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

posted by Victor H. / Dec 28, 2012, 7:51 AM

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

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24 Comments

1. pfroo40

Posts: 28; Member since: Jun 12, 2012

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

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 8:28 AM 10

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 Dec 28, 2012, 8:38 AM 1

12. bluexperia

Posts: 41; Member since: Sep 29, 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 Dec 28, 2012, 11:17 AM 0

19. Veigald

Posts: 290; Member since: Jan 13, 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 Just ridiculous how outdated her iPad looks in comparison.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 Dec 28, 2012, 6:23 PM 1

4. Muhannad

Posts: 455; Member since: Sep 20, 2011

Damn, if only my laptop had a touchscreen.

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 9:12 AM 2

5. techspace

Posts: 1037; Member since: Sep 03, 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 Dec 28, 2012, 9:12 AM 1

6. yowanvista

Posts: 341; Member since: Sep 20, 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 Dec 28, 2012, 9:36 AM 2

22. gmacattacks

Posts: 24; Member since: Sep 07, 2012

May I use your profile photo for an album cover?

posted on Dec 29, 2012, 12:20 AM 0

25. yowanvista

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

posted on Dec 31, 2012, 4:54 PM 0

7. zaryab_hussain77

Posts: 104; Member since: Jun 30, 2011

now I m Gonna stick to my laptop :)

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 9:51 AM 1

8. SIGPRO

Posts: 2817; Member since: Oct 03, 2012

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

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 10:24 AM 2

18. motty

Posts: 84; Member since: Dec 13, 2012

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

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 4:23 PM 0

9. zaryab_hussain77

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

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 10:30 AM 1

10. gazmatic

Posts: 809; Member since: Sep 06, 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 Dec 28, 2012, 10:35 AM 0

11. TBomb

Posts: 1505; Member since: Dec 28, 2012

do all the apps work on this?

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 10:58 AM 1

13. rcranium

Posts: 32; Member since: Oct 29, 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 Dec 28, 2012, 12:36 PM 0

14. Raziel14

Posts: 10; Member since: Mar 21, 2012

It is great! Tnx

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 1:39 PM 0

15. XPERIA-KNIGHT unregistered

cool works pretty good

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 2:38 PM 0

16. CSM201

Posts: 3; Member since: Sep 14, 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 Dec 28, 2012, 3:10 PM 0

17. motty

Is this new? Hmmm,

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 4:21 PM 0

20. Pings

Posts: 304; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

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

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 9:33 PM 0

21. OpTiMuS_BlAcK

Posts: 418; Member since: May 04, 2012

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

posted on Dec 28, 2012, 10:24 PM 0

23. ogy_dogy

Posts: 453; Member since: Jun 29, 2012

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

posted on Dec 29, 2012, 6:08 AM 0

24. Pings

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.