-in but you can open APK files, too


What We Don't Like

  • Android 5 is really outdated

  • Tries to install another program during setup

Based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, NoxPlayer is a free Android emulator that’s made with gaming in mind. Google Play is built in for easy access to games and other apps, and you get the whole Android experience, including the home screen, folders, the notification center, etc.

Nearly every option in this emulator makes playing games easier. For example, you can record macros, define keys for things like multiple strikes and weapon fires, adjust FPS settings, record the screen, and take screenshots, among other things.

Install it on Windows and macOS.

Download For:

04
of 06

Andy

Andy Android emulator for Windows
What We Like

  • Supports both landscape and portrait mode


  • Lets you spoof your GPS location


  • Can remap keyboard keys


  • Supports full screen mode


What We Don't Like

  • Huge setup file, over 850 MB

  • Can’t install apps by their APK file


  • Last updated in 2018

The Andy emulator for Windows puts Android Nougat on your computer. You can run games and other apps by installing them through the Google Play Store.

Since this is a full Android emulator, you can also reposition the apps on the home screen and install widgets, just like you can on a real Android device.

Andy works on Windows and Mac OS X 10.8+.

05
of 06

Android Studio

Android Virtual Device Manager emulator for Windows
What We Like

  • Emulates the entire Android OS, not just one app


  • Always supports the newest Android operating system


  • You can emulate old Android OSs, too


  • Lets you build Android apps


What We Don't Like

  • No built-in app store

  • Setup can get confusing


Android Studio might be what you’d call the “official” Android emulator, since it’s from Google. However, the core of the program is meant for app development, so while there is an emulator built-in, it's not super easy to use.

This program doesn’t have an easy-to-use interface like the other emulators in this list, so it isn’t the greatest if you just want to run some Android apps on your computer. However, if you plan to create your own apps, and you want an easy way to test them throughout the creation process, then this might be all you need.

Windows isn't the only platform this works on. You can also use Android Studio on Mac, Linux, and Chrome OS.

06
of 06

Genymotion

Genymotion Android emulator for Windows
What We Like

  • Supports lots of Android versions


  • Easier to use than Android Studio


  • Emulates the whole OS


  • Lets you adjust processor and memory settings


What We Don't Like

  • Play Store isn't included


  • Requires VirtualBox to be installed

Another free Android emulator for Windows is Genymotion. It's a lot like Android Studio's emulator in that it emulates the entire OS, except that this one doesn't install all the other developer tools.

This free Android emulator can run modern versions of Android, not just old ones like some of these emulators. The way it works is you install virtual devices by selecting the Android version you want and the device model that should run that version of Android.

For example, you might select Android 10 and Google Pixel 3 to emulate that phone and OS on your computer. Or, maybe you want Motorola Xoom to run Android 4.3. You can also make a custom phone or tablet by specifying the screen resolution.

You can use Genymotion for free only if it's for personal use (otherwise, there are three paid editions). To get started, make a user account, activate it through the link they send to your email, and then download the software.

Genymotion runs on 64-bit versions of Windows, and is also available for macOS, Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora.

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