7 Best Android Emulators For Linux You Can Use
How do you plan to install Android apps on your Linux computer? If you’re not familiar with how to do that, read on. You’ll find out that there are several ways to do this, and we’ve even collected the seven best Android emulators you can use on Linux! Let’s start!
Table Of Contents
Best Android Emulators For Linux
We’ve written an in-depth post on how to get any app running on your favorite desktop or laptop operating system. In it, we compiled a list of seven different emulators and why they’re useful. The reality is, however, that not all users have time to read such a long post; so here are seven of our favorite ones. Let’s take a look!
Anbox
Similar to Run Android, Anbox has also been around for a while. In fact, it was released before its competitor in 2017 by Shashlik, an open-source community that developed it together with Ubuntu Touch. The emulator allows you to install and run several apps from Google Play on your system. However, not all of them are guaranteed to work flawlessly, so you might need some patience and a bit of tinkering with settings.
Using Anbox is fairly simple since there is no installation needed – all you have to do is unpack and run it. It supports both ARM and x86 architectures and comes pre-installed with several basic apps including Gmail, Hangouts, Messenger, Maps, and Youtube. One of its biggest benefits is perhaps being able to use any app available on Google Play Store regardless of whether they were originally made for Android.
This means you can access any mobile app regardless if it’s compatible with your computer or not, making it much easier to enjoy everything mobile devices have to offer even when working on a desktop PC. Additionally, Anbox doesn’t require root access like other similar emulators and can be used without having any kind of technical knowledge whatsoever. If you’re interested in giving it a try or learning more about how it works under the hood, check out their website.
Go to Anbox
Android-x86
If you’re looking for a simple emulator to run a small number of apps, android-x86 is an excellent choice. It uses a modified version of Google’s AOSP, which means it supports fewer apps than other emulators—but it runs on both 32-bit and 64-bit computers. Also, unlike most emulators, android-x86 includes Google Play Services out of the box so you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues with your favorite mobile apps. (Note: The developers stopped releasing builds at version 4.4 KitKat.)
Noobs is another easy-to-use Android emulator that allows you to use or test multiple versions of Android without dealing with complicated setups. The interface may be slightly difficult to get used to but it has some great features such as audio support, live wallpapers, and gesture controls that make using touchscreen devices easier.
Unfortunately, if you want more recent versions of Android then noobs don’t support them anymore—the latest available version as I write this is Jelly Bean MR2. On top of that, noobs do not include Google Play Services by default like android-x86 does; instead, it recommends installing F-Droid and installing Gapps manually before running anything else in noobs.
Download Android-x86
Check out Best Reddit Alternative
BlueStacks
Though it may not work with every app, BlueStacks is a powerful choice. It’s fast and completely free. Although it’s not open source, its free tier is generous enough to make most people happy. If you run into issues that are fixed by upgrading to one of its paid plans, it could be worth exploring other options. When you start a new project with BlueStacks, you set your desired language and platform (Android), as well as location (pre-set or custom).
In addition to downloading apps from Google Play and local files, you can also choose to use online accounts for some apps. This makes it easy to download games like Clash of Clans without using extra storage space. Once you’ve downloaded an app, you can play around with settings such as graphics and performance if needed. Overall, BlueStacks is an excellent option for anyone who wants a simple emulator without any fuss or price tag.
Visit BlueStacks Site
Genymotion
For someone who wants to be able to run android applications on their computers, there are a lot of reasons why using an emulator is a very good idea. The main reason is that it allows you to use programs and applications which have been designed for smartphones without actually having a phone. What’s more, you can take advantage of apps like WhatsApp in spite of your telephone not being capable of running them.
How you go about doing so will depend on whether or not your operating system uses Linux. There are many emulators available; however, some do not work very well and others don’t appear to be free at all. Fortunately, there are several excellent choices when it comes to getting an emulator. One such program is Genymotion. This program works with both Windows and Mac systems as well as Ubuntu and Debian-based Linux distributions (including Raspbian).
It works by simulating everything that would normally happen if you were running android on a real device including touch screen capabilities via your mouse cursor. That means you can install any app from Google Play Store just as if you had a real device. To start using Genymotion, you need to download and install VirtualBox first. Then you should download either a Windows version or one based on your OSX version depending upon what computer you’re working with. After downloading it onto your computer, double click on its icon to open it up then click next until installation begins.
Genymotion Download
Andy
The Andy Android emulator, which was introduced back in 2016, is a great alternative to Bluestacks and it’s available for Windows and Mac. Andy has come a long way since its inception, and it has evolved into one of the best all-in-one emulators on any platform. It features an incredibly user-friendly interface that’s easy to use even for beginners.
It also comes with Google Play support built-in and full hardware acceleration support thanks to built-in drivers for popular chipsets such as Adreno and Mali. The only negative about Andy is that it requires at least 4GB of RAM to run smoothly but otherwise, you should definitely give it a try if you need an alternative to Bluestacks or Nox App Player.
Open Andy
Nox Player
Nox App Player is a powerful Android emulator which you can install on your computer. And what makes it unique from other android emulators is its built-in feature of gamepad support. The emulator requires at least a dual-core processor and should run well with AMD and Intel processors alike, but if you’re using an older processor, you may find that running Nox for extended periods of time results in overheating issues and lag. Still, in terms of usability and performance, Nox App Player outperforms most other Android emulators by far. It’s one of our favorites! Download Now .
If you’re used to playing Minecraft on mobile devices such as iOS or Android, then you’d be aware that, unlike PCs which have multiple control methods to choose from (keyboard + mouse, joystick/gamepad), not many android emulators offer hardware controller support out of the box. To play Minecraft properly without actually spending any money upfront , we strongly recommend going with Nox App Player as your default choice (if not Xamarin).
Because they’ve got really good gamepad controls out of box through their internal controller plugin, It’s one of our favorites because it offers a clean user interface and performs very well even when running resource-intensive games like Asphalt 8: Airborne . Another feature worth mentioning is its ability to stream apps from your PC to your phone over Wi-Fi. It’s definitely one of our top picks!
Download Nox Player
KOPlayer
It runs very smoothly and allows you to manage to save games and settings. It also comes with a screen recorder and support for P2P connections if that’s something you’re into. The emulator allows you to modify your phone from an interface that resembles Android Oreo 8.1 or 9.0, which is nice if you don’t like some of Google’s decisions for its mobile operating system.
One of my favorite things about is that it allows you to use your computer’s keyboard and mouse, which is a huge plus for me. The emulator has a nice interface, but I do wish it had more customization options. This is great if you want to play games on your laptop or desktop computer and don’t have access to an actual phone or tablet. It’s also pretty easy to set up, so if you’re looking for something simple, KOPlayer might be right for you.
Why should the user choose
- # Over 300 games and growing!
- # Absolutely free. No Ads either. We don’t believe in that.
- # Optimized for all popular android phones such as Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, Note 8, and more!
Conclusion
These days, there’s a bit of everything for everyone in terms of mobile operating systems. But if you’re on a Linux-based operating system, you may have found that your options are limited. However, with these seven Android emulators for Linux, you can run virtually any app from the Google Play Store on your OS of choice.