Hello, again Emulator Buddies! Welcome back to Emulator Info where we learn about a new emulator every day. Every once in a while we also categorize and compare a few emulators so it’s easy for you guys to choose which ones you could and should try!
Today is one of those days as today we will discuss the 5 Best Android Emulators for Linux in 2022. We decided to make this list since not many emulators are compatible with Linux operating system. This is the latest and complete guide through the emulators that work best and have maximum features
List of 5 Best Android Emulators for Linux
- Genymotion
- Anbox
- Bliss OS
- ARChon Emulator
- Android Studio Emulator
So without any further ado, let’s get into it!
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1. Genymotion
Genymotion Desktop is one of the most innovative android emulators which embodies numerous features like no other emulator. It was designed primarily for app developers and IT professionals for developing, test, and demonstrating their applications in diverse Android environments.
Along with thousands of virtual machines, Genymotion consists of the complete set of sensors and features required to interact seamlessly with a virtual android environment with high efficiency.
Download and Install Genymotion
Features of Genymotion:
- Multiple instances simulate various circumstances in different android environments simultaneously
- It is available Cross-platform on Windows, OS X, and Linux
- Over 3000 device configurations of virtual machines/Android devices
- Faster and smooth than most Android devices
- Compatible with Android SDK tools and Android Studio
- Can be easily connected to IDEs for coding, developing and testing, etc
- Webcam as well as a dummy webcam with the emulated device
- Multiple ways to install an app like APK download and drag-and-drop
- GPS data like position and accuracy can be used and modified in real-time
Limitations of Genymotion:
- It has a “personal use” watermark on the normal version
- You have to pay to get rid of the watermark
2. Anbox
Anbox was initially developed to play around with android apps on Linux systems. It has always had a good reception among users. Due to its cloud nature, Anbox can run practically any android app on Linux.
One limitation is, Anbox Cloud is only supported on the Ubuntu Operating System and other Linux distributors can’t run Anbox. It is absolutely necessary to have either an Ubuntu server or a Ubuntu cloud. You need to create a separate 50GB block volume for OS files.
Anbox is a container-based approach to boot/load the full Android OS on a Linux system. And due to this Containerized design, Anbox has impeccable security. Anbox completely integrates the Android Operating system with the Linux hardware for better and smoother emulation that is quite versatile in terms of game playability compared to other such emulators. This integration also results in better accessibility.
Features of Anbox:
- Open source and free
- Written in C++
- Anbox can run any Android application
- Anbox consumes fewer device resources compared to similar apps
- Runs android without Hardware virtualization
- Works both as a phone and a laptop
- You can choose any Android version from Cupcake to Oreo
Limitations of Anbox:
- Only works with Ubuntu and no other Linux distributor
- A server or cloud version of Ubuntu is required. Not just the physical system
- The performance output of games reduces in the case of PCs with low specs
3. Bliss OS
Bliss OS, as the name tells, is a complete OS (Operating System) that you can install on any PC/laptop to get a full Android experience. Yes. Like other emulators Bliss allows you to play Android games and apps. But beyond that, it completely transforms your PC from a Linux (or windows or mac) to an android device in every way.
Don’t worry. You can easily switch between Bliss and your base OS anytime you want. Although, we strongly believe you will love Bliss OS too much to change it. Equipped with a sleek beautiful interface, It is an open source and highly customizable software with more features than Linux and Android combined.
Features of Bliss OS:
- Various interface customization and beautiful theme options
- Superfast and lightweight emulator
- Tweaks to configure the performance, speed, stability, and visuals
- Battery efficient
- Available for Linux, Windows, as well as macOS
- Great safety and privacy features
- Supports Video-playback from streaming services
- Supports Bluetooth controllers
Limitations of Bliss OS:
- You got to boot Bliss OS on your Linux PC
- Takes a lot of hard disk space which leaves less for Linux to use
4. ARChon Emulator
What if you could run android apps on your PC through your browser? And the answer to this question is ARChon Emulator. Forget everything you knew about emulators being heavy software. Because this Amazing Emulator doesn’t require a Virtual Machine.
ARChon attaches its emulation compound to the powerful runtime of everyone’s favorite Chrome browser to emulate Android apps on any PC, Tablet, Chromebook, laptop, and even iPhone!
Basically, any device that can run the Chrome browser can run this Emulator as a browser extension. This means you can use this emulator on any Linux kernel (or on any PC at all for that matter) to experience android apps without downloading any hefty software.
Features of ARchon Emulator
- Designed for app developers
- Open-source and free
- No need to download emulator software from possibly risky sites
- Runs Android apps on any PC
- Massive collection of supported android apps and games
- Regular updates
Limitations of ARchon Emulator
- APKs have to be made compatible through the ChromeOS-apk method
- Some apps are not compatible. It’s better to check the app compatibility prior
- Low customizability
- Changing the orientation of otherwise portrait-mode apps is difficult
- Sometimes the loading is really slow which might result in crashing
- Launching every app from the extensions menu can be tedious
- Heavy games and apps require PCs with higher specs
5. Android Studio
Since we are talking about Android apps, wonder how are these apps made. These games are coded in software called IDEs. Android Studio is the official Android IDE by Google® designed to create, test, and play android Apps. It has capabilities to emulate many virtual devices including many mobile phones, watchOS, and even automotive.
With a plethora of features and customizations, Android Studio definitely becomes not only the best IDE but also the best emulator to play Android games. Primarily designed for app developers, Android studio has gained fame among PC gamers who want an Android experience.
Features of Android Studio Emulator:
- Powerful engine to use/play existing android apps and create new apps
- Develop apps for a variety of Android devices like mobile, tablet, watch, TV
- Better user interface and bigger library support compared to other IDEs
- Multiple programming languages like Java, Kotlin, and Dart (Flutter)
- Cross-platform support for easier development
- Unique and helpful features like auto code completion and code refactoring
- Using its emulator, we do not have to test the apps on different devices
- It’s easier to test apps on different devices with virtual devices simulation
- Create apps with beautiful designs with multiple theme options
Limitation of Android Studio Emulator:
- Since designed mostly for app developers, gaming can be a little difficult
- High-end big games may lag or not work at all
- High RAM-consuming app
- No customizability for playing games
Emulator Info’s Words:
Android has been an integral part of our lives for a while now. It is a sleek and powerful OS for mobile phones. And with this power and ease, loads of apps and games come into the picture which are exclusively designed for Android OS.
Here we discussed some of the best ways to play and enjoy Android apps on Linux. These ways include either downloading the emulator software, getting the browser extension for it, or just changing your whole OS altogether. Either way, I’m sure using any of these emulators will get you the Android experience on Linux PC.
Considering all the pros (features) and cons (limitations) of each of these emulators, It’s completely your decision and preference. You’re entitled to do your own research on it. Let us know in the comment sections if this was useful to you. Mention if we forgot any emulator. Or just tell us if you liked it. Your reviews are valuable to us.
As we discussed, this article was Linux-specific. We have a similar blog for Windows too which is,
