how to download android apps to the pc 4 Free Ways to Run Android Apps on Your PC. Want to use Android apps on a PC? There are plenty of good, free ways to emulate Android right on your computer, including the Your Phone app, BlueStacks, Genymotion, and Android-x86. Let's take a look. Ever wish you could run an Android app or game on your PC so you weren't relegated to a tiny phone screen? Or maybe you need to test a feature on Android, but don't have an Android device handy. Here are four free ways to run Android (and its apps) on your computer. Mirror Your Phone With Windows. For apps installed on your phone, you don’t need anything fancy to get Android on your PC. The Windows Your Phone app provides the ability to mirror the phone screen to your PC, with access to most of your apps through a simple desktop window. Just follow our instructions on connecting your phone to Windows, then choose the Phone Screen option in the sidebar to mirror your device. Microsoft is working on expanding this feature even further, with the ability to pin Android apps on your taskbar and launch them individually, as long as your phone and computer are connected. At the time of writing, this feature is only available in Windows 10’s Insider Previews, but it should make its way to the mass-released version of Windows soon. This isn’t always the ideal solution. If you’re looking to play games, this may come with some delay and graphical blurriness, and you won’t be able to easily share files from your PC directly to an app in Android. But for quick access to Android apps you already have installed, it definitely works in a pinch. Run Your Favorite Apps With BlueStacks. If you're just looking to run a couple apps and don't need the emulator to look like Android, you should try BlueStacks. Over the years, it's become the best Android app emulator around, and it's packed with features that ensure your apps and games run smoothly. Since it uses virtualization to emulate Android, you'll want to jump into your computer's BIOS and enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V, if your computer supports it, for best performance. Download and install BlueStacks as you would any other Windows or Mac application. It'll take up about 2GB of space on your computer (plus any apps you download), and when it launches, you'll be greeted with its customized home screen. It doesn't mimic a traditional Android launcher, but you do get access to the Play Store to download any apps you want—they'll appear on BlueStacks' home screen and on your Windows desktop as their own shortcuts. Just double-click an icon to run the app in question. BlueStacks is great for apps that don't have corresponding desktop apps, but the emulator really shines when it comes to games. BlueStacks comes with built-in mappings for your mouse and keyboard, which you can customize to the touch controls you find on different Android games. You can also adjust the resolution, DPI, FPS, and amount of CPU or RAM allocated to the emulator, ensuring you get the best balance between speed and graphical fidelity. (This is particularly useful given that BlueStacks is fairly resource-intensive, as many virtual machines are.) BlueStacks does, unfortunately, come with some ads and clutter, but it's not as intrusive as it once was, and it's a small price to pay for the functionality you get—especially considering it uses Android 7.1 as its base, which is higher than most alternatives on the market. Emulate Full Android Experience With Genymotion. If you're looking to explore the Android operating system itself—rather than individual apps—Genymotion is a decent emulator. Its main product is designed for developers and costs money to use, but there is a free version of the software you can download for personal use; you just need to create an account on the website first. Genymotion uses VirtualBox to emulate Android, so you'll either need to have VirtualBox installed on your PC or download the version with VirtualBox bundled. Install it like you would any other Windows program, ensuring you select the version for "Personal Use" during the wizard. (And like BlueStacks, you'll want to enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V from your computer's BIOS if you have it.) When you start Genymotion, it'll present you with a list of device templates you can install—this determines the screen resolution, Android version, and resources allotted to the emulator. Install the template you want and double-click it to enter Android. You'll be able to navigate around the home screen, launch apps, and emulate certain events like GPS location. Note that you'll start with a very barebones version of Android that doesn't even come with many of Google’s apps or modern features, though you can add the Play Store by clicking the "Open Gapps" icon in the sidebar to install it. Also, no matter which template you choose, you won't get any custom versions of Android—picking the Samsung Galaxy S10 template, for example, won't get you Samsung's One UI. It just determines the resolution and specs of the virtual machine. (Genymotion does support Android versions from 4.4 all the way up to 10.0, though.) Genymotion works well for exploring Android's settings and other built-in features, though I wouldn’t necessarily use it to run individual apps, as it just doesn’t integrate as well with your PC as something like BlueStacks. If Genymotion doesn't suit your needs, Google's official Android software development kit also comes with an Android emulator, though setup is a bit more complex, so I wouldn't recommend it for most users. Run Android Directly on Your PC With Android-x86. If you're looking for something a bit more full-featured, the Android-x86 project gets you as close as you can get to true Android on your