Officially Supported Solutions

Microsoft and Google have developed their own solutions for running Android apps in Windows, making them the safest options if you don’t trust smaller third-party developers or dislike freemium models.

1. Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)

Pros Cons

Only works on Windows 11Higher hardware system requirementsNot available in all countries, other than with a workaroundGoogle Play and Google Services need to be added on your ownInstalling APKs requires the command line or a third-party app

2. Android Studio

Google developed Android Studio to help Android developers build apps and test them across various Android versions to ensure full compatibility. Android Studio comes with a feature called AVD (Android Virtual Device), which allows you to pick a hardware configuration and a Google version to emulate on your computer. Once you have created the image and launched the emulator, you can either log in to Google Play or drag and drop APK files to install and use Android apps. Because Android Studio comes with various developer tools, this solution requires more storage space and has a complicated interface. I recommend only using Android Studio if the app you need will only work on a recent Android version. Pros

Official Google solution for testing Android appsSupports many versions of AndroidCustom window frames to better simulate a Google phone or tabletAlso supports macOS, Linux and Chrome OSSeveral images are upgradable and come with Google Play and Google Services preinstalled

Cons

Cumbersome setup process involving several downloadsPossible graphical glitches on certain hardware configurationsOverwhelming user interface for non-developersSome app compatibility issuesHigh disk-space requirement

VirtualBox-Based Android Emulators

VirtualBox is a free and open-source virtualization solution for running guest operating systems, such as Windows and Linux, within the host operating system. All Android emulators in this list have the VirtualBox engine built in and come with custom-made Android images. These images house fully emulated and rooted Android environments, complete with home screen launchers and customizable settings. The common features all emulators share include the ability to create multiple virtual machines, customizable CPU and RAM allocation towards the Android virtual machine, and a built-in screen recorder. While the primary focus of all these solutions is gaming, you can also install and use Android apps via the preinstalled Google Play app or drag and drop APK files. To measure the performance of each emulator, I configured each one to use 2 cores and 4 GB of RAM with a 720p resolution. I launched each emulator while logging the boot time, then ran a Geekbench 5.4.4 benchmark afterward, using my laptop with the following specifications:

Intel Core i5-12500H 3.80 – 4.00 GHz16 GB LPDDR5 4800 MHz RAMNVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 4GB GDDR6Samsung MZVL2512HCJQ-00BL2 512 GB NVMe Gen4Windows 11 Pro 21H2 build 22000.856 with Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform and Secure Core disabled in “Balanced” power mode

3. LDPlayer

LDPlayer has been around since 2016 and evolved to being what could be the best VirtualBox-based Android emulator. The straightforward setup process doesn’t nag you to install bloatware, and the Android home screen looks clean with subtle app advertisements across the bottom. The best part of LDPlayer is that it can function even with Windows Subsystem for Android and Windows Sandbox enabled, albeit with a slight performance penalty. Therefore, if you decide to use LDPlayer as your only Android emulator, I recommend you let it make the appropriate setting adjustments when prompted to maximize performance. Pros

Straightforward setup process with minimal and unobtrusive adsWorks alongside other solutions without major settings changesBooted in less than seven seconds on averageSupports up to 165 fps

Cons

Older versions of Android require a separate installerCannot view the size of each virtual machine from the app

4. BlueStacks 5

BlueStacks 5 is the oldest Android emulator in the list that continues to receive updates and support. This emulator boasts great performance and is very easy to use, thanks to the included app launcher and support for desktop shortcuts. However, BlueStacks breaks the functionality of Windows Subsystem for Android, Windows Sandbox and other emulators, as it requires you to disable certain Windows features for it to work. It does provide a tool that conveniently makes the necessary Windows changes, but it also disables Core Isolation, which can make your system more vulnerable to sophisticated malware. Pros

Fastest boot time, averaging about 6.12 secondsNo random adsGoogle Chrome preinstalledApps can have their own launch icons on the taskbar and Start Menu

Cons

Requires the most Windows setting adjustmentsSize of each virtual machine cannot be viewed from the app

5. NoxPlayer

NoxPlayer has been in active development since 2015 and is currently the best Android emulator for storage space-conscious people. A freshly created Android image is less than a gigabyte, which is about three to five times smaller than the average Android image. It is also the only VirtualBox-based solution with a macOS version. Just decline any offers to install any extra apps on the setup file, as you don’t need them for NoxPlayer to work. Pros

Small virtual machine file sizeAlso available for macOSApps can have their own launch icons on the taskbar and Start MenuSupports 120 fps

Cons

Optional bundled software on the installerLowest Geekbench score (395 single core and 798 multi-core)

6. MEmu

If you like to dabble with various Android versions through a single VirtualBox-based solution, MEmu is your best bet, as it lets you create Android 4.4, 5.1, 7.1 and 9.0 environments. Older versions generally offer faster performance at the cost of compatibility with newer apps, but the Android 9.0 environment scored high in the synthetic benchmarks. It all makes it a good choice for using heavier Android apps – if you don’t mind some occasional bugs and ads. Pros

Highest Geekbench score (1,386 single core and 2,474 multi-core)Optional support for Android 4.4 appsGoogle Chrome preinstalledSupports 90 and 120 fps options

Cons

Annoying video ads upon booting require monthly subscription to disableOccasional stability issues when booting and using

Device-Dependent Solutions

Device-dependent solutions rely on the connected device’s hardware resources to power the Android app. This significantly lowers the system requirements for Windows to run Android apps, as the computer side of the solution focuses on offering the interface for launching the app and accepting input from there. As these solutions only render the app from the mobile device to the screen, any personalized app settings from the mobile device carry over to the computer screen as well.

If you linked a supported Android phone to your Windows computer using the Phone Link app, you can remotely launch almost any app installed in your phone from your computer and have it show up via screen mirroring. A small subset of the supported phones running Android 11 also let you launch and manipulate multiple apps from the same device. As long as you have a speedy local network connection, using Android apps on your phone via Phone Link should feel very responsive. Pros

Official Microsoft solution for running Android apps via smartphone mirroringRequires the least disk spaceConsumes the least system resourcesApps can have their own launch icons on the taskbar and Start MenuMultiple apps can run with their own windows if device is running Android 11 and newer

Cons

Both the smartphone and Windows must reside on the same networkOnly works with a limited set of Android phonesAudio is only from the phonePerformance varies depending on the device’s specs and network speedWindow size and scaling of the app limited to the device’s screen size and resolution

8. Samsung Dex

Several flagship Samsung smartphones come with a feature called Samsung Dex that creates a desktop environment on the connected display or computer. After installing the Samsung Dex software on your computer, you can connect to your computer wirelessly or via USB-C cable and run windowed Android apps directly from that Windows environment. Your phone will remain available to do other tasks. Pros

Apps can run in resizable windowsFast performance, especially for recent Samsung flagship phonesVery low computer system requirementsWired and wireless connection options available

Cons

Only available for high-end Samsung phonesLimited app compatibility compared to other solutions

Image credit: Pixabay All screenshots by John Ruiz