CollinsANDROID APPS: Few systems can compete with Android in terms of app selection. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use your Android phone or tablet apps on Windows. However, if you know how to run Android apps in Windows, you can utilize them in full-screen mode. You’ll be able to enjoy the top Android apps and games on the large screen this way.
We’ve also put together a specific article on how to install Android apps on Chrome OS if you’re using a Chromebook.
Emulating Android on Windows
An emulator is the simplest way to run Android apps on Windows. We have two separate emulators, each focusing on a different aspect of the game. Google offers Android Studio, which includes an Android emulator if you’re interested in developing it. However, it’s basically only for developers, whereas our other two suggestions are for end-users.
Bluestacks
The Bluestacks App Player is a popular and powerful Android emulator that lets you run 32-bit and 64-bit Android 7.1.2 (Nougat) games and apps on your Windows desktop.
It’s free to use, and the custom-designed UI makes it simple to change emulation settings and start apps. The “Layercake” technology improves the performance of Android games running on Windows desktops by utilizing hardware accelerators.
You can also broadcast Android apps and games using Bluestacks “stream mode” and OBS Studio if you have a Twitch or similar account and a PC with more than 8GB of RAM. However, if AMD-V or Intel VT-x are available, users may choose to enable them in the BIOS for maximum performance.
Bluestacks has an optional subscription ($4 per month or $40 per year) that includes premium support, ad blocking, wallpapers, and other features. It’s also now Galaxy Store compatible, allowing you to use and play apps purchased from Samsung’s app store.
Here’s how to get Bluestacks installed on your computer:
Step 1: Go to the official Bluestacks website and download the installer.
Step 2: Open the install application and select a location for the software and data files to be stored. You can’t modify the Bluestacks directory; it’ll automatically install on your boot drive.
Step 3: Once Bluestacks is installed, open it and sign in with your Google and/or Samsung accounts. You’ll need this information to access your Android app library and log in to the Google Play Store and Galaxy Store.
Genymotion
Unlike Bluestacks, which focuses on apps and games, Genymotion gives you the complete Android experience (though at the cost of performance). Genymotion has a number of commercial emulation modes available, including the ability to run Android emulation from the cloud. For personal use, there is a free version.
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Virtual Box is required to operate the software, so you’ll need to download that first. Aside from that, Genymotion has templates for almost every common Android device, and you may simulate the experience with multiple devices running different Android versions.
Here’s how to get started:
Step 1: Install VirtualBox on your Windows computer.
Step 2: For personal usage, get Genymotion.
Step 3: Go to Genymotion and click on the Create Account option. After you’ve finished setting up your account, activate it and log in using your username and password.
Step 4: Select a device to simulate by clicking the Plus symbol. A custom device can also be emulated.
That’s all there is to it! Before you start, you’ll need to enable AMD-V or Intel VT-x in your BIOS, much like Bluestacks. Genymotion is capable of emulating Android 4.4 and later. It’s worth noting that it’s geared toward developers, thus it’s not as user-friendly as Bluestacks.
Dual-booting
There is an option to emulation that allows you to run newer versions of Android, but it requires a little more effort to set up. It’s referred to as “dual-booting,” and it turns your Windows computer into an Android device. When you turn on your computer, you’ll have the option to boot into Android, which will work just like it does on your smartphone or tablet.
Getting started, on the other hand, is not as simple as installing native Android. You’ll need to discover a custom version that supports your system since computer hardware — CPUs, graphics cards, and hard drives — must be introduced to Android by a third-party developer.
Android-x86
Android-x86 offers Android to AMD and Intel processor-based x86-based PCs. What’s amazing about this project is that users can install any version of Android, from the now-defunct Donut (v1.6) to the more recent Pie (v9). LineageOS (cm-x86) binaries for x86-based processors are also available from the project.
Android-x86 9.0-r2 was the most recent release at the time of this publishing for anyone looking for a more recent Android build. It addressed an audio issue on the Surface 3 and another issue with booting into UEFI mode with Android-9.0.0 r54. Since then, contributors have provided more builds, although for older versions of Android.
