If you want complete platform-virtualization (hardware and software emulation), you’ll have to use Quick Emulator (QEMU). This allows you to test Android apps on different Android devices and API levels without having to purchase/acquire physical devices. However, most of them share similar limitations, which is why it is not recommended to solely rely on them for testing your apps.Īn Android Emulator for Windows basically simulates or mimics the hardware and software configuration of different Android devices on your Windows workstation. There are multiple other Android emulators available, with varying system requirements. Note : In this article, we’ll mainly be talking about the emulator provided by Android Studio, the official Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Android app development. It will discuss the common disadvantages of using emulators for software testing, and discuss an alternative that allows you to get real-world-verified results without breaking the bank to purchase real Android devices.

This article will take you through the process of setting up an Android emulator for your Windows workstation.

What we’re asking is “Are Android Emulators for Windows good enough to test your Android apps before their release to production?”Īndroid Emulators for Windows are quite useful in the software testing funnel, but they are not reliable enough to offer final results that determine an app’s readiness for public usage.

Before proceeding with the article, let’s establish the “problem”.

Mac install developer tools