Difference between revisions of "Talk:Android emulators"

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(Shashlik: A new Android emulator on Linux?: Major update)
("Tons of bloated, obsolete or non-active Android "emulator" exists there but we're not gonna list them, see this page for that.": new section)
 
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*Recently there was a talk about this on KDE Akademy event. (https://dot.kde.org/2015/07/26/akademy-talks-day-2) Here is the quote: <blockquote>He went over all the parts that had to be adapted and in the end showed off for the first time "the most exciting black rectangle" he has ever seen. His challenge has been getting anything showing on screen but just this week he has managed to start to succeed with this. There will be a lot of work still to do but this will open up a new world of applications to users of Plasma and other Linux desktops, it will mean we have the world's biggest application ecosystem with Plasma Mobile, as well as being an invaluable developer tool.</blockquote> So yeah, it is interesting but the project is quite early state. It kinda explains why there are no screenshots or videos.[[Special:Contributions/66.249.82.138|66.249.82.138]] 01:04, 27 July 2015 (EDT)
 
*Recently there was a talk about this on KDE Akademy event. (https://dot.kde.org/2015/07/26/akademy-talks-day-2) Here is the quote: <blockquote>He went over all the parts that had to be adapted and in the end showed off for the first time "the most exciting black rectangle" he has ever seen. His challenge has been getting anything showing on screen but just this week he has managed to start to succeed with this. There will be a lot of work still to do but this will open up a new world of applications to users of Plasma and other Linux desktops, it will mean we have the world's biggest application ecosystem with Plasma Mobile, as well as being an invaluable developer tool.</blockquote> So yeah, it is interesting but the project is quite early state. It kinda explains why there are no screenshots or videos.[[Special:Contributions/66.249.82.138|66.249.82.138]] 01:04, 27 July 2015 (EDT)
 
*It seems there have been a major progress in last few months. This news, [http://www.iwillfolo.com/are-millions-of-android-apps-headed-towards-plasma-desktop-this-year-2016/ Are Millions Of Android Apps Headed Towards Plasma Desktop This Year (2016)?] shows the screenshot of Shashlik running the login screen of Spotify and has a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SC6c_ih_Ac video] of Flappy Bird. I also found the video of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju_R8ftiIp4 Spotify's login screen]. Still no release or major official announcements, but it is now much more promising. [[Special:Contributions/66.249.82.138|66.249.82.138]] 01:52, 14 February 2016 (EST)
 