Though the Android operating system has few customizations, the Android-x86 project has made several significant changes to offer your Android installation a desktop-like interface. It has a new Taskbar launcher as well as the ability to start apps in resizable windows rather than full-screen.
Android-x86 also allows you to personalize Android. You don’t have to worry about whether or not third-party themes, home screens, and other features will work together.
To use Android-x86, your computer must have the following components:
A CPU from AMD or Intel.
RAM should be at least 2GB.
4GB of storage space or more is required.
A USB port is available.
If your PC satisfies the minimum requirements, you’ll need the following three programs:
A USB flash disk that is empty.
Android-x86 has been downloaded to your computer.
UNetbootin has been downloaded to your computer.
Let’s get this get started:
Step 1: Locate and open UNetbootin, then click the Three Dots button on Diskimage’s far right.
Step 2: Locate and pick the ISO file that was downloaded.
Step 3: Click OK after selecting USB Drive from the list at the bottom next to Type.
Wait for UNetbootin to copy Android-x86 to your flash drive and install it.
Step 4: Turn on your computer again. To prevent Windows 10 from loading, you may need to use a specific key, such as ESC or F12. You should see a screen where you may choose Boot from the Boot Device Selection.
Step 5: Choose a flash drive.
Step 6: Select Install Android-x86 to Hard Disk from the UNetbootin interface.
Step 7: Choose the partition — or location — where Android-x86 will be installed. If you want to format the disk, the application will ask you. Don’t do it if you’re unsure.
Step 8: To install GRUB, select Yes, then Yes again.
Step 9: You’ll be prompted to “make system r/w,” which allows Android-x86 to read and write data to your hard drive. Yes is the answer.
Step 10: Perform a second reboot of your machine. Use the Google Play Store to install Android apps once it’s been installed.
Link to Windows
The Your Phone program from Microsoft allows Android phone owners to send and receive text messages from their Windows PC without having to use their phones. Users can now see phone-related notifications in the Action Center and view their phone’s images from Windows 10.
With Link to Windows, Samsung takes this amazing partnership to the next level. Phone Screen and Apps are presently two services provided by this technology. You’re essentially streaming the screen of a Samsung phone to an interactive window on your PC with the former. Instead than mirroring the phone’s entire screen, Apps allows you to broadcast particular apps.
All Android apps, on the other hand, remain on the Samsung phone. Furthermore, the Windows 10 PC and Samsung Android phone must be connected to the same local network. Microsoft maintains a list of Samsung phones that are compatible with Link to Windows; however, not all Samsung phones support Link to Windows.
Finally, in order for this approach to work effectively, Windows 10 November 2019 update is required (at the absolute least). Android 9 or newer is required on all Samsung phones.
Step 1: Open or download the Your Phone app from the Microsoft Store if it isn’t already installed.
Step 2: Go to your Microsoft Account and sign in.
Step 3: Move on to the Samsung phone in step three. Link to Windows by swiping down on the Quick Panel. If it doesn’t display in the Quick Panel, go to the Google Play Store and download it; it’s usually included into newer Samsung phones.
Step 4: If you’ve already logged in to other Microsoft apps on your phone, you won’t have to do so again. If not, manually log in.
Step 5: When prompted, grant permissions.
Step 6: The synchronization between the Samsung phone and Windows 10 should begin. To finish the pairing, touch the blue Allow button on the Samsung phone’s screen.
If the connection is successful, the Samsung phone will display a toggled-on switch; press it to disconnect at any time. The name of the connected PC and the Microsoft Account login name are also displayed on the screen.
Step 6: In the bottom-left corner of the Your Phone app in Windows 10, click the Gear (settings) button.
Step 7: Make sure the option to Display My Phone Screen is turned on.
Step 8: To get started, go to the left and select Phone Screen or Apps.
Surface Duo and Microsoft’s Emulator
The Surface Duo is a high-tech device that was released on September 10th. This dual-screen Android smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor.
It works with the same Link to Windows application that many Samsung devices do, and it also works with the official Google Android Emulator.
Collins