I’m mainly doing quick tests on Android apps and don’t want the overhead of setting up a full dev environment. I’ve already tried Bluestacks, but it doesn’t seem to work well with the M1 chip.
Any suggestions?
Hey @mehta_tvara I’ve been using Genymotion on my MacBook (M1 Pro), and it’s worked pretty well. The cloud-based option especially takes a lot of the load off my local machine, and I can just boot up a virtual Android device when I need to.
You can also install APKs easily and test on multiple Android versions. It’s more developer-focused than something like Bluestacks, but still simpler than Android Studio. Definitely recommend giving it a shot if you’re looking for that middle ground.
For quick testing, especially if it’s browser-based or UI-focused, I’ve started using LambdaTest. While it’s not a traditional Android emulator for APKs, it lets you test your web apps and mobile sites on real Android devices right from the browser—no setup needed.
On my M1 Mac, this has been a lifesaver when I just need to validate a layout issue or browser behavior without spinning up Android Studio or fiddling with configs.
For app-level testing (like APKs), I still rely on physical devices or occasionally Genymotion, but LambdaTest is my go-to for responsive checks and browser compatibility testing on Android.
@mehta_tvara I also struggled with finding something that runs well on the M1 chip. I used to love Bluestacks on Intel Macs, but it’s just not there yet for M1. I’ve since switched to using Uptodown App Store’s Emulator (via their browser-based interface) for really lightweight tests, though it’s limited. If your app usage is minimal—like UI prototyping or behavior checks—it could be enough.
Otherwise, it might be worth dual-booting with a lightweight Linux setup and running an emulator from there, but that’s definitely a workaround.