*It seems there have been a major progress in last few months. This news, [http://www.iwillfolo.com/are-millions-of-android-apps-headed-towards-plasma-desktop-this-year-2016/ Are Millions Of Android Apps Headed Towards Plasma Desktop This Year (2016)?] shows the screenshot of Shashlik running the login screen of Spotify and has a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SC6c_ih_Ac video] of Flappy Bird. I also found the video of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju_R8ftiIp4 Spotify's login screen]. Still no release or major official announcements, but it is now much more promising. [[Special:Contributions/66.249.82.138|66.249.82.138]] 01:52, 14 February 2016 (EST)
 +
*First beta version v0.9 is released. ([http://www.shashlik.io/news/2016/02/18/shashlik-0-9-0-kubuntu-package/ Shashlik 0.9.0 Release – Deb Kubuntu Package]) Requires latest Kubuntu with KDE5 to run. I haven't tried yet and the comment section suggests not many people succeeded to make it run yet, but I guess it is still a major progress. [[Special:Contributions/66.249.82.128|66.249.82.128]] 20:02, 21 February 2016 (EST)
 +
 +
== Nox emulator ==
 +
 +
Apparently [//www.bignox.com/ Nox] is another new Android emulator. Anyone have any information about it?
 +
 +
==VMOS==
 +
 +
VMOS is an Android application that can run another Android virtual machine in current Android system.
 +
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vmos.lit Google Play]
 +
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.23.98|172.69.23.98]] 01:07, 4 March 2020 (UTC)
 +
 +
== Add ADB input automation availability column to table ==
 +
 +
Although a bit odd for emulators in general, quite some people use an Android emulator so they can use some sort of input automation on the computer. This is usually achieved using the Android Debug Bridge, a "developer" feature that gets used for quite a lot of other things. Emulators differ in how easy the ADB is enabled (ranging from on-by-default, to configuration needed, to no ADB option). --[[User:Artoria2e5|Artoria2e5]] ([[User talk:Artoria2e5|talk]]) 23:22, 7 June 2021 (UTC)
 +
 +
== Windows Subsystem for Android ? ==
 +
 +
Windows 11 introduced Windows Subsystem for Android, which allows Android applications to run in Windows.
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
 +
|-
 +
! scope="col"|Name
 +
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
 +
! scope="col"|Version
 +
! scope="col"|VM
 +
! scope="col"|[[Emulation Accuracy|Accuracy]]
 +
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
 +
! scope="col"|Active
 +
! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="8"|PC / x86
 +
|-
 +
|Windows Subsystem for Android
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
 +
|1.7.32815.0
 +
|Hyper-V
 +
|High
 +
|{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|}
 +
[[Special:Contributions/172.70.142.108|172.70.142.108]] 12:43, 9 December 2021 (UTC)
 +
 +
== Waydroid ==
 +
 +
Since last year, in addition to Anbox, there is also Waydroid (https://waydro.id/) to run Android on GNU/Linux systems.
 +
 +
*This has been out for a while, why has no one added this to the list? This is much more superior and performant than Anbox due to the way it runs on the Linux kernel-level and other differences.
 +
 +
*Update: HUGE thanks to the maintainer [[User:Ahayri|Ahayri]] for adding it to the list and revamping the entire order of which the emulators are shown in the chart to prioritize actual good/FLOSS/bs-free emulators and bring the crappy adware-ridden emulators down the list, giving them much less spotlight and instead giving it to emulators that actually deserve it, now that's what I like to see in an emulator chart like this! P.S: I believe that Waydroid also has an ARM variant the same way Anbox does (Since it's listed in the Supported CPUs and Supported GPUs list) so I think you should it to the "Mobile / ARM" section of the chart as well.
 +
 +
*Update 2: WayDroid had been added to the "Mobile / ARM" section of the chart, big thanks to [[User:Ahayri|Ahayri]] once again.
 +
 +
== Google Play Games for PC ==
 +
 +
Google started closed beta test of "Google Play Games for PC", an application for running android games on windows.
