How to run 1.5M Android apps, games on your PC, Mac
While working from home, you decide you need a well-deserved break.
Will it be flicking through some TikTok videos? Playing a round of Clash of Clans? What about a group video call with friends over Google Duo?
Problem is, your smartphone is charging up, and your kids probably took your iPad.
So long as you have BlueStacks installed on your laptop (or desktop), you can access your favorite mobile apps as if you were accessing them on your mobile device.
Quite simply, BlueStacks 4 – the latest iteration of the software – lets you run most Android apps on your computer. In fact, as an emulator, it doesn’t know it’s being run on a personal computer.
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The San Jose, California-based company claims more than 1.5 million Android games and apps are supported, thanks to the software’s complex virtualization technology that allegedly took 10 engineers two years to build.
Because Android is an “open” operating system, BlueStacks 4 is completely free and legal for users to download and install. It only takes up 100MB of storage once installed to a hard drive or SSD, not including the apps you may download.
Other system specs are equally as modest, such as requiring at least 2GB of RAM (system memory), though 8GB is recommended. BlueStacks 4 might require the download of a newer graphics card driver on an aging computer. But that’s about it.
Along with support for the Google Play store, BlueStacks has partnered with Samsung to include Samsung Galaxy Store with BlueStacks 4 on PC, to play several Android games on a bigger screen, along with the same benefits and promotions as on the Galaxy Store.
How to get going
Whether you’re on a Windows PC or Mac, starting with BlueStacks is quite simple.
First, download and install BlueStacks 4, which takes a minute or two on a high-speed connection. Starting the program the first time might take a couple of minutes.
After BlueStacks 4 launches, you’ll see the main Home screen, which includes a familiar icon to the Google Play store. Click that and sign in with your Gmail credentials, as you would on an Android phone for the first time. This is required only once.
Download apps and games from the Google Play Store within BlueStacks, and you can use built-in default controls provided by BlueStacks or customize them if you prefer. Several options are listed along the right-hand side of the screen.
It may take a bit of experimentation to see how some games should be best played on a PC or Mac. For instance, if you’re used to controlling a racing game by tilting your Android phone, you might opt for a keyboard or gamepad instead.
Apps that leverage your smartphone’s camera, such as Snapchat, will require a computer with a webcam.
Going forward, you can install apps and games through the Google Play store or via the Samsung Galaxy Store (on a PC), but there are other ways. You can type in the name of an app in a search window, in the top-right corner of the Home screen. Or click through the App Center in the dock of BlueStacks 4, as you’ll be able to find recommended and trending apps.
You can even install Android apps already on your PC or Mac. All you need to do is locate the .apk file (the Android app) on, say, your desktop, and drag and drop it into the BlueStacks windows to start the installation.
When you want to load an Android game or app, you can either launch BlueStacks 4 first and launch the app, or you’ll see the individual game or app icon on your Windows or Mac desktop to click, as well (such as Zynga’s Words With Friends 2).
A few benefits to gamers
If you’re into mobile games, it’s pretty cool you can play these on a larger screen, but BlueStacks 4 offers additional benefits.
Instead of swiping your finger on a small display, for many games, you can use your keyboard and mouse (or gamepad) to improve your accuracy. Start with the preset keyboard controls and customize, if desired. BlueStacks 4 lets you create “macros” for repetitive tasks, which means you can assign one click to do a few different things in the game.
Other benefits: Games won’t be interrupted by calls or text messages, and your phone won’t die during a match.
BlueStacks 4 is up to six times faster than many premium Android phones, which should translate to smoother gameplay and faster load times.
If you’ve used BlueStacks 4 (or a previous version), and have an opinion on it, let us know on social media by clicking one of the icons here for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and so on.
Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. Subscribe to his Tech It Out podcast.