An Android emulator is an Android Virtual Device (AVD) that represents a specific Android device. You can use an Android emulator as a target platform to run and test your Android applications on your PC.
- Using Android emulators is optional.
- An Android emulator is installed by default during the RAD Studio installation.
- We recommend that you install this emulator during product installation.
- This emulator is used as the default target for an Android application, so you can easily create and run an Android application on your development system.
- If you create your own Android emulator, consider creating an emulator for each Android device you want to support.
- RAD Studio supports the following targets:
- Android emulators that are version 4.0 or newer
- Android devices that are ARM version 7 or newer
- You cannot use an Android emulator on a Virtual Machine (VM). Although an emulator might run on a VM, the emulator will not run an application.
- It is a well-known performance issue that Android emulators are extremely slow.
The installed Android emulator is named rsxe5_android, which uses the WVGA800 skin and Android 4.2.2.
Installing an Android System Image (Required)
Before you create an Android emulator, you need to install an Android system image that your emulators can use.
- Note: If you installed the Android SDK and NDK during RAD Studio installation, a valid Android system image (such as Android 4.2.2 API 17) should already be shown as Installed in the Android SDK Manager. In this case, you do not need to install another Android system image.
Follow these steps:
- Start the Android SDK Manager (select Start | All Programs | Embarcadero RAD Studio | Android Tools).
- In the packages tree, locate and check the ARM EABI v7a System Image node within the first Android node in the list.
- For example: Android 4.2.2 (API 17) or Android 4.3 (API 18)
- Click Install 1 package. (Clear any checkboxes that were auto-selected.)
- In the Choose Packages to Install page, click Accept License, and then click Install to install the system image.
Creating an Android Emulator Using the Android Virtual Device Manager
To create an Android emulator on your system, follow these steps:
- Start the Android SDK Manager (select Start | All Programs | Embarcadero RAD Studio | Android Tools).
- In the Android SDK Manager, select Tools | Manage AVDs.
- In the Android Virtual Device Manager, click the New button to create a new virtual device.
- In the Create new Android Virtual Device (AVD) dialog box, select an Android device to emulate, and enter the details describing the Android device you want to emulate. In order to run a FireMonkey mobile application, your Android emulator must meet the following requirements:
- In Target, select an Android SDK with an API level that is 17 or higher. The drop-down list contains your installed versions of the Android SDK.
- Under Emulation Options, check Use Host GPU.
- In Device, select the Android device to emulate.
- Tip: Emulating an older Android device like the Nexus S might be faster than emulating a newer, larger device like the Nexus 10.
- Click OK twice to create your new Android emulator.
- You can now view your emulator in the Android Virtual Device Manager.
RAD Studio lists your Android emulators in the Project Manager, within the Target node of the Android target platform node. See Using the Target Node.
Creating an Android Emulator Using the Command Line
You can create an Android emulator in the command window by entering a command such as this:
echo no | android -s create avd -n my_android -t 1
For the skin, you might want to add this option:
--skin WXGA800-7in
For more information, see the Android documentation.
Starting an Android Emulator
When the emulator is the current target platform, you do not have to start the emulator before running your Android app on the emulator. However, we recommend that you start your Android emulator separately, perhaps before you start RAD Studio. Emulators are notoriously slow to start and to run, so starting the emulator beforehand means that your app can get to the emulator more quickly.
The recommended way to start an Android emulator is by using the Android Virtual Device Manager, which can be started from the Android SDK Manager.
To start an Android emulator such as the default emulator installed in RAD Studio:
- Start the Android SDK Manager (select Start | All Programs | Embarcadero RAD Studio | Android Tools).
- In the Android SDK Manager, click the Tools menu and select Manage AVDs.
- In the Android Virtual Device Manager, select the emulator and click Start.
- Then click Launch on the Launch Options dialog box.
- Your emulator should now start (this might take five or ten minutes):
- In the Project Manager, your emulator should appear in the Target node of the Android target platform:
- Tip: If the Project Manager does not show your running Android emulator as running, with the same icon as in the screenshot above, see Using the Target Node.
Your next step is to run an Android app on your emulator. In the Project Manager, ensure that the emulator's name is in boldface and the port number is indicated in parentheses (such as (5554)), indicating that the emulator is running and is the current selected target platform.
For more information, see http://developer.android.com/tools/devices/managing-avds.html.
See Also
FAQs
Creating an Android Emulator? ›
In the Android SDK Manager, select Tools | Manage AVDs. In the Android Virtual Device Manager, click the New button to create a new virtual device. In the Create new Android Virtual Device (AVD) dialog box, select an Android device to emulate, and enter the details describing the Android device you want to emulate.
