Free emulator for testing mobile apps on a computer, ideal for experienced creators despite limitations
Free emulator for testing mobile apps on a computer, ideal for experienced creators despite limitations
Vote (148 votes)
Program license Free
Developer Socketeq
Version 4.0.3
Works under Windows
Vote
(148 votes)
Developer
Socketeq
Works under
Windows
Program license
Free
Version
4.0.3
Pros
- Runs just like an Andriod device
- Great tool for creators
- Attractive interface
- Completely free
Cons
- May not work as well as a new Andriod phone
- Users must have computing experiance to download apps
- Crashes from time to time
- No audio at all
- No Google Play
Windroy is an emulator that allows for users to run Andriod apps from their Windows computer. Windroy opens a window that looks just like an Andriod phone screen and allows for users to interact with apps in the same way that they would on their phone. It is great for testing out apps, getting to know the Andriod operating system, or even just playing with apps on a larger screen.
Windroy is definitely created with the app creator in mind. It is easy to see how an app runs, if it has any glitches, or what could be done to make it run better. Because it is identical to an Andriod device, creators do not need to buy another phone in order to test run their products.
This emulator has its faults. The program can crash from time to time and there is never any audio. In addition to that, apps cannot be downloaded from Google Play like on an actual Andriod device. Getting the apps can be frustrating for those without a good level of computing expertise.
Windroy currently uses the Andriod 4.0.3 operating system. It is only offered for Windows operating systems at this time. It is available in 26 different languages and is completely free to download.
Windroy is a great choice for creators or skilled computer users. It starts quickly and without a lot of fuss and once running is easy to use. For those who have computing experience, it isn't hard to use and runs very intuitively. It should be viewed more as a sandbox space to try things out rather than a replacement for a daily-usage phone.
Pros
- Runs just like an Andriod device
- Great tool for creators
- Attractive interface
- Completely free
Cons
- May not work as well as a new Andriod phone
- Users must have computing experiance to download apps
- Crashes from time to time
- No audio at all
- No Google Play
Pros
- Android emulator for Windows
- Runs Android natively in Windows
- Strong help documentation
Cons
- Doesn’t support the latest Android version
- No Google Play
- No audio
Windroy is a native Android emulator for Windows.
Windroy seeks to provide native emulation of the Android operating system on the Windows operating system, as far back as Vista, and that makes it one of the more intriguing Android emus around. This program is rather ambitious in that it strives for full app emulation in a package that’s as convenient as any Windows program, and it combines some of the best features introduced by other popular emulators, such as Bluestacks and YouWave.
Despite this ambition, Windroy is amazingly stable, which has been a double-edge sword. The developers keep the release build safe, which helps to achieve that unparalleled stability but also ensures that Windroy tends to evolve at a slower rate than its competitors. It may never support the latest version of Android, and at the time of this review, only 4.04 was supported.
One issue with Windroy is that it doesn’t include Google Play or support for any other Android app store. More than that, it doesn’t include automatic installation of apps of any kind. That means that you have to find the app you want, download it and manually place it in the root/system/ folder. Not a deal-breaker by any means but certainly a turn-off for the casual user who just wants an Android experience on his or Windows PC.
When you start Windroy, it will load into full-screen mode. You can switch it into windowed mode, but it doesn’t have a convenient setting to launch it in that mode. You’ll probably notice that sound doesn’t work either. That probably doesn’t make a big difference for most apps, but it does ensure that Bluestacks remains the Android gaming king on Windows for the time being. In addition, Windroy doesn’t support mouse wheels, and there’s no indication of if or when that support is coming.
A really nice aspect of Windroy is the built-in documentation. It covers everything and is arguably better than any other Android emulator available in this regard. In addition, when the program is updated, you can be sure that the documentation has been updated as well. One not-so-nice aspect of Windroy is that it requires email registration and cannot be used without a valid email address.
Pros
- Android emulator for Windows
- Runs Android natively in Windows
- Strong help documentation
Cons
- Doesn’t support the latest Android version
- No Google Play
- No audio