PC. Android-x86 is an open-source project that ports Android to the x86 platform, allowing you to run it on your computer instead of an ARM-based phone or tablet. To run Android-x86, you have a couple of options. If you want to run Android on its own, as a desktop operating system for your PC, you can download it as an ISO disc image and burn it to a USB drive with a program like Rufus. Then, insert that USB drive into the PC in question, reboot, and enter the boot menu (usually by pressing a key like F12 during the boot process). By booting from your Android-x86 USB drive, you'll either be able to run Android in a live environment—without having any effect on your PC— or install it to your PC's hard drive for permanent usage (and better performance). Alternatively, if you want to run Android-x86 on top of your existing operating system, you can download the disc image and run it inside VirtualBox. This is, again, a bit more advanced if you aren't familiar with VirtualBox, but our guide to running Windows on a Mac can get you acquainted with the process. The official site has some tips for getting Android-x86 up and running in a virtual machine as well. It's more work than using something like BlueStacks, but it's also closer to pure Android, which is a nice perk. How to Download Android Apps to PC without Installing Any Software [Quick Tip] Android has a very rich app ecosystem where you can find an app for almost anything like fitness, note taking, financing, traveling, navigation, time management, educational needs, etc. To compliment the ecosystem, the Google Play Store has made it very easy to install and uninstall an app from the market. As good as it is, the only problem with the Play Store is that you won’t have any access to the APK (installer file) file. In case you are wondering, having the APK file of your most used or important app makes it easy to install the app even if you don’t have access to the Play Store, to the internet connection or if the app is not available in your country. No matter what the reason is, here is how you can download Android Apps to PC . Though I’ve previously shared a simple way to download Android APK files to PC, the procedure needs you to install a free software. If you don’t want to install any software then follow on to know how to download Android apps to PC . Download Android Apps to PC. Using APK Pure. APK Pure is a simple web service that lets you download any app from the Play Store with a single click. All you have to do is, head over the website, paste the app URL and click on the button “Search” button. This action will take you the app download page. Here, click on the button “Download APK” and you are good to go. The good thing about this service is that you can search for the apps directly from the homepage if you don’t have the Play Store URL. Using APK-DL. APK-DL is also similar, you can search for almost any app in the Play Store using the URL, Package name, or App name. To download the app, simply enter the app URL and click on the search button. The above action will take you to the download screen. Here, click on the button “Download APK File.” Depending on the app size, you will have your APK file downloaded to your PC in seconds. Using APK Leecher. Just like with APK-DL, you can also use APK Leecher to search for almost any app using package name, URL, or app name and download it. Once you have the URL, paste the URL in the search bar and click on the “Generate Download Link” button. In the download page, click on the button “Procced to Download.” The above action will initiate and complete the download process. That’s all there is to do and it is that simple to download Android apps to PC without using any software. However, one thing to keep in mind while using the above services is that you cannot download paid apps. To download the paid apps, you have no other choice but to use the Play Store or app developer website. Do comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences about using the above web apps to download Android apps to PC without using any software. How to Install Android Apps on Windows. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 2,487 times. Windows 10 has a built-in app store, but it does not have as many apps available as Android. Luckily, there is a way to install Android apps on Windows. To do this, you first have to install a program called BlueStacks, and then install the apps through the program. BlueStacks is designed for games, but it can install regular apps as well. [1] X Research source This wikiHow will tell you how to install BlueStacks, and how to install the Android apps inside of BlueStacks. How to Run Android Apps in your PC. Cell phones today have become everyday thing among the people from different walks of life. The reason that caused such proliferation of cellular phones is the existence of a vast amount of addictive applications and games that can be played on these cell phones. These apps and games significantly further the usability of a mobile phone and hence the most popular cell phones out there in the market, including but not limited to the Apple’s iPhone and other phones loaded with Android OS are leading with lots of apps with technological advancements that have the ability to be more productive. The first apps to go viral at an unprecedented pace were the apps with calling and texting, which are capable of reducing the burden on your wallet by helping you stay in touch with your dear ones. Such apps are rightly called “Over The Top” or OTT apps, some examples are WeChat, WhatsApp, Viber, Line, Rebtel etc. The important differences in these apps are that only a few of these apps help you make phone calls (Rebtel and Viber), the others are only text messaging based. In my case, a dilemma that