How do I create my own Android Emulator? ›In the Android SDK Manager, select Tools | Manage AVDs. In the Android Virtual Device Manager, click the New button to create a new virtual device. In the Create new Android Virtual Device (AVD) dialog box, select an Android device to emulate, and enter the details describing the Android device you want to emulate.
How to create virtual Android device? ›- Open the Device Manager.
- Click Create Device. The Select Hardware window appears. ...
- Select a hardware profile, then click Next. ...
- Select the system image for a particular API level, and then click Next.
- Change the AVD properties as needed, and then click Finish.
- Overview.
- Prerequisites.
- Download the Android SDK.
- Install Java 8 JDK.
- Download the Android platform.
- Create the AVD device.
- Run the Android Emulator.
- Create a shortcut in order to pin the emulator to the taskbar.
Android Emulator allows you to run emulations of Android devices on Windows, macOS or Linux machines. The Android Emulator runs the Android operating system in a virtual machine called an Android Virtual Device (AVD). The AVD contains the full Android software stack, and it runs as if it were on a physical device.
Can you make your own Android operating system? ›Since all the Android source code is available, you can build your own firmware. Here's how to build your own Android ROM. One of the key features of Android is that it is open source. The source code for the full operating system, including the kernel, UI, libraries, and key apps, is available for free.
Can I make my own Android game? ›With Unity, they can create 2D and 3D games for Android: from basic 2D sprite games to games featuring large complex 3D worlds. In addition, game developers can experience a vast marketplace of prebuilt art and code assets, both free and paid, available for use in Unity projects.
Can you virtualize Android? ›Android devices have the ability to run virtual machines or emulate other operating systems. It does this either via desktop virtualization, platform virtualization, or emulation via compatibility layer.
What are the essential components for creating an Android virtual device? ›- A hardware profile. ...
- A mapping to a system image. ...
- Other options. ...
- A dedicated storage area on your development machine, in which is stored the device's user data (installed applications, settings, and so on) and emulated SD card.
You can use gradle commands depending on which variant you want. For example, ./gradlew installDebug will make a debug apk and load it onto a connected device (though it won't open it like Android Studio does). gradlew is the Gradle wrapper file present in the root of the project.
Can I run Android apps without emulator? ›
Conclusion. If you want to play your favorite Android games or use other Android apps on your PC, you do not need to install an emulator. You can use MirrorTo screen-mirroring application, Android-x86 software, or chrome extension to run Android apps on PC without using an emulator.
Can I run APK without emulator? ›There is no official way to install APK files on Windows 10 without using an emulator. However, there are a few unofficial methods that may work for you. One method is to use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to install the APK file directly onto your device. Another method is to use a third-party tool like APKPure.
Are Android emulators CPU or GPU? ›By default, the emulator decides whether to use hardware or software graphics acceleration based on your computer setup. If your GPU hardware and drivers are compatible, the emulator uses the GPU. Otherwise, the emulator uses software acceleration (using your computer's CPU) to simulate GPU processing.
Why do Android emulators need virtualization? ›Enabling hardware virtualization in the Android Emulator is a great way to get the most out of the Android Emulator. It allows developers to test their applications on different versions of the Android operating system without having to buy multiple physical devices.
Is Android Emulator software or hardware? ›An Android emulator is a tool that creates virtual Android devices (with software and hardware) on your computer. Note that: It is a program (a process that runs on your computer's operating system). It works by mimicking the guest device's architecture (more on that in a bit).
What operating system is replacing Android? ›Two insiders say Samsung will replace Android with Fuchsia OS in a few years. In May, a leak said that Samsung might adopt Google's Fuchsia OS in the future. At that time, it wasn't clear whether the South Korean giant was planning to use it as an operating system for its smartphones.
How much does an Android operating system cost? ›At its core, the operating system is known as Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and is free and open-source software (FOSS) primarily licensed under the Apache License.
Can I earn money by making Android apps and games? ›You can earn money from your users by offering them an ad free version of the app by buying an upgrade. There are multiple platforms for doing this. The most popular one is Admob from Google. At Appy Pie, we are offering Appy Jump which is a great way to monetize your app and earn back all the investment you put in.
How profitable are Android games? ›Are mobile games still profitable 2020? Mobile games are still extremely profitable and a money-making market for potential revenue. The mobile games market should grow to more than $44 billion by 2020-2024. In 2021, the number of worldwide players will reach 2.8 billion, up from 2.7 billion in 2020.
