You’ve seen an iOS-exclusive app, but you only have an Android device. Do you have to purchase a new iPhone to run this app?
With iOS emulators for Android, that may not be the case. An emulator lets you run applications designed for another device architecture without really owning that kind of device.
Emulators are a crucial part of a developer’s arsenal. Since many software developers develop apps across multiple platforms, they need to find a way to test the apps without buying every kind of device.
If you need to run iOS apps on your Android phone, an iOS emulator for Android is your only option. In this post, you’ll learn if there are any working iOS emulators for Android and how to set them up.
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What are iOS Emulators for Android?
The introduction has hinted much about the topic already. iOS emulators let you run apps designed for an iPhone right from your Android phone.
Most iOS emulators are available as installable packages or web apps that you can use without any extra hardware.
Some apps and services claim to emulate iOS apps on Android, but getting one to work is much of a chore because Apple doesn’t let its software leak to developers who create ports that become emulators.
To get an iOS emulator working on your Android phone, you may need to root the device. Rooting may not be necessary, but I’m not sure you want to test an app with a default Wi-Fi, camera, or Bluetooth system.
If you’re ready to go out of the way to try out an iOS emulator for Android, here are some of the best options available in the market right now.
Best iOS emulators on Android
- Appetize.io
Appetize.io isn’t an app for Android. It is more like an online emulator that works across multiple operating systems and is arguably the best way to get the iOS experience on an Android phone.
However, don’t get your hopes up; Appetize.io is targeted primarily at developers. It’s not a free service, and you can only try out the demo without paying. The demo only lasts a minute, so you can imagine how restricting the experience will be.
The basic Appetize.io plan costs $40 and lets you run any app for 500 minutes without any extra charges. After utilizing your minutes, you can continue using the service for 5 cents a minute.
The enterprise pricing option might come in handy if you run an agency of iOS that doesn’t use iPhone. Costing $2,000 a month, you can use iPhones in the cloud without limits.
Granted, Appetize.io isn’t fully an emulator because it mirrors real iPhones from the cloud sometimes. However, it does the job of an emulator and works better than most emulators, giving it an elevated spot in this article.
You can use Appetize.io from any internet browser of your choice that supports the latest JavaScript standards.
Also, you need a decent internet connection to enjoy the complete experience, as you’re essentially streaming an iPhone from the cloud.
You can try Appetize.io by opening the website in your browser. It works across all modern operating systems, and it has one of the most intuitive interfaces we’ve seen yet.
- Cider iOS Emulator
Cider is an iOS emulator that works for Android phones. It comes as an Android application package, and you can install it to get the iOS experience without buying an iPhone.
This emulator works well if you lack a decent internet connection. It’s also a good option if you’re unwilling to pay $40 for Appetize.io, but you need more than a minute with iOS.
Unlike Appetize.io, Cider doesn’t work across all devices and operating systems. Before downloading Cider, you should confirm if your device makes it to the supported devices list.
Most of the Android smartphones that Cider supports are popular; if you use a phone from an unknown manufacturer, you should start checking out the other options.
However, if your device is supported, you need to go the extra mile to find the APK file on the internet. As you may have guessed, the app isn’t available on Google Play, so you must get it from the developers or find a mirror somewhere on the internet.
If you can find the installation file, you’ve gotten a decent iOS emulator. Install it on your Android phone and load up some iOS apps to test how well the emulator works.
- iEmu
If neither of the above recommendations works for you, it’s time to use the final emulator in our recommendation list; iEmu.
Many developers choose this emulator for testing their iOS apps, but if you want something on which to run the latest iOS games, you may need to find another emulator.
iEmu doesn’t work well with resource-intensive apps, as it’s built mostly for testing. It is similar to virtualizing iOS on your Android phone, and it takes quite a lot of space.
Expectedly, this app isn’t available on the Google Play Store. You must find some download links online to use it.
Always remember that attempting to install an app you didn’t get from Google Play Store is always a gamble. Many unscrupulous developers deliberately bundle malware into application files, and you’ll never realize this until after installation.
If you’re lucky enough to get the correct installation file on your first trial, you can start emulating your favorite iOS games right on your Android phone.
Conclusion
Running iOS apps on Android was impossible until the advent of iOS emulators for Android. These apps make it possible to run most iOS apps on your Android device without any additional hardware.
While some (like Appetize.io) run off the internet, others (Cider and iEmu) are available as APK files that you can sideload and run on your Android phone.
If you see any iOS emulator on Google Play Store, it’s merely a joke. Google won’t let you host your iOS emulator on their platform as it’s against the rules.