How to download software from a computer and install Android software?

The applications on the Windows platform are very mature, but it is a pity that some very practical mobile applications have never landed on the Windows platform. But if this app can run on Android, the good news is coming. With the help of third-party software, it can run on a Windows computer.

However, running Android applications on a PC is more complicated than installing Windows applications directly. In this article, we will provide you with detailed instructions for running Android applications on Windows computers.

Android simulator and its use method

One of the ways to run Android applications on Windows computers is to use an Android emulator. Simulators are written in quite complicated code, but their basic concept is not difficult to understand: let your computer simulate the working mode of another device type. Specifically here, the Android emulator will make your Windows computer run like an Android device.

As a hardware medium, Android emulator will provide the memory, processing performance and storage space for applications to run on Windows computers. They also mapped the hardware of Android devices to computer peripherals. You can hear the sound effects and music of the application through the speaker, and chat applications such as Skype can recognize the microphone and camera of the computer.

In fact, computers running Android applications may be better than mobile phones or tablets, but it mainly depends on the hardware you use.

However, the biggest advantage of Android emulator is that it can run like an ordinary Windows application. You can run them from the system desktop or the start menu, and move or resize the running window at will.

Blue backpack

Bluestacks App Player is one of the most powerful Android simulators at present. Its personalized interface design makes it very simple to set up and run the switch simulator. The so-called Layercake technology can improve the running effect of Android games in Windows by using hardware accelerators.

It is worth noting that although Bluestacks is free, users can get advanced support and more functions through paid subscription ($2/month).

Hardware configuration requirements

2GB memory

4GB disk space

DirectX 9.0 or later

Installing Bluestacks is very simple, no different from other Windows applications. You need to download the installer from Bluestacks official website, then run the installer and choose the storage location of the application and data files. Unfortunately, the installation directory of Bluestacks cannot be changed, and it can only be installed in the startup disk of the computer.

eigenfunction

Bluestacks has some unique control functions that are different from other Android simulators.

The control sidebar on the left side of the interface provides most of the control functions you need, such as the switch to change the orientation of the window, the screenshot tool, and the shortcut key of the file transfer application (copying files from the desktop to the virtual storage space of Bluestacks).

Bluestacks also has its own streaming media platform Bluestacks TV. If you have a Facebook or Twitch account and your computer has more than 8GB of memory, you can play applications and games directly from the Bluestacks window. The Bluestacks app allows you to calibrate the connected microphone, connect the camera, preview the screen content before live broadcast, or reply to Facebook comments or Twitch messages from the pop-up window. You can also watch other people's live broadcasts through Bluestacks, or browse the generated game list according to the installed applications.

Bluestacks also provides plug-and-play support for gamepads. When you plug a wireless/wired Xbox handle into a PC or match a Bluetooth handle, Bluestacks will also recognize it.

Bluestacks AppCast allows you to run games and applications on your mobile phone, but you need to install AppCast application on your mobile phone first, and then log in with Google credentials. After the preparation, you can see the application list on your mobile phone, click one of them, and you can run it on your computer.

Double team

DuOS is an Android simulator developed by American Megatrend Company. The majority of Windows users will be familiar with this company, and they developed the BIOS firmware used by millions of Windows computers.

Like Bluestacks, duo can run Android marshmallows in window mode, but it provides much less personalized experience. You need to go to the Android Settings menu to adjust most options. If you want to bypass Google Play to install an application, you must first download the installation file to your PC, right-click the file, and then select "Apply to DuOS".

But compared with native Android, DuOS does not have its own advantages. It arranges shortcut keys for rotating the screen, zooming in, sliding and tilting, and also supports peripherals such as microphones and cameras. You can also set up a folder for data analysis between Windows and DuOS applications, and the size of RAM used by DuOS to prevent the performance of the system itself from being affected.

DuOS is a paid application, and the price is 10, but it provides a 30-day free trial.

Duo's hardware configuration requirements are as follows:

1. Intel x86 processor

2.BIOS supports and enables hardware virtualization technology.

3.OpenGL 3.0

4.2GB RAM, but 3GB RAM is recommended.

5.2GB disk space

Google Chrome

If you don't want to go to so much trouble, Google's Chrome browser can also let you run Android applications on Windows computers. In 20 14, Google launched the Android Runtime of Chrome, which is a compatibility layer and sandbox technology for installing Android applications on computers, and its running speed of Android applications has reached the level equivalent to the original version.

Unfortunately, the Android Runtime for Chrome does not support all Android applications, and it is very difficult to convert applications into a format that ARC can understand. In addition, applications that rely on third-party services, such as Google's Gmail client, can't work properly.

However, ARC is probably the lightest Android emulator and the easiest to install-as long as you have a Chrome browser installed on your computer, you can use it immediately.

How to install Android applications in Chrome?

ARC is designed for Google Chrome OS. To make it work on Windows, you need to download the third-party tool ARChon custom runtime. In addition, your version of Chrome must be above 37.

1. Download and extract the consul custom runtime.

2. Go to the menu > More Tools > Extensions.

3. Check the developer mode in the upper right corner of the page.

4. Select the folder containing the consul.

After finding the application to install, follow these steps to install it:

1. Extract the file.

2. Open the extension page in Chrome.

3. Click Load Extracted Extensions.

4. Select the folder containing the application.

To run this application, you can find it in the extension page.