 +
:Yeah. Here's the link: https://play.google.com/googleplaygames - someone should add that to the page. I'd do it myself, but it's locked. [[User:Digifiend|Digifiend]] ([[User talk:Digifiend|talk]]) 09:55, 26 May 2023 (UTC)
 +
 +
== ACL and Alien Dalvik ==
 +
 +
ACL:
 +
https://www.engadget.com/2012-05-15-tizen-os-android-apps.html
 +
https://www.engadget.com/2013-04-28-openmobile-acl-for-webos-resurrected-on-kickstarter.html
 +
https://www.engadget.com/2011-09-22-openmobile-demos-acl-for-meego-promises-100-compatibility-with.html
 +
Alien Dalvik:
 +
https://www.engadget.com/2011-02-08-myriad-alien-dalvik-runs-android-apps-on-any-phone-starting.html
 +
https://www.engadget.com/2011-02-18-myriad-alien-dalvik-hands-on-video.html
 +
 +
== MEmu - Malware ==
 +
 +
The software forcefully installs PuP including 'Reason Antivirus', 'mccafe web' as well as a fake vpn and several chrome extensions. It should probably be removed from the page.
 +
 +
*You sure you didn't accidentally accept to install the adware during install? These crappy softwares tend to offer you to install random crap by default that you need to deselect in their installer, I suggest you use [https://www.malwarebytes.com/ Malwarebytes] and  [https://www.bcuninstaller.com/ Bulk Crap Uninstaller] to clean your PC and use some of the better emulators listed on top of the emulators list.
 +
 +
== Why Bluestacks is not more recommended? ==
 +
 +
I used BlueStacks for so long, and although it was heavy, it was good (I stopped using it when my hard drive broke), but what are the reasons why BlueStacks is no longer recommended? (I can't use Windows Subsystem because I live where it wasn't selected)
 +
 +
[[User:GCNPlayer82|GCNPlayer82]] ([[User talk:GCNPlayer82|talk]]) 20:40, 20 May 2023 (UTC)
 +
:It's explained on the footnote: "These emulators are usually closed-source, and while they're distributed for free, their devs look for roundabout ways to monetize them. One such high-profile case is BlueStacks. Make sure to check if there are pre-installed apps on your emulator (and disable them), monitor your Internet connection download caps and processor activity to detect any abnormal activity (and block domains accordingly if the need arises,) and avoid giving sensitive account data as much as is possible (just in case it's key-logged). Besides basic safety, these precautions often make impacted emulators run much faster when the adware services and apps are turned off. Windows subsystem for Android is an exception, as Microsoft made it and monetizing comes from the Windows copy you bought." TLDR: it's bloatware. [[User:Digifiend|Digifiend]] ([[User talk:Digifiend|talk]]) 10:03, 26 May 2023 (UTC)
 +
 +
== Translation layer for Minecraft Bedrock Android ==
 +
 +
Hello,
 +
 +
I'd add this to the page myself but it seems to be protected. There's a translation layer that simulates an Android environment which is specifically made for running Minecraft Bedrock Edition on Linux and macOS (normally it is only available on Windows for PC users). It's not very stable but I think it's notable enough to be mentioned here.
 +
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
 +
|-
 +
! scope="col"|Name
 +
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
 +
! scope="col"|Version
 +
! scope="col"|VM
 +
! scope="col"|[[Emulation Accuracy|Accuracy]]
 +
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
 +
! scope="col"|Active
 +
! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
 +
|-
 +
|[https://mcpelauncher.readthedocs.io Minecraft Bedrock Launcher]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Linux|macOS}}
 +
|[https://github.com/minecraft-linux/mcpelauncher-manifest v0.10.0]
 +
|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Compatibility_layer Not an emulator (wine-like approach)]
 +
|~
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 +
Do note that this belongs under PC / x86. -[[User:MisterSheeple|MisterSheeple]] ([[User talk:MisterSheeple|talk]]) 17:38, 13 June 2023 (UTC)
 +
 +
== Wakuoo - yet another Android emulator ==
 +
 +
[//www.wakuoo.com/ Wakuoo] is yet another Android emulator for gaming. Maybe someone with permission could add it.
