Android emulator
 

Subscribe now and choose from over 30 free gifts worth up to £49 - Plus get £25 to spend in our shop

[Closed] Android emulator

13 Posts
10 Users
0 Reactions
227 Views
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Any recommendations? For doing testing and dev rather than games (not Android app dev though, so something other than Android Studio). Preferably free.


 
Posted : 18/12/2017 4:25 pm
Posts: 4028
Full Member
 

Assume it's for testing web stuff if not apps? Just use a real phone? Also depends what browser but for android majority will be chrome.


 
Posted : 18/12/2017 4:27 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

No, testing interfacing to 3rd party apps. Required screen size is too large for my phone (or most phones) - there is dedicated hardware available, but it's ££££


 
Posted : 18/12/2017 4:34 pm
Posts: 4954
Free Member
 

Qemue emulator with a android image?

Apparently one called limbo


 
Posted : 18/12/2017 4:52 pm
Posts: 1730
Full Member
 

Can you not start off by pressing [url= https://developers.google.com/web/tools/chrome-devtools/device-mode/ ]F12[/url] when in Chrome (assuming developing on a Windows machine) and using one of the built in emulators to begin with?

You can also toggle Device Mode by pressing Command+Shift+M (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+M (Windows, Linux). To use this shortcut your mouse needs to be focused on your DevTools window.


 
Posted : 18/12/2017 5:14 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

As I said, it's not web stuff, I need to be able to install apks


 
Posted : 18/12/2017 6:16 pm
Posts: 656
Free Member
 

i've used Bluestacks in the past


 
Posted : 18/12/2017 7:01 pm
Posts: 646
Full Member
 

Genymotion is good.


 
Posted : 18/12/2017 7:08 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Surprisingly, Microsoft's Android emulator is really rather good, and free.

https://www.visualstudio.com/vs/msft-android-emulator/


 
Posted : 18/12/2017 10:56 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks for the help - Genymotion is what was suggested to use by the vendor of the apps I'm working with, but the apps weren't installing properly hence the request for suggestions. I also tried MS Android emulator (and might go back to that as the performance seems better). However I did then try installing on my phone* and discovered there was extra installation authorisation which hadn't been obvious on the emulator (where I'm running an oldish version of Android). So now I've gone back to Genymotion and it seems to be working, at least on the slightly less archaic version of Android (though I really want to test with an even older version as that's what the customer is using).

* it's very strange stuff to have on my phone!


 
Posted : 19/12/2017 12:38 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I've tried most and have found Nox is the best emulator, although I use it to feed my Clash of Clans addiction rather than anything useful.


 
Posted : 19/12/2017 12:50 pm
Posts: 7581
Free Member
 

I use Memu, which seems to be the only one I've tried (bluestacks, andy, genymotion and a few others) that isn't truly awful.


 
Posted : 19/12/2017 12:54 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Another vote for NOX. Use it almost daily for prototyping. Easy to setup, can use multiple instances if required and simple .APK installing.


 
Posted : 19/12/2017 1:34 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks again - tried Nox last night and it was just crashing, but then I was getting BSODs last night and now I've installed the latest W10 update it all seems much better - tried reinstalling and it works. Will see how it compares - also downloaded memu but haven't tried it yet. Though I suspect some of these mainly designed for gaming won't give me the option of running older OS versions.

edit: bah - the whole thing's a pain, now Genymotion won't connect to Virtualbox

edit, edit: hmm Nox does seem way faster than Genymotion


 
Posted : 19/12/2017 1:46 pm