occupies me is why should I take these bulky cellular phones just to enjoy these apps, especially when I am next to a computer? Sadly, less than a handful of the app devloping companies have looked at creating their apps for a computer natively. Switching between phone and PC is time consuming since you need to stop whatever you need to work on your computer and again use your phone in order to use these applications. Viber for PC is the first and foremost step in this direction but it lacks a lot. Companies other than the ones that deal with app development have put a lot of efforts to make users capable of using Android applications on their laptops or computers. Their efforts have seen the bright light now, as it is possible to use Android apps on computers or laptops. Eureka! This solution is a side product of a method to allow application developers to test their phone apps during development on their computers before submitting them for review by the stores such as the Windows’ app store, Apple’s iTunes or the Google Play store. That is to say, a phone app developer could, if needed, try his/her Android phone app on personal machines using an emulator, test the app, and subsequently submit it for review. This is the same method we will use to enjoy Android apps on PC. Today we are going to discuss how can a novice user employ this information to use her favorite phone app on a laptop without the costly affair of a cellphone. This technique, of course, will apply equally even when you want to download Android games on your personal computer. Steps to Get Android Games/Apps on your PC. Download an Android emulator called Bluestacks. There is also Youwave, but it won’t work with ARM based apps. Install Bluestacks and run it. Note: You might run into graphics errors during installation, however you should be able to find a solution to most of the Bluestacks errors here. On the home page of Bluestacks, click on the search button and type in the name of the app or the game you want. Select one of the many app stores and install the app. Go back to the home page and you should see the app listed there, you should be able to double click the app and run it. I hope you find this tutorial helpful. Feel free to leave a comment if you are stuck anywhere or need specific instructions for your favorite game or app. How to Run Android Apps on PC? (Proved Tips) Smartphones are quite the intuition in technology that has raided the community worldwide, integrating themselves with the lives of every citizen throughout the globe. However, when it comes to using smartphones throughout the day, there are times when you feel to avoid looking over the screen of your mobile. Such situations are usually encountered while sitting in an office or a scaffold. It is believed that looking over your smartphone's screen is considered highly unethical and promotes indiscipline. For saving yourselves from such humiliation, different remedies are presented for controlling Android applications over a PC. For this, the community has presented the use of emulators and mirroring applications. Though these platforms had been reported as quite stingy to use, you are not provided an ample window to select from. This article intends to target every solution available in the market along with a detailed guide on operating the platforms that provide an answer to how to run Android apps on PC. Part 1. How can I run Android apps on a PC without a BlueStacks emulator? Emulators have been considered as an immediate solution to run Android apps on PC. With many reported issues, many users prefer casting out emulators from the list. If you are not fond of using emulators such as the BlueStacks emulator, you can follow through with a variety of different solutions, which are presented as follows. 1.1 MirrorGo (3 steps will be done) Wondershare MirrorGo is a powerful program to mirror your phone screen to a big-screen Windows computer. It can also control the phone from PC, record mobile and save the video on PC, take screenshots, share the clipboard, manage mobile notifications on PC, etc. Wondershare MirrorGo. Mirror your android device to your computer! Play mobile games on the big screen of the PC with MirrorGo. Store screenshots taken from the phone to the PC. View multiple notifications simultaneously without picking up your phone. Use android apps on your PC for a full-screen experience. Step 1: Connect the Android device to a PC. Choose 'Transfer files' under 'Use USB to' choices. Step 2: Enable USB debugging on your Android. Step 3: Tap 'OK' to allow the computer access the phone data. Then you can use mouse to control and use the Android apps on the computer . 1.2 Chrome Extensions. This mechanism has a single requirement i.e., a smooth functional Internet connection. For users who are not in the mood of downloading any platform on their desktop, they can simply opt for chrome extensions. For adding the appropriate chrome extension on your Chrome browser, you need to follow the steps as follows. Step 1: Open your browser and navigate to the “Apps” section. Step 2: You need to search for an “Android Emulator” in the “Web Store” of the browser. Step 3: Add any extension in the list and conclude the setup. 