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
 +
|-
 +
! scope="col"|Name
 +
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
 +
! scope="col"|Version
 +
! scope="col"|VM
 +
! scope="col"|[[Emulation Accuracy|Accuracy]]
 +
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
 +
! scope="col"|Active
 +
! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="8"|PC / x86
 +
|-
 +
|Wakuoo
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
 +
|[http://www.wakuoo.com 1.0.1.0000]
 +
|VirtualBox<ref group=N name=HardwareAssistedVirtualization>[[Hypervisors|Hardware-assisted virtualization]] feature must be turned on especially for performance reasons.</ref>
 +
|High
 +
|{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=Bloatware>These emulators are usually closed-source, and while they're distributed for free, '''their devs look for roundabout ways to monetize them'''. One such high-profile case is BlueStacks or MEmu. Make sure to check if there are pre-installed apps on your emulator (and disable them), monitor your Internet connection download caps and processor activity to detect any abnormal activity (and block domains accordingly if the need arises,) and avoid giving sensitive account data as much as is possible (just in case it's key-logged). Besides basic safety, these precautions often make impacted emulators run much faster when the adware services and apps are turned off.</ref>
 +
|}
 +
 +
<references group=N />
 +
 +
== zhaoyi, xDroid and UEngine ==
 +
 +
[https://www.wndroid.com/index zhaoyi] is a similar project to Windows Subsystem for Android and Google Play Games, and another project [https://www.linzhuotech.com/index.php/home/index/xdroid.html xDroid] by the same developer is similar to Anbox and WayDroid; UEngine is originally developed for Deepin, based on Anbox.
 +
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
 +
|-
 +
! scope="col"|Name
 +
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
 +
! scope="col"|Version
 +
! scope="col"|VM<ref group=N>The VM column describes what backend technology the emulator uses. Emulators labeled with "VirtualBox" sometimes need the user to install [https://www.virtualbox.org/ Oracle VM VirtualBox]. Usually, it is installed automatically.</ref>
 +
! scope="col"|[[Emulation Accuracy|Accuracy]]
 +
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
 +
! scope="col"|Active
 +
! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="8"|PC / x86
 +
|-
 +
|zhaoyi
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
 +
|[https://www.wndroid.com/downLoad 4.0]
 +
|[[Hypervisors|Hyper-V]]<ref group=N name=HardwareAssistedVirtualization>[[Hypervisors|Hardware-assisted virtualization]] feature must be turned on especially for performance reasons.</ref>
 +
|?
 +
|{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
 +
|-
 +
|xDroid
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Linux}}
 +
|[https://www.linzhuotech.com/Product/download 11.1.51]
 +
|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Compatibility_layer Not an emulator (wine-like approach)]
 +
|?
 +
|{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
 +
|-
 +
|UEngine
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Linux}}
 +
|[https://github.com/gfdgd-xi/uengine-runner git]
 +
|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Compatibility_layer Not an emulator (wine-like approach)]
 +
|?
 +
|{{~}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|}
 +
 +
<references group=N />
 +
 +
== MechDome ==
 +
 +
MechDome was a company that had tools to provide translation of Android apps to iOS, macOS, and Windows, however it dissolved in 2018, and was extremely costly from the start. see https://twitter.com/mech_dome
 +
 +
Basically, we've got another Cycada, an absolutely amazing compatibility layer lost to time. As iOS grows in the USA, many will want this dearly.
 +
 +
== "Tons of bloated, obsolete or non-active Android "emulator" exists there but we're not gonna list them, see this page for that." ==
 +
 +
May you please move this section to a sub-page instead of linking to an old version of the page please, just including the removed emulators in an infobox and a description?

