You may or may not be having a smartphone, it doesn’t matter because in this tutorial we will be showing you how you can actually run smartphone applications(specifically android mobile apps) on your personal computer (both Windows and Mac OS). Android is very popular operating system for mobiles and tablets.
There was a time when only the app store for iPhone was known but now things have changed. Google Play (Android App store) has millions of applications in it (and most of them are free). There are games, productivity apps, office apps, entertainment apps, instant messaging applications and so many other different applications. These are so much addictive that you would definitely want to have access to them on your computer as well. Yes, that’s right with just simple steps you would be actually running Android application’s on your computer.
This guide is basically a BlueStacks Android Emulator tutorial. Its a very famous android emulator for computer (windows and mac) – huge number of people are already using it daily. Installing and using this emulator is not that difficult but ain’t very easy. In this article, we will show you how you can install and run this emulator on your PC. Infact we have created a video tutorial as well – just read on. Make sure you follow it step by step, otherwise you will end up facing too many issues.
Why Running Android Apps On PC
- It is FREE and it is fun!
- If you don’t have Android Mobile and still want to enjoy those millions of applications
- Playing games on mobile is fun, but playing these same games on computer (bigger screen) is altogether a different experience
- Have access to apps like Whatsapp (which are currently not available for PC) and stay connected to friends always
Run Android Apps On PC – BlueStacks Android Emulator
The simple and straight answer is install a FREE software on your computer named Bluestacks which gives you a feel of Android. The long and more technical answer is installing Android Emulator on your computer. A virtual android environment will get created on your computer (which will exactly look like Android on your mobile) where you get access to millions of Android apps. Bluestacks works pretty well and is now used by lots and lots of people all over the world.
Read: Official Android SDK on computer
Read: YouWave Android Emulator on PC
Read: YouWave Android Emulator on PC
Please note that Bluestacks works for both Windows PC and Mac OS computer. Basically software of Bluestacks is available for both types of OS.
First you need to follow the below steps and install BlueStacks software (and try installing apps on it). However some people have faced issues (problems) in using BlueStacks, so if you also face any problem or issue while installing BlueStacks android emulator – then please refer to this BlueStacks FAQ – All Issues and Problems Solved!
- One of the key requirements of BlueStacks is “Decent speed computer and about 1GB of RAM“
Step1: Download BlueStacks
Visit Bluestacks.com and download the application for your computer. Choose windows app or Mac app. Double click the installer file (.exe) and install the application on your computer.
Step2: Install BlueStacks
Let the application install.. It will take about 10 mins to install. Please note the between the installation it may give blank screen at times, don’t worry its part of installation. You will soon be getting access to games like Fruit Ninja.
Step3: Start The App
Its time to start the application and explore all the features. Try installing a few games and other apps.
Again the app may take some time to load.
Setting Menu – Change Settings
You may also like to delete a few pre installed applications.
I tried removing AVG antivirus (as my PC already has one).
Installing Apps On BlueStacks
On the home screen you can select a particular application or you can search for apps in Bluestacks. It has almost every Android application.
- Just click on the app icon
- It will then ask you to complete one time setup (of adding your Google Store Account with BlueStacks).
- Complete the one time setup and you are ready to go.
Things To Do : Install Apps On BlueStacks
- Connect your Google Account with Bluestacks. We recommend that you create a new account here so that your phone content (apps) are not touched.
- Sync Account: If you want that your phone apps are automatically synced here and vice versa, you can use your primary Google Account (attached to your phone). When you sync up (it will ask to login to your gmail account). Use the primary account only if you want that all your apps on phone are visible on PC as well, do a sync. Other use newly created google account and do a sync (just to complete the setup).
- Connect
- Follow the images below
Once the above setup is complete you can download any app or game from Bluestack. Followour application specific tutorial for help on app setup. Example Playing Temple Run 2 on your PC. If you are facing any difficulty in installation or any other issue with BlueStacks, please let us know. We will help you out.