1.3 Multi Boot OS. Using a dual boot OS over the PC provides you the ability to control your Android applications on PC. This feature, though quite extensive, configures and provides you a very solid platform to run Android applications on a PC. The article considers a couple of multi-boot OS for this purpose and seeks to provide a detailed guide on how to configure the complete setup and run Android apps on PC alongside Windows OS. Part 2. Android Studio's Official Android Emulator. Regardless of the discrepancies emulators come with, some users still prefer using emulators for their easy-going setup and interface. There is an expansive list of emulators available in the market, which can be effectively used to run Android apps on PC with efficiency. However, to make your selection easier and convenient, this article will target the best emulators that you can find across the market. Android Studio's Official Android Emulator is accounted among the best emulators in the market. To understand its operation for effectively running apps on your PC, you need to look over the steps stated as follows. Step 1: Download and install the Android Studio platform on your PC and launch it. Step 2: Tap on “Configure” in the options and select “AVD Manager” from the drop-down menu. Step 3: Select the option of “Create Virtual Device” across the new window. Step 4: You need to select the phone from the list and proceed. Following this, confine across the appropriate Android version. Step 5: An AVD creates which can be controlled from the “Play button” on its side. Step 6: Sign in with your Google credentials and operate easily. Part 3. MEmu Player. MEmu Player is another emulator that can be considered while considering running Android apps on a PC. You need to follow the steps provided below to understand the procedure on how to run Android apps on Windows using MEmu Player. Step 1: You need to download and install the MEmu Player from the internet. After installing, open the platform and proceed. Step 2: Click on “Custom” to configure a few settings before tapping on "Install." Step 3: Change the directory of the installation location of all the Android apps. This will allow you to install more applications that you require. Step 4: Tap “Install” and launch the emulator once concluded. Step 5: The MEmu emulator is successfully installed that can be used to install Android apps on a PC. Part 4. Nox App Player. You can consider using Nox App Player to understand the method of how to run Android apps on Windows 10 PC. Follow these steps to get knowledge of this emulator. Step 1: Download Nox Player from its official website and install it successfully on your PC. Step 2: With the installation elapsed, you need to tap into start using NOX player simply. Step 3: Using the built-in Google Play Store, log in with your Google credentials and downloads Android applications of your choice. Part 5. Remix. This article discussed the consumption of Multi-Boot OS to create another OS within an OS for running Android apps on PC. Building another OS within the system allows you to have a robust use of the Android apps on a PC, even without a smartphone. The remix is one impressive platform that follows a series of detailed steps that would help you configure Remix OS within your PC, followed by consuming it successfully. Step 1: Initially, it is important to create a boot stick to install Remix OS on your PC. For this, the Remix OS provides you an Installation Tool for creating a bootable device. To create a bootable disk, extract the Remix OS’s archive and open ‘Remix OS for PC Installation”. Step 2: Tap “Browse” on the next screen and locate the .iso file from the extracted folder. Select the ‘Type’ and ‘Drive’ of the portable drive you are designing and proceed. Step 3: Select the appropriate system size for saving data and proceed. The tool will copy all files and add a bootloader within the disk. Now, you would require installing Remix OS on the portable flash disk. Step 4: You need to boot your system with the disk and select the “Resident” mode from the startup screen. Step 5: A window will appear demanding the creation of a data partition. Proceed to the ‘writing speed test’ of the disk. Step 6: A data partition will be created and formatted over successful execution. The system booting shall continue with the elapsing of the function. Step 7: With the PC booted up, you need to set up the Remix OS on your PC. After following through all the important declarations and agreements, you need to activate Google services on the OS and conclude setting up the OS. Part 6. Genymotion. If you are in search of another OS or an application that provides you effective services to run Android apps on a PC, you can consider Genymotion for this case. However, it requires a similar setup as any other application. To understand the process of setting up Genymotion on your PC, you need to follow the guide provided. Step 1: Download and install the Genymotion Desktop for your Windows OS. You need to have a good system for performing such tasks. Install the Genymotion Setup on your OS by following the on-screen instructions. After concluding the setup, you need to start installing VirtualBox on your Windows 10. It is to be kept in mind that the package of the Genymotion Desktop should be downloaded from its original website to avoid any major file missing in the package. Step 2: Start installing VirtualBox on your PC. Proceed to the next options and select the appropriate options if required. Over a warning of disconnection of all the network interfaces while installing, proceed while ignoring this prompt message. VirtualBox will successfully install in a while. Step 3: The Genymotion app is installed successfully. Launch it to use with ease. You need to create a new account on the application to run the Android apps within the platform. You need to ensure that you select the option of "Genymotion for personal use/Gaming." Conclusion. This article has introduced you to a variety of remedies that can be undertaken for running an Android app over a PC. The article has built a perspective over a variety of options to run Android applications on a PC for allowing users to select the appropriate choice according to their needs. You need to look over the article to develop an understanding of how to run Android apps on a PC.