Here's how to run Android apps on your Windows/Mac desktop/laptop computer

Posted: 28 Dec 2012, 06:51, by Victor H.

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Here's how to run Android apps on your Windows/Mac desktop/laptop computer

Android is the most prolific and fastest growing platform on the market right now, and it’s been so for the last couple of years. With that growth came more than 700,000 applications on Google Play, a figure that is on par with what Apple has in its App Store.

With such a wealth of apps, you might be secretly wishing to have some of them available not just on your phone or tablet, but also on your Windows or Mac notebook/desktop computer. And now there is an easy way to do just that with an called BlueStacks.

The application is still in beta, but it does pretty well in its core functionality - allowing you to run Google Play and install apps from it on your computer.

There is both a Windows and Mac version of Bluestacks, and everything should be working just fine and easily. Give it a shot - it’s right below.

Download Bluestacks for Windows

Download Bluestacks for OSX

via Coolsmartphones

24 Comments

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posted on 28 Dec 2012, 08:28 10

1. pfroo40 (Posts: 28; Member since: 12 Jun 2012)

This would be pretty awesome on a Windows 8 x86 tablet. Even better if it worked on RT.

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 08:38 1

3. windroid (unregistered)

Indeed!
Trying to decide for a tablet, either Android or Windows RT or (full) Windows 8, if android apps run fairly well in Win8 I'll start to consider that a better option.

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 11:17

12. bluexperia (Posts: 41; Member since: 29 Sep 2012)

i`ve tried it before and well, it seems promising but it eat as much ram capacity as you has(mine is 4gb 32-bit). but you should try it..

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 18:23 1

19. Veigald (Posts: 290; Member since: 13 Jan 2012)

Bought a Surface for my wife for Christmas, and really have to say Win 8 looks light years ahead of Android and her old iPad in terms of interface. Just ridiculous how outdated her iPad looks in comparison. Now it just needs more apps.... but they will come fast, I would think.

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 09:12 2

4. Muhannad (Posts: 455; Member since: 20 Sep 2011)

Damn, if only my laptop had a touchscreen.

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 09:12 1

5. techspace (Posts: 1036; Member since: 03 Sep 2012)

I have been using this for a long time now, it looks good in some cases but the games with more graphics don't work very well for now, but its still in beta so it should change when the final version comes out.....this should be a huge selling point for ms and I think the final version will be quite expensive

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 09:36 2

6. yowanvista (Posts: 341; Member since: 20 Sep 2011)

Bluestacks still uses the Gingerbread base/API with a modded version of an obsolete Dalvik VM, Apps don't run that smoothly as in a native installation.

posted on 29 Dec 2012, 00:20

22. gmacattacks (Posts: 24; Member since: 07 Sep 2012)

May I use your profile photo for an album cover?

posted on 31 Dec 2012, 16:54

25. yowanvista (Posts: 341; Member since: 20 Sep 2011)

Of course, here's a bigger version which I made in PS
http://i.imgur.com/4954l.jpg

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 09:51 1

7. zaryab_hussain77 (Posts: 104; Member since: 30 Jun 2011)

now I m Gonna stick to my laptop :)

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 10:24 2

8. SIGPRO (Posts: 1862; Member since: 03 Oct 2012)

Bluestacks....come on this is really old news, this exist for a long time now!

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 16:23

18. motty (Posts: 84; Member since: 13 Dec 2012)

So true I wondered why P.A telling us about this software

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 10:30 1

9. zaryab_hussain77 (Posts: 104; Member since: 30 Jun 2011)

how to add app data.. like asphalt 7 and other games

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 10:35

10. gazmatic (Posts: 795; Member since: 06 Sep 2012)

i've been using this for quite some time...

when i'm lazy i whatsapp my friends from my laptop...

it is much easier

i highly recommend this program.... its free!

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 10:58 1

11. TBomb (Posts: 835; Member since: 28 Dec 2012)

do all the apps work on this?

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 12:36

13. rcranium (Posts: 32; Member since: 29 Oct 2012)

Cool. I was only able to use Pulse and ES explorer. Tried running Phoenix HD but no joy. Ooopsie! That's an ios game.

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 13:39

14. Raziel14 (Posts: 10; Member since: 21 Mar 2012)

It is great! Tnx

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 14:38

15. XPERIA-KNIGHT (unregistered)

cool works pretty good

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 15:10

16. CSM201 (Posts: 3; Member since: 14 Sep 2012)

Just download this for my Windows PC and the corresponding Cloud app from my GalaxyS3 to sync the apps i already have downloaded. Works good for transcending the apps to the laptop/desktop. Easy to use controls. Data for the apps u have downloaded does not sync so don't expect to start any games where u left off on your phone/tablet. Problem I had was it downloaded a few apps i didn't have on my phone and continued to show on my desktop that it had just downloaded again and again and again. Being that it's in BETA I can see the potential though

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 16:21

17. motty (Posts: 84; Member since: 13 Dec 2012)

Is this new? Hmmm,

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 21:33

20. Pings (Posts: 304; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)

lol I got Launcher Pro to work on it. Going to check out some others.

posted on 28 Dec 2012, 22:24

21. OpTiMuS_BlAcK (Posts: 418; Member since: 04 May 2012)

I lol'd at my Benchmark scores in Bluestacks, They're all over 9000!

posted on 29 Dec 2012, 06:08

23. ogy_dogy (Posts: 453; Member since: 29 Jun 2012)

Id be happier with an emulator that runs windows apps on android.

posted on 29 Dec 2012, 17:27

24. Pings (Posts: 304; Member since: 19 Dec 2008)

Yes and no. They got the right idea. SMS and app syncing is cool. If you could respond to emal/sms would be better. Better app support and at least Android 4.0 is must.