Why use bluestacks

Switch between tabs to switch between running Android apps. By default, BlueStacks displays a sidebar with several controls to the right of the Android apps.

Use these controls to adjust app volume, change keyboard controls, capture screenshots or recordings, set your location, virtually shake the device, or rotate the BlueStacks screen. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile.

Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Andy Wolber. Freelance Contributor. His focus is G Suite, iOS, and nonprofit sector apps.

Twitter LinkedIn. Updated on December 02, Tweet Share Email. Android Switching from iOS. If you encounter a problem, turn off your antivirus software.

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Log out. Smart Home. Social Media. More Button Icon Circle with three vertical dots. It indicates a way to see more nav menu items inside the site menu by triggering the side menu to open and close. Dave Johnson. BlueStacks doesn't look exactly like Android, but it's easy to use and you can install Android apps from the Play Store. BlueStacks has modest system requirements and should work with computers running Windows 10, or at least macOS Sierra. Visit Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life.

And although the two devices might seem incredibly different, they can run a lot of the same apps. That's where BlueStacks comes in. BlueStacks is one of the most popular Android emulators around , and lets you run nearly any Android app on your Mac or PC.

But like any program, before you download it, you should know whether it's safe to use. Here's everything you need to know. What we mean is that the app itself is totally safe to download.

BlueStacks is a legitimate company that's supported by and partnered with industry power players like AMD, Intel, and Samsung. They've been around for years, and the BlueStacks emulator is considered a great way to run Android apps on your computer.

Just make sure that you download it from BlueStacks' official website. However, the Google Play Store — which is where you'll be downloading the Android apps from — carries some risks. Over the years, cybersecurity researchers have flagged hundreds of Play Store apps that carry malware, charge you money for worthless or non-existent products, or track your personal information. BlueStacks can protect you from some of these apps, since they're usually designed to work on Android devices, not Macs or PCs.

A BlueStacks spokesperson assured Insider that every app is run inside of an "App Container," which makes sure the app can't interact with the rest of your system. And the emulated Android system is run inside of a "secure OS virtualization container, further protecting the user. But other threats, like social engineering or phishing scams that trick you into giving up data , are still dangerous.

Tomaschek also stresses that even if BlueStacks is trustworthy, you should still adhere to "to basic digital privacy best practices. Every app you download gets some amount of access to your device's data.

BlueStacks is no exception. Firstly, when you download BlueStacks, you'll have to log into your Google account. As such, BlueStacks will get access to your name, email address, and any other public information on your Google account. This might include your phone number, gender, address, and picture. Secondly, BlueStacks will see some of your computer's data. According to Tomaschek, it'll see "info regarding your OS, hardware, unique device identifiers, and network information.

In other words, BlueStacks will see what browser and computer you're using, your general location, and some information about your computer setup.