Since ARC supports a small number of applications, if you want to install an application that is not in the support list, you can repackage it with a gadget called chromeos-apk. Although the process is a bit complicated, it is suitable for most Android applications that do not rely on native Android or Google services.

How to use chromeos-apk to convert Android applications;

1. Download the installation file.

2. install node.js

3. Open the Windows command line in the download folder and enter npm install chromeos-apk -g to complete the installation of chromeos-apk.

Then you need to download the apk file of the application and run it through chromeos-apk. The specific method is to open the command line in the folder where the installation file is located, then enter chromeos-apk [APK file name], and then press Enter.

You may be asked to provide the name of the application package. The easiest way to get it is to look at the URL address of the relevant application in the Play Store and find "? Id= ",which is the name of the application package. For example, the package name of Evernote is "com.evernote"

After you modify the application, you can install it in Chrome according to the above steps.

Dual system startup

In addition to the Android emulator, there is another way for you to use the updated version of Android, but the steps are a little more complicated, and that is to install dual systems. This method can turn your computer into an Android device, and the operation of the system is similar to that on a mobile phone/tablet. When you turn on the computer, you can choose to start Android or Windows.

The method of installing dual system is more complicated than installing native Android system. Because computer hardware such as processor, graphics card and hard disk must be added to Android by third-party developers, you need to find a customized version that can support your PC hardware configuration.

Audio mixing operating system

Remix OS is a desktop operating system based on Android. Its interface style is similar to Windows and Chrome OS, but it can run almost all Android applications.

Remix OS can also fully support keyboard and mouse, and the redesigned Android taskbar allows you to easily switch between applications running in the background. It also provides many practical tools, such as screen capture and file management.

The general dual-system version of Android needs to be reinstalled when upgrading, but Remix OS supports OTA upgrade. In other words, you can check and install the system upgrade from the settings menu just like on your mobile phone.

However, it is worth noting that the system version of Remix OS is not the latest nougat, but cotton candy, and it cannot support every PC configuration.

Hardware configuration requirements:

8GB USB 3.0 flash drive, supports FAT32, and the minimum writing speed is 20 MB/s.

How to install Remix OS:

1. Download the Remix OS for PC package, which contains all the files you need.

2. Run the Remix OS installation tool. Follow the instructions to install Remix OS for PC on the computer hard disk.

3. Restart the computer. If your computer has UEFI boot turned on, please make sure that the secure boot is turned off.

4. Select Remix OS from the Windows startup menu.

If you want to save hardware space or take Android with you, you can install Remix OS on a USB flash drive. But the USB flash drive you use must support USB 3.0, with more than 8GB of free space and a writing speed of more than 20 MB/s.

How to install Remix OS on USB flash drive

1. Download the PC package of Remix operating system.

2. Insert the USB flash drive into the computer.

3. Run the Remix OS installation tool and install it according to the instructions.

4. Restart the computer. If your computer has UEFI boot turned on, please make sure that the secure boot is turned off.

5. Select "USB storage device" in the startup item.

6. Select guest mode or normal mode to start Remix OS.

Android-X86

Android-X86 is an open source project, aiming at porting the latest version of Android to Windows platform. Unlike Remix OS, whose user interface imitates the PC operating system, Android-X86 is a native Android system, which is exactly the same as the version running in the mobile phone/tablet.

Because the native version of Android is not optimized for PC, Android-X86 may not be intuitive to use. For example, checking notifications requires you to click and drag the notification bar, and the application will occupy the whole screen-you can't resize the window like in Remix OS.

But Android-X86 allows you to personalize Android according to your own preferences. You can install third-party themes and homepages without worrying about incompatibility with the system.

How to install Android-X86

1. Download the latest version of Android-X86 image file corresponding to the computer model. If your device is no longer supported in the list, please download the universal version.

2. download UNetbootin.

3. Open UNetbootin and select the image file of Android-X86.

4. Select the USB flash drive from the options list, click OK, and then wait for UNetbootin to copy and install Android-X86 into your USB flash drive.

5. Restart the computer.

6. Start to the device selection interface and select the U disk.

7. Select "Install Android-X86 to the hard disk" in the UNetbootin menu.

8. Select the partition or path to install Android-X86, and the program will ask you if you want to format the disk. If you are not sure, selectNo..

9. The program will ask you if you want to install GRUB, and then select Yes.

10. The program will ask you if you want the system to support reading and writing. With the consent, Android-X86 can read and write data on the hard disk.

1 1. restart the computer again.

Android on Intel platform

As a processor giant, Intel also has its own version of Android: Android on Intel platform. Like Android-X86, it is an unmodified version of Android that can run on Windows devices, which gives people a rough feeling.

At present, it only supports two devices: Intel's NUC desktop and Dell XPS 12. The system version it uses is Lollipop, which is two times behind.

But Intel's Android also has its own appeal. It is the simplest Android version to install and the most stable dual-system Android version to run.

How to install Android on Intel platform on PC?

1. Download the Android installer on Intel platform from the official website.

2. Move the downloaded file to the USB flash drive.

3. Set the computer to boot from USB and turn on "UEFI Boot Support".

4. Installation files.