How much money does an Android game make? ›
Google Play Mobile Game Revenue
For 2021, it made $37.3 billion, a 16.9% increase on the year prior.
VMOS is a virtual machine app that runs on Android, which can run another Android OS as the guest operating system. Users can optionally run the guest Android VM as a rooted Android OS. The VMOS guest Android operating system has access to the Google Play Store and other Google apps.
What is Microdroid? ›Microdroid is a (very) lightweight version of Android that is intended to run on on-device virtual machines. It is built from the same source code as the regular Android, but it is much smaller; no system server, no HALs, no GUI, etc. It is intended to host headless & native workloads only.
Can we root virtual Android? ›Instead of rooting a physical device, you can also use a ready-made Android rooted image. These ready-made images are distributed by Google in the Google Play Store. The next section shows how to install Android Studio on Kali Linux. Then we'll show you how to create your own rooted Android Virtual Device (avd).
What are the 7 basic components of Android? ›The core building blocks or fundamental components of android are activities, views, intents, services, content providers, fragments and AndroidManifest. xml.
What is R Java in Android? ›Android R. java is an auto-generated file by aapt (Android Asset Packaging Tool) that contains resource IDs for all the resources of res/ directory. If you create any component in the activity_main. xml file, id for the corresponding component is automatically created in this file.
What is gradle in Android? ›Android Studio uses Gradle, an advanced build toolkit, to automate and manage the build process while letting you define flexible, custom build configurations. Each build configuration can define its own set of code and resources while reusing the parts common to all versions of your app.
Can a single person make an Android app? ›“It's possible for one person to create an app. However, there is no guarantee whether or not that app will be successful. The competition is tough and people are ready to go to any extent to make their apps successful.
What language are Android apps written in? ›Google states that "Android apps can be written using Kotlin, Java, and C++ languages" using the Android software development kit (SDK), while using other languages is also possible.
How to make an Android app for beginners without coding? ›- Appy Pie.
- Thunkable.
- Adalo.
- BuildFire.
- AppMySite.
What language are APK files written in? ›
A file using this format can be built from source code written in either Java or Kotlin. APK files can be generated and signed from Android App Bundles.
How long does Android Studio take to build an APK? ›Compiling the apk takes seconds, when done manually. If you are talking about setting up an automated build system, then that's another story. merely building an apk out of what you have done is a matter of minutes (sarcastically, if not seconds).
What does APK mean in Android Studio? ›An APK file (Android Package Kit file format) is the file format for applications used on the Android operating system (OS). An APK file contains all the data an app needs, including all of the software program's code, assets and resources.
Are Android emulators legal? ›Emulators are 100% legal, as is the process of downloading them. They are no different to other programs you might download such as word processing or music player software. Downloading and uploading ROMs is illegal, however, so make sure you use your own game files.
What is required for Android emulator? ›- 16 GB RAM.
- 64-bit Windows, macOS, Linux, or ChromeOS operating system.
- 16 GB disk space.
Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world, but you can also install it on your Windows PC. There are many ways to get Android running on a PC, including emulators, bootable USB versions, and even full standalone applications like BlueStacks.
Can a PC run an APK? ›Using the APK Installer, you can download popular APK files from the Amazon Webstore, which also contains APK files. Using virtualization, it converts these APK files into a virtual machine engine for running on Windows devices.
Can Windows 10 run APK files? ›As Windows 10 doesn't recognize APK files by itself, you need to download and install a free Android emulator for Windows 10/11 and then use it to open APK files. For instance, you can use emulators like Bluestacks, YouWave, MeMu, etc.
Can you download APK without root? ›Method 1: Using an Advanced File Explorer
Generally, the installed apps are found in “/data/apps“. So, from here you can simply copy the APK files and paste it wherever you want. However, you can also extract APK of installed apps using an advanced file explorer on a non-rooted Android phone.
But for users who are not intent on using the most recent of emulators (like those for the Wii U and PS3), 8GB or even 4GB of RAM is still likely to be enough.
What is the best processor for Android emulator? ›
Speaking of performance, the team recommends a device with a Snapdragon 835 processor or better, Android Oreo or higher, and OpenGL ES 3.2.
Can Android emulate GameCube? ›There's only one GameCube Emulator on Android, at least only one you should trust: Dolphin. Just like the best Android 3DS Emulator, this is an Android conversion of one of the most popular PC emulation apps. While not as great as the PC original, Dolphin on Android is one of the best mobile emulators around.