Latest revision as of 03:42, 4 April 2024

Shashlik: A new Android emulator on Linux?[edit]

It seems there is a new Android emulator project called "Shashlik" that aims to run Android apps on Linux with Qt5 and KDE technology.[1] However the information of this project is bare, and I cannot find any screenshots or videos. Do you know anything about it? 66.249.82.133 23:22, 21 July 2015 (EDT)

  • Recently there was a talk about this on KDE Akademy event. (https://dot.kde.org/2015/07/26/akademy-talks-day-2) Here is the quote:

    He went over all the parts that had to be adapted and in the end showed off for the first time "the most exciting black rectangle" he has ever seen. His challenge has been getting anything showing on screen but just this week he has managed to start to succeed with this. There will be a lot of work still to do but this will open up a new world of applications to users of Plasma and other Linux desktops, it will mean we have the world's biggest application ecosystem with Plasma Mobile, as well as being an invaluable developer tool.

    So yeah, it is interesting but the project is quite early state. It kinda explains why there are no screenshots or videos.66.249.82.138 01:04, 27 July 2015 (EDT)
  • It seems there have been a major progress in last few months. This news, Are Millions Of Android Apps Headed Towards Plasma Desktop This Year (2016)? shows the screenshot of Shashlik running the login screen of Spotify and has a video of Flappy Bird. I also found the video of Spotify's login screen. Still no release or major official announcements, but it is now much more promising. 66.249.82.138 01:52, 14 February 2016 (EST)
  • First beta version v0.9 is released. (Shashlik 0.9.0 Release – Deb Kubuntu Package) Requires latest Kubuntu with KDE5 to run. I haven't tried yet and the comment section suggests not many people succeeded to make it run yet, but I guess it is still a major progress. 66.249.82.128 20:02, 21 February 2016 (EST)

Nox emulator[edit]

Apparently Nox is another new Android emulator. Anyone have any information about it?

VMOS[edit]

VMOS is an Android application that can run another Android virtual machine in current Android system. Google Play 172.69.23.98 01:07, 4 March 2020 (UTC)

Add ADB input automation availability column to table[edit]

Although a bit odd for emulators in general, quite some people use an Android emulator so they can use some sort of input automation on the computer. This is usually achieved using the Android Debug Bridge, a "developer" feature that gets used for quite a lot of other things. Emulators differ in how easy the ADB is enabled (ranging from on-by-default, to configuration needed, to no ADB option). --Artoria2e5 (talk) 23:22, 7 June 2021 (UTC)

Windows Subsystem for Android ?[edit]

Windows 11 introduced Windows Subsystem for Android, which allows Android applications to run in Windows.

Name Platform(s) Version VM Accuracy FLOSS Active Recommended
PC / x86
Windows Subsystem for Android Windows 1.7.32815.0 Hyper-V High

172.70.142.108 12:43, 9 December 2021 (UTC)

Waydroid[edit]

Since last year, in addition to Anbox, there is also Waydroid (https://waydro.id/) to run Android on GNU/Linux systems.

  • This has been out for a while, why has no one added this to the list? This is much more superior and performant than Anbox due to the way it runs on the Linux kernel-level and other differences.
  • Update: HUGE thanks to the maintainer Ahayri for adding it to the list and revamping the entire order of which the emulators are shown in the chart to prioritize actual good/FLOSS/bs-free emulators and bring the crappy adware-ridden emulators down the list, giving them much less spotlight and instead giving it to emulators that actually deserve it, now that's what I like to see in an emulator chart like this! P.S: I believe that Waydroid also has an ARM variant the same way Anbox does (Since it's listed in the Supported CPUs and Supported GPUs list) so I think you should it to the "Mobile / ARM" section of the chart as well.
  • Update 2: WayDroid had been added to the "Mobile / ARM" section of the chart, big thanks to Ahayri once again.

Google Play Games for PC[edit]

Google started closed beta test of "Google Play Games for PC", an application for running android games on windows.

Yeah. Here's the link: https://play.google.com/googleplaygames - someone should add that to the page. I'd do it myself, but it's locked. Digifiend (talk) 09:55, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

ACL and Alien Dalvik[edit]

ACL: https://www.engadget.com/2012-05-15-tizen-os-android-apps.html https://www.engadget.com/2013-04-28-openmobile-acl-for-webos-resurrected-on-kickstarter.html https://www.engadget.com/2011-09-22-openmobile-demos-acl-for-meego-promises-100-compatibility-with.html Alien Dalvik: https://www.engadget.com/2011-02-08-myriad-alien-dalvik-runs-android-apps-on-any-phone-starting.html https://www.engadget.com/2011-02-18-myriad-alien-dalvik-hands-on-video.html

MEmu - Malware[edit]

The software forcefully installs PuP including 'Reason Antivirus', 'mccafe web' as well as a fake vpn and several chrome extensions. It should probably be removed from the page.

  • You sure you didn't accidentally accept to install the adware during install? These crappy softwares tend to offer you to install random crap by default that you need to deselect in their installer, I suggest you use Malwarebytes and Bulk Crap Uninstaller to clean your PC and use some of the better emulators listed on top of the emulators list.

