I prefer to use APK Mirror, a reputable site with a huge database of free apps. The first step in sideloading an app is to find the APK installer. Keep in mind that some apps require Google’s mobile services framework, which is not present in Windows. It’s also a freemium service with a $2 pro subscription, or you can install a few sponsored apps.īecause the Windows Subsystem for Android is integrated with the system, you can use it to sideload and run apps from outside of Amazon’s store. This customized environment is also of little value as a development tool because there’s no guarantee things will render the same on BlueStacks as they might on a real Android device without all the back-end modifications. All the alterations the company made to get apps working on a PC can cause issues - some apps fail to run or crash unexpectedly.

The biggest issue with BlueStacks is that it’s not running a standard Android build. BlueStacks can essentially make a Windows tablet PC into a part-time Android tablet. If your PC has a touch screen, you can still use apps and games that rely on more than one touch input. Most games are playable, but keep in mind you’ll have trouble operating many of them with a mouse. Having full Play Store access means you won’t be messing around with sideloading apps, and BlueStacks manages to run apps pretty well (and better if you have a CPU that supports hardware virtualization). The main screen in BlueStacks with the app categories is just a custom home screen, so replacing it makes BlueStacks feel almost like a regular Android device. You can actually navigate around in this interface just as you would on a real Android device, which makes it clear there’s a lot more to BlueStacks than the “App Player” front end. Clicking on an app or searching does something unexpected - it brings up the full Play Store client as rendered on tablets. The BlueStacks client will load up in a desktop window with different app categories like games, social, and so on. It actually adds an entry to your Google Play device list, masquerading as an Android phone. Not only that, but it has the Play Store built-in, so you have instant access to all of your purchased content. BluestacksīlueStacks presents itself as just a way to run apps, but it actually runs a full (heavily modified) version of Android behind the scenes. The biggest problem is that the emulator is sluggish enough that you won’t want to make a habit of running apps in it. It’s great for testing app builds before loading them onto test devices.

The way apps render in the emulator will be the same as they render on devices, and almost everything should run. The big upside here is that the emulator is unmodified Android right from the source.

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