What is the difference between Android Emulator and Android simulator? ›Emulation vs.
A simulator creates an environment that mimics the behaviors, variables, and configurations that exist in an iOS app's production environment. An emulator is designed to mimic all of the hardware and software features for the Android app production environment of a real device.
The virtual machines use the central system's resources directly. Also, the VM solution is costlier and more complex than the emulation technique. But the virtualization provides more throughput and minimal overhead with a better backup and recovery solution.
What can you do with an Android emulator? ›Android emulators help you transfer data faster and more efficiently than physical devices that you connect via USB. An emulator offers drag-to-drop capabilities that let you keep . apk files on the virtual device from your workstation or computer, which helps developers test apps quickly and more effectively.
Does Windows 11 run Android apps? ›Windows Subsystem for Android™️ enables your Windows 11 device to run Android applications that are available in the Amazon Appstore. Android is a trademark of Google LLC.
What is the lightest Android emulator? ›Droid4x and MEmu Play are the lightest Android emulators that allow users to play multiple games simultaneously.
How to make your own APK in Android? ›- Open AppsGeyser. Visit appsgeyser.com/create/start/ and choose either app to make money or an app for business.
- Choose the App Template. Choose a template for the type of app you want. ...
- Follow the Guide. ...
- Name the APK file. ...
- Choose an icon. ...
- Download the APK file.
- Install a system image.
- Open Android Virtual Device (AVD) Manager. $ANDROID_HOME/tools/android avd & ...
- Download a Open GApps zip file from the site. ...
- Start an emulator. ...
- Install packages. ...
- Restart. ...
- Open Play Store and sign in.
- Stop the emulator and start it again.
- List all android system images sdkmanager --list | grep system-images.
- Download image Android-API version sdkmanager --install "system-images;android-31;google_apis_playstore;x86_64"
What is the name of the tool used to create device emulators in Android? ›
The avdmanager is a command-line tool that lets you create and manage Android Virtual Devices (AVDs) from the command line. An AVD lets you define the characteristics of an Android handset, Wear OS watch, or Android TV device that you want to simulate in the Android Emulator.
Can I Build APK without Android Studio? ›You can use gradle commands depending on which variant you want. For example, ./gradlew installDebug will make a debug apk and load it onto a connected device (though it won't open it like Android Studio does). gradlew is the Gradle wrapper file present in the root of the project.
Which language is used to make APK? ›Develop Android apps with Kotlin
Kotlin is a modern statically typed programming language used by over 60% of professional Android developers that helps boost productivity, developer satisfaction, and code safety.
First, export the Scratch project to HTML. You must now download the Android app builder application, such as websitetoapk.com. Make the adjustments that you want to add to your app. After you've made your modifications, click “build Android APK,” and your file will be downloaded to the place you specified before.
Are emulators on Google Play legal? ›So, is it legal to run an android emulator (any suggestions), and then play games off the google play store on it? Yes emulation is legal. downloading ROMs is not. Yeah, as long as the app you're downloading is free, it's perfectly legal.
What is the minimum API level for Google Play? ›New apps and app updates must target API level 33 to be submitted to Google Play (Wear OS must target API 30) Existing apps must target API level 31 or above to remain available to users on devices running Android OS higher than your app's target API level.
Can you make an app from Google Play console? ›After you've created your Google Play developer account, you can create apps and set them up using Play Console.
How to use your phone as an emulator Android Studio? ›- Open Android Studio and select Pair Devices Using Wi-Fi from the run configurations menu. ...
- Enable developer options on your device.
- Enable debugging over Wi-Fi on your device. ...
- Tap Wireless debugging and pair your device:
- Create a new run configuration or edit and existing run configuration.
- Press the “+” in the top right of the Run/Debug Configurations dialogue. ...
- And select the Android Virtual Device (AVD) that was previously created in Prefer Android Virtual Device. ...
- Finally, run the emulator.
Features | Cold Booting |
---|---|
Definition | It is the process of restarting a computer from a shutdown or power-off state and restoring it to regular operation. |
Initialized | It is initialized by choosing the power button on the system. |
What programming language is used to write Android apps? ›
1. What language are Android apps written in? The majority of Android apps are written in Java and Kotlin. In some cases, programming languages like C, C++, and Basic are also used.
How to start emulator from command line? ›Use the emulator command to start the emulator, as an alternative to running your project or starting it through the AVD Manager. Here's the basic command-line syntax for starting a virtual device from a terminal prompt: emulator -avd avd_name [ {- option [ value ]} … ]