Why Bluestacks is not more recommended?[edit]

I used BlueStacks for so long, and although it was heavy, it was good (I stopped using it when my hard drive broke), but what are the reasons why BlueStacks is no longer recommended? (I can't use Windows Subsystem because I live where it wasn't selected)

GCNPlayer82 (talk) 20:40, 20 May 2023 (UTC)

It's explained on the footnote: "These emulators are usually closed-source, and while they're distributed for free, their devs look for roundabout ways to monetize them. One such high-profile case is BlueStacks. Make sure to check if there are pre-installed apps on your emulator (and disable them), monitor your Internet connection download caps and processor activity to detect any abnormal activity (and block domains accordingly if the need arises,) and avoid giving sensitive account data as much as is possible (just in case it's key-logged). Besides basic safety, these precautions often make impacted emulators run much faster when the adware services and apps are turned off. Windows subsystem for Android is an exception, as Microsoft made it and monetizing comes from the Windows copy you bought." TLDR: it's bloatware. Digifiend (talk) 10:03, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

Translation layer for Minecraft Bedrock Android[edit]

Hello,

I'd add this to the page myself but it seems to be protected. There's a translation layer that simulates an Android environment which is specifically made for running Minecraft Bedrock Edition on Linux and macOS (normally it is only available on Windows for PC users). It's not very stable but I think it's notable enough to be mentioned here.

Name Platform(s) Version VM Accuracy FLOSS Active Recommended
Minecraft Bedrock Launcher Linux macOS v0.10.0 Not an emulator (wine-like approach) ~ ~

Do note that this belongs under PC / x86. -MisterSheeple (talk) 17:38, 13 June 2023 (UTC)

Wakuoo - yet another Android emulator[edit]

Wakuoo is yet another Android emulator for gaming. Maybe someone with permission could add it.

Name Platform(s) Version VM Accuracy FLOSS Active Recommended
PC / x86
Wakuoo Windows 1.0.1.0000 VirtualBox[N 1] High ~[N 2]
  1. Hardware-assisted virtualization feature must be turned on especially for performance reasons.
  2. These emulators are usually closed-source, and while they're distributed for free, their devs look for roundabout ways to monetize them. One such high-profile case is BlueStacks or MEmu. Make sure to check if there are pre-installed apps on your emulator (and disable them), monitor your Internet connection download caps and processor activity to detect any abnormal activity (and block domains accordingly if the need arises,) and avoid giving sensitive account data as much as is possible (just in case it's key-logged). Besides basic safety, these precautions often make impacted emulators run much faster when the adware services and apps are turned off.

zhaoyi, xDroid and UEngine[edit]

zhaoyi is a similar project to Windows Subsystem for Android and Google Play Games, and another project xDroid by the same developer is similar to Anbox and WayDroid; UEngine is originally developed for Deepin, based on Anbox.

Name Platform(s) Version VM[N 1] Accuracy FLOSS Active Recommended
PC / x86
zhaoyi Windows 4.0 Hyper-V[N 2] ? ~
xDroid Linux 11.1.51 Not an emulator (wine-like approach) ? ~
UEngine Linux git Not an emulator (wine-like approach) ? ~
  1. The VM column describes what backend technology the emulator uses. Emulators labeled with "VirtualBox" sometimes need the user to install Oracle VM VirtualBox. Usually, it is installed automatically.
  2. Hardware-assisted virtualization feature must be turned on especially for performance reasons.

MechDome[edit]

MechDome was a company that had tools to provide translation of Android apps to iOS, macOS, and Windows, however it dissolved in 2018, and was extremely costly from the start. see https://twitter.com/mech_dome

Basically, we've got another Cycada, an absolutely amazing compatibility layer lost to time. As iOS grows in the USA, many will want this dearly.

"Tons of bloated, obsolete or non-active Android "emulator" exists there but we're not gonna list them, see this page for that."[edit]

May you please move this section to a sub-page instead of linking to an old version of the page please, just including the removed emulators